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This is NF Photo Series

This unique and inspirational photo series by award-winning photojournalist Craig Warga is about people living with NF – not just living with it, but succeeding and thriving in one’s chosen vocation. The NF story can be one full of hurdles – diagnosis, symptoms, doctor appointments, MRI scans, surgeries and/or clinical trials. With this photo series we’re telling a side of the NF story that isn’t often told – the passion that those living with NF bring to their daily lives – their work, their goals, the things they want to get out of life, with or without NF. Mr. Warga, who has photographed some of the most famous people in the world, is also an NF parent who set out to inspire his young son, who lives with NF1.

This collection was photographed in 2017-2018.

Craig Speaks About the ProjectCraig's Website
man standing in front of ocean wearing sunglassesThis Is NF
December 8, 2018

This is NF: Dan Price

NF is something I've lived with my whole life. While people may have teased or stared at me, it's because they don't know . I wish I knew more about…
family sitting around tableThis Is NF
November 8, 2018

This is NF: David Camiolo & Family

David I was diagnosed with NF as a young child, when my pediatrician noticed that I had multiple café au lait spots. However, NF only started to become real for…
A man sitting on a bench in times square.This Is NF
October 8, 2018

This is NF: Jeff Cannon

If I see NF as a disease I am beaten by it. If I see NF as a part of me, it becomes a part of my journey and I…
This Is NF
September 16, 2018

This is NF: Christopher Edwards

When I was growing up, I wanted to be an architect. I dreamt of building cities. I would construct cities out of sand in my sandbox, landscape them, cut through…
This Is NF
September 13, 2018

This is NF: Alwyn Dias

Growing up I never felt that "this is happening because I have NF." I remember my parents taking me to hospitals and doctors every other waking minute. Although hard to…
This Is NF
September 12, 2018

This is NF: Adam Slackman

My diagnosis did not come until I was 37 years old. My family was a rock, they helped me research the right doctors and treatment options. People say everything happens…
This Is NF
September 11, 2018

This is NF: Sequoyah Daniel

Growing up, I knew my dad, Darien, was sick. I heard my parents talk about it but didn’t pay it any mind. When I was younger, he could drive, walk,…
This Is NF
September 10, 2018

This is NF: Stacey Fried

An NF diagnosis isn’t always what people see when they ask Dr. Google. I never felt that having NF held me back, as my affliction is quite mild and mainly…
A woman in a karate uniform in a park.This Is NF
September 8, 2018

This is NF: Olivia Sederlund

Growing up, I wanted to be a basketball player. Alas, I was gifted with neither the height nor the athletic skill needed to play basketball, or even most organized sports.…
This Is NF
August 10, 2018

This is NF: Katy Wakin

When I was a kid, I always knew I had NF. I told my friends, but in actuality, I had no idea what having NF meant. To me, all it…
This Is NF
August 9, 2018

This is NF: Ken Rudd

I’ve known that I have NF for as long as I can remember, having been diagnosed as a very young child at a time when much, much less was known…
A man holding a book in front of a book shelf.This Is NF
August 8, 2018

This is NF: Richard Glasford

My first encounter with NF was long before I ever realized what it was. Before I can remember, when I was learning to walk, my left leg collapsed under me,…
This Is NF
August 8, 2018

This is NF: Lawrence Lang

Growing up my dreams were simple: I wanted to be a professional bowler and I wanted to be a sports broadcaster and play-by-play commentator. I wasn’t diagnosed with NF until…
This Is NF
August 7, 2018

This is NF: Marisa McGrody

As a child, I had café au laits on my body and was given extra time on tests from kindergarten all the way through college, but I wasn’t diagnosed with…
This Is NF
August 6, 2018

This is NF: Matt Hay

I was diagnosed with NF2-related schwannomatosis as a sophomore in college.  My hearing loss was the most immediate and obvious aspect of some very tough years in my 20s as I…
This Is NF
August 4, 2018

This is NF: Susan Giza

Growing up I hated my café au lait spots. There was one in particular located above my lip that was especially noticeable. I will never forget the day my uncle…
This Is NF
August 3, 2018

This is NF: Tom LaGuidice

I have being going through surgeries my whole life; my first at six months old, all through high school, and later in college. Only now are the operations increasing and getting…
A woman in glasses sitting at a desk in an office.This Is NF
July 8, 2018

This is NF: Samantha Voorhees

January 12, 2018, was probably one of the scariest days of my life. I was sitting at work and my heart was beating out of my chest. The pain was…
A woman wearing an orange vest and hard hat sits on a construction site.This Is NF
July 8, 2018

This is NF: Salina Itwaru

When I was young, I didn’t know that much of the pain I felt was from having NF. The pain was real, it was not in my head. It wasn’t…

About the Photographer

Craig Warga is a proud father of a boy with NF. He is also a corporate/wedding photographer based out of Brooklyn, NY where he lives with his wife Ema, and their two boys, Aiden and Kai. Craig also recently shot the Make NF Visible photo series for the Children’s Tumor Foundation. You can watch this video to learn more about Craig and his inspiration for shooting these portraits, and you will find more of his work on his website, www.craigwarga.com.