Ryan Sarakul • Commercial Photographer/Corporate Media Director

Today, I am breaking my silence. Read these if you will, it doesn’t matter to me if you don’t. This one is for me. Before I can share my successes 2024, I must release the weight I’ve carried for too long—silently navigating the hardest year of my life. As the world celebrates victories and milestones, I feel called to share not my triumphs, but the losses that shaped them and the lessons they left behind. Even now, I suffer. Life will never be the same, but I must move forward. My happiness and kindness was not innate, it was earned and developed. In 2023 & 2024, I said goodbye to my two dogs, Yuki and Kuma—my beloved boys. Kuma’s passing was my first experience of watching life slip away, and Yuki’s was even harder—a heartbreaking moment that replayed in my mind night after night. Their loss felt like losing pieces of my heart. Not long after, I lost my brother Patrick. Diagnosed with rare cancer, he fought bravely for years. When his condition worsened, I became his caregiver, balancing sleepless nights at the hospital and a relentless work schedule. I prayed for miracles, but on April 4, 2024, he left us. He didn’t want us to see him suffer, so he asked us to leave that night. It was his final act of love—protecting us from the pain of goodbye. These losses broke me, but they also built me. Patrick taught me to live with purpose, to let go of naivety, and to fight for my dreams. He reminded me of the value of family, real friendships, and self-worth. He showed me how to release what no longer serves me, to stop worrying about what others think, and to move on with strength and clarity. If you’ve experienced loss, know this: It’s okay to grieve, but don’t let it stop you from living. Honor those you’ve lost by cherishing the life you still have. Hold your loved ones tighter. Chase your dreams harder. And never forget—today is a gift. If my story touches even one person, if it inspires you to hold your loved ones closer and find light even in pain, then this vulnerability is worth it. Loss is inevitable, but we can honor it by living a life they would be proud of.
 Stay kind, live & love. Happy New Year- Patrick, Kuma, and Yuki. Rest in Paradise.

I don’t understand why he was kicking me out🤷‍♂️

RSVP NOW OPEN! $25 per guest via Venmo with your Full Name to RSVP! Link to Venmo in description. Limited venue capacity, so be sure to get yours ASAP! Ticket Sale ends 08.10.2022 and There will be no ticket sales at the door. This is a strictly private venue. This is my company’s @iamexclusv first show where we will be highlighting local and international dancers and movers through a visual arts exhibtion. In this exhibition will take place at the newly launched @rhythmsectionoak art lounge and is also a 3v3 team dance battle in celebration of my 33rd birthday. My mission is to cultivate a uplifting community space where we can push each other in our crafts and create platforms for artists and movers to highlight their passion. Please come join the show and support your local artists ❤️ see you there!

A windy day link up with @ceciliaegidi and @ryan.sarakul 🔥 Hope to see you again soon! 🎶 @madd3e_music 🎥 @withsoph_

[JUDGE SHOWCASE - TAIPEI • POP LOCK PARK 2026] I sat with this for a while before sharing because dance means more to me than I can easily put into words. But the gratitude I have for this experience pushed me to share. First time in Taiwan and I was welcomed with open arms. Also my first time judging overseas, which meant a lot. I’ve always stayed connected through events, media production, sessions, and just showing up. Never cared for the spotlight, thus why I don’t post myself dancing anymore. I come from a place where there was no stage or trophies, just people getting down and connecting. I started this dance back in 2005, and from the beginning it was rooted in that feeling. I tried putting myself out there in my 20s, but it never felt right. I was doing what I thought I was supposed to do without really knowing myself. At one point I even considered myself retired for almost 4 years. At one point I thought winning defined my worth. It made me develop a negative relationship with myself and dance. What matters to me now is the sessions, the cyphers, and real exchanges. Being overseas reminded me how powerful that is. Same dance but different places, different roots. From the states, we carry something that can only be understood through experience. We are from the soil. I used to think dance defined me. Now I know it’s me that defines dance. Growth, values, and purpose come first. Dance is just a part of that. If this resonates with you, remember this… contests don’t define you as a person or a dancer. They don’t define your worth. It’s only one part of this dance. You might win today, but tomorrow people move on. Hold your accomplishments close, but never let them define you. Thank you @kevin_5416789 and @artshow_chen for trusting me. Thank you Taiwan for the love. Truly appreciated.

In this final set of our shoot with rising dance star Aria Briosos, she brought a powerful mix of precision, creativity, and confidence to every frame. Rocking her @nike in @walnutcreekdowntown , she showcased sharp tutting angles and impressive flexibility that made each moment stand out. Grateful for the opportunity to capture such a dedicated and inspiring young talent on the rise.

this one is going in a frame on the wall at @iamexclusv studio for sure! Shoutout Aria for being such a natural!

Grateful to have had the chance to work with rising dance star Aria Briosos. Aria carries herself with so much confidence and a natural on camera. She expresses pure joy in what she does. Representing the Bay Area, passionate about dance, and already building an amazing path with experiences alongside Larussell, Jabbawockeez, and Alysa Liu, with AGT auditions on the horizon. Sessions like this are always special for me, authentic, positive, and full of great energy!

Candise flew in from Hawaii for her first studio photoshoot. We used simple mood lighting a light that @smallrig.global sent to my studio and capture different sides of her personality—clean, real, and intentional. Proof you don’t need experience to create something powerful.

This was her first studio shoot and we didn’t chase poses, we sought for emotion. Warm tones. Cool contrast. Different sides of the same woman, brought to life through light. Refined, intentional, and rooted in feeling.

No experience. No pressure. Just real emotion. Candise stepped into the studio for the first time and trusted the process. Through intentional lighting, we brought out different layers of her. This frame represents a different part of her journey that one may never have known.

No sleep. 1 year in the making. This is what happened. We both landed the night before and still made this shoot happen. So glad I finally got to have her in my studio. Eevy’s style is different—waacking, tutting, full expression with insane control and flexibility. Capturing that isn’t just about lighting or angles… it’s about understanding the person in front of you. That’s where the real image comes from. Huge shout out to @eevy_ for coming through!