Nature nominee

Wandering the Sierra Nevada mountains during and after forest fires produces a mysterious and evocative moment of loss and devastation.

California born, I’ve grown up enjoying the outdoors since I was first able to carry my own backpack. The mighty Sierra Nevada mountains have always been my eastern border into untold beauty and adventure. For nearly a decade I lived in the Sequoia National Park—its lakes, forests and mountains were my inspiration. In those years I enjoyed getting to know the land and the rhythm of its seasons. My passion for landscape photography was born from those years spent capturing the changing beauty of the world around me. Even after years of traveling abroad, I always return to the Sierra with a profound sense of homecoming.

In the last two decades, my journeys have changed from rock climbing outings and scuba expeditions to more quiet, meditative wanderings with my camera. I seek more inner quiet than adventurous thrill—time in nature balances me. That childhood sense of mystery has blossomed into a love for experiencing new, untamed places.

Living at the base of the Sierra, my greatest passion is to get up, get out, and feel the Creator’s presence in the midst of his handiwork.

**Find out more at JoshuaSmithPhoto.com**