How I Started Taking Pictures
Close your eyes and imagine the most beautiful place you have ever seen. Are you on a mountaintop, the long trailing hike behind you? Would you be floating in the blue, watching tiny rainbows dance across the bottom? A lucky few have met the stars in the night sky. With the perfect photo, could you time-travel back just for a moment?
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We all have our reasons for taking pictures. Maybe you want to freeze a perfect day with a loved one; remember the view from a remote island or the top of a steep climb. Probably like a lot of people, I started taking pictures for my mom.
One day after school I pulled on my suit and started towards the many flights of steps down to the water; fins and mask in hand. Descending the steps I could see green hues beneath the glimmering sun on the water. The conditions were more beautiful than I had ever seen. Trying to shuffle, mostly stumble-running, through the shallow water, I looked down to see bright orange fish darting through the sea grass at my feet. Just below the surface, was one of the most beautiful sights I had ever seen.
A gentle field of seagrass as far as I could see, a sway of vibrant green dancing in the waves. Each wave, more beautiful than the next, creating puffy white clouds across the surface.
I held on to the edge of the reef to keep still, in awe of the dance, holding my breath as long as I could. I wished I could share this moment with my mother, who I knew would not feel comfortable swimming this far.
Without wasting more time, I swam back to shore and ran up the steps. Slipping off my suit, I threw on a T-shirt and shorts. Heart pounding excitedly, I drove down the 101 to Hansen's Surf shop where I had seen a waterproof iPhone case in the display case. I sped back to the parking lot, pulled on my suit, and scrambled back down the cliff steps. Grinning ear to ear, I shot several shaky, poor-quality, iPhone videos drifting in the seagrass. I uploaded the footage that day and shared the clips with my family and friends from home.
When I look at a photo, memories of the day rush to my mind, sounds of birds in the distance, water crashing on the shore, people laughing, kids playing. The goal of my work is to allow people to experience parts of Mother Nature they may not have experienced; a family of sea lions playing underwater, a Cormorant diving for lunch, the bareness of an exposed sport climb or the sunrise from the top of a multipitch after a long day's work. I hope that my images allow you to immerse yourself in the magic of Mother Nature and remember you are a beautiful part of her.
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