Growing up in Jackson Wyoming, I developed a deep appreciation and passion for the outdoors. I would ski Teton Pass before work and kayak the Snake River after closing. After completing my undergraduate degree at the University of Wyoming, I pursued my masters at the University of Southern California. While in Los Angeles, I still enjoyed the outdoors by backpacking in the Sierras and exploring the coastline. I felt it was important to capture the beautiful places I was exploring, and so my passion for photography developed. My most reason trip took me and a few buddies to Big Sur. We left LA at 8:00 PM and by midnight had reached “Elephant Seal Beach”. This is the time of year where elephant seals give birth, so there were plenty of seals to take pictures of, illuminated by the full moon.
We arrived in Big Sur at around 3:00 AM. The first two campgrounds we’d hoped to stay at were full, and we were too tired to look for anymore spaces, so we decided to just pull over to the side of the road and sleep for a few hours. We got up at 6:00 AM to take pictures of the setting moon and the rising sun at McWay Falls.
After watching the sunrise, we drove to a campground up the coast and set up camp. When we arrived, the sun was shining through the trees and catching the smoke from the morning campfires.
Once camp was set up, we drove up the coast to explore the beaches and alcoves along the way. As sunset approached, we drove to The Keyhole and did handstands on the beach until dark.
This was a truly incredible trip. It showed me when living by the Give’r mentality, the unexpected is fun, and changes in the plan are what make for adventure. No matter where you are, you just have to Give’r and learn to love the ride.
-Luke Walker
