Sonya was born in Melbourne, Florida, and grew up playing on the beach and watching Space Shuttles take off. Her GrandMom Charlet was Sonya’s first real introduction to photography - she took photos of everything - and opened the world of documenting life. By junior high, Sonya began creating characters and stories, finding inspiration in the people she met…the same way she still does through her travels.

After spending her college years and twenties between Nashville and Tampa, Sonya left Florida in 2014 and headed west to Portland, Oregon, where the trees and mountains would leave you in awe! She also lived in Loveland, Colorado, where the Rocky Mountains were part of her daily view. However, the place that changed her most was Mexico, where she spent 5 years in Cabo San Lucas, Playa del Carmen, and Ensenada. She now resides in Roanoke, Virginia. In her spare time, Sonya enjoys cooking, exploring the Blue Ridge Mountains, and being part of the community.

While Sonya has spent the majority of her career writing, photography has always been a passion. She completed graduate-level coursework in architecture, documentary, and portrait photography. Her thesis proposal was titled “Under the Sun: Florida’s Modernist Architecture.”