I'm super excited to announce a new mini portrait series! After feeling like a lot of the more common photography projects didn't mesh with my passion for capturing people and their stories, and feeling inspired by Humans of New York, I decided to visit the one place that has everything - Craigslist.

Humans of Austin That Responded to My Craigslist Post (no catchy acronym, sorry!) was born. Instead of photographing people on the street, I wanted to photograph them in their element, with a 30 minute mini session and go a little bit more in-depth about their feelings for the city they live in. Sam Turner, an ex-human of New York herself, was the first to volunteer. Read more about her and her passion for fitness below.

Sam Turner is a personal trainer and plant-based nutrition coach and has been an Austinite for 3 months. Previously an inhabitant of Brooklyn, she moved to Austin for better job opportunities.

As fun as she is tough, Sam is the right personal trainer for "people who want to get their asses kicked!" She provides guidance that's accessible for people of all fitness levels. "Baby steps! It's unrealistic to think you can go from eating Taco Bell and sitting on the couch all day to only eating salad and exercising for hours."

Sam, a soon-to-be yoga instructor, loves the Austin vibe. "There are a lot of new energy in Austin from people moving here that are working on getting their lives going," she said. Sam would also like to see Austin grow. "Since there are so many new people here, a lot of them aren't making the effort to connect to Austin. There needs to be an effort to get new people invested in their communities."

Looking for a healthier option? Hit up Sam's picks - Bouldin Creek Cafe for the vegan breakfast tacos, Juiceland for a mid-day pick-me-up and Wheastville Co-op for hard-to-find health foods.