Lyndsi + Geoff (and Oatis too) | Joshua Tree, CA

"I wish for the same thing I've hoped for since the beginning. I wish for a life so brave, so unpredictable, so full of unexpected joys and unforgettable love that no box could possibly contain all my memories.
Such a life won't be perfect. It'll be something better.
It'll be my own paradise."
-Patti Smith

 Lyndsi and I met a few months back at a bonfire on the beach hosted by a mutual friend. It was instant friendship as we fell into conversations of photography, traveling, family, and the outdoors (I am sure Geoff and I would have gotten on just as well but his attention was called to igniting the disheveled christmas tree that would soon become our heat source) None the less, its not every day you stumble upon a couple who's views so strongly align with your own. I knew they were keepers. 

Some time later, upon announcing our travel itinerary, Lyndsi and Geoff jumped on board to meet us in Joshua Tree. I should add that these two are the proud owners of an '84 VW Westfalia named Oatis. In their spare time they find themselves most often near the ocean or escaping to hidden corners of the country in their home-on-wheels. Needless to say, I was beyond thrilled to have them joining us along our journey. 

Our stay in Joshua tree was a desert dream. Long hours next to the campfire, a nearly full moon shining above, sharing beers and s'mores, filling the air with conversations of life and adventure. As dusk approached on our first evening I had the pleasure of photographing these two in their true element: road tripping with Oatis. It is intoxicating to spend time amongst people that carry such love and a yearning to experience a life lived to the fullest. They allow you to think of travel and life on the road with new possibility, reminding you that each of us are capable of cultivating a life we may only dream of living. 

As we parted ways, driving down a dusty desert road, I was left with an intense feeling of gratitude. Gratitude for Lyndsi and Geoff allowing me into the intimate corners of their world, but also for so willingly joining ours. 

Alexandria & Emma | a mother-daughter session

Our task must be to free ourselves...by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature and its beings. - Albert Einstein

There are people in this world that inspire us. They inspire us to widen our hearts, to see the good in the world, believe in ourselves and chase after the life we dream of. They inspire us to embrace the dark corners of ourselves and to use the weight of struggle to manifest love and creation.

Alexandria has become one of those people to me.

When I first met her you could feel her kindness, but there was a mystery to her. One I couldn't quite put my finger on. But as we got to know each other, I realized the otherness she carried was not the guardedness I initially perceived it to be. What was different was that she truly and whole heartedly is the kindness that she radiates. Her humbleness and compassion for others and the world around her is unique and refreshing in a time when so many seek to point out your weakness. 

I had the privilege to photograph Alexandria and her daughter, Emma. A daughter that is already so much like her mother in how she sees the world with a vivacious sense of curiosity. 

We spent the evening exploring the Ellwood Bluffs not far from their home in Santa Barbara. There were winding paths, discovering new flowers, climbing through tangles of tree branches and soaking up the energy of the sea as the sun darkened behind the clouds. The ocean held us close as the wind danced with our hair and the last bit of light gave way to the night. 

Capturing the electric connection between these two and their appetite for nature was so much more than an experience. It left me with a new understanding and joy for life.