Photographer Caitlin Jane “CJ” Calica, 21, from Arcadia has been telling stories with a camera since middle school, and now she’s building a path toward perhaps shooting for National Geographic one day. Her work centers family portraits and real-life moments, the kind that end up taped to walls and passed down as memory. One of her proudest projects took her to a rural village in Michoacán, Mexico, where she photographed her best friend’s family and left behind printed portraits that became part of their home forever. She’s also exhibited at Oxy Arts, left a steady job to bet on herself as a full-time photographer, and keeps growing through community and creative risk. For CJ, a good creative day starts with curiosity, includes time to sit with a question before picking up the camera, and ends with making something honest. Her advice to young creatives is simple and powerful: find your people first — your voice follows.

Follow CJ on Instagram at @audienceink and check out her portfolio.