Samuel Lee is a portrait photographer based in the California Bay Area. He is currently a student at the University of California, Davis.
I started taking photos at the age of 6, when my dad gave me a camera. My first photos consisted mostly of LEGOs, stuffed animals, and my brother's rear-end.
During the 2020 pandemic, I started the Porch Portraits project, where I would take family portraits in exchange for donations to Second Harvest Food Bank. Over the span of about a year, I photographed 106 families and raised over $7000. Through a partnership with Compassion Network, I also had the opportunity to provide free photoshoots for economically disadvantaged families.
They say "a picture is worth a thousand words." However cliché the phrase may be, it really is true. My job is to tell each family’s story through pictures. Stories of proud parents, of mischievous children, of the generations. I've realized that I can bring joy to families through my lens, and for me, that's enough of a reason to be a photographer.