Rook was a nickname I made up for myself before going to college. I was worried about becoming forgettable, and felt like I needed to think of a name nobody else had, or get used to being one of the hundred other Dans I knew. I came up with a story on a whim and it worked. Eventually, I didn't even need to explain myself, everyone just knew me as rook

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People often ask where I'm from and it's always sparked a conversation. I grew up as a foreign service brat, before I turned 18 I'd already lived in over 10 different countries. I'm incredibly fortunate to have seen so much of the world, but admit it was terribly isolating moving every couple of years and losing any friendships I made along the way. It's ultimately what drew me into photography, they became mementos to my life, the people I met, and the memories I made along the way.



Although I had a pretty unique childhood, I think that everyone can relate to the value of photographs. Photos become valuable with time. A good photo is one you're going to post on social media or use for dating apps, but a great photo is one that you look back at years later, one that pulls you back to a time in your life you once lived and makes you think about just how much has changed since then.

Photos are artifacts, they're timestamps to our life that only get better with age, and will survive long after we die. Along the same lines, it's why I shoot film. Taking a photo that's tangible makes for a real causal connection. The photo came into physical existence at the same time that you took it, which is something incredible.