“The world is big and I want to have a good look at it before it gets dark.” – John Muir, founder of the National Parks.

For as long as I can remember, I’ve pushed past the limits when just out of bounds lines and always tested the doors labeled “do not enter.”  As I’ve grown and matured, that tendency has fortunately faded but not entirely disappeared.  I’m convinced that buried deep inside my soul is an innate desire to experience all this life has to offer, to soak in each moment as intimately as possible.  

It’s for all these reasons that visiting Yosemite National Park was an absolute dream for me. 

Standing at four thousand feet above sea level, feeling the wind rush through my hair and the valley down below me, I felt like I was on top of the world.

My heart beats faster and a perfect smile spread across my face.  If you know me, you know that smiles are frequent visitors, but this one was different.  It was a smile with a fervor I hadn’t experienced in a while.  It was joy, passion, and excitement all melding in response to this glorious creation that God has given us to explore. 

Fortunately photography is a very natural extension to expressing such feelings.  It doesn’t feel like a requirement (there is no need for “obligatory photos”); they’re a genuine way to participate in my current environment.  It’s my way of celebrating and documenting it, trying to create an image that will inspire in others the same awe that exists in me. 

Location: Yosemite National Park | Accommodations: AirBnB | Film Processing: Photovision Prints