Hi,
I'm Zachary!
For me, growing up in Northern California and having family scattered all throughout the mountain west meant that I spent most of my childhood time outside wandering. Some of my favorite memories are summers spent making maps through sagebrush "forests" in Idaho, Utah, and Wyoming, hanging around in tree houses in California and imagining adventures to far-off places with my friends. My childhood passion followed me into adulthood, and I've made it a goal to never lose that sense of excitement and awe in the natural world. My hope is to share those experiences with others through my photos and writing. Thank you for taking the time to look through my site. Hopefully you are able to feel some of what I do when I'm out exploring; awe, reverence, and gratitude for this big beautiful place in which we live.
A Change in Plans
I was originally in school studying to be a mental Health Therapist. After getting halfway through my degree and taking some time off to work in mental health related fields I found myself feeling very burnt out. I started to hike more to cope with the stress of work and decided I needed a change. Ironically the very next day, a friend posted on facebook that a glacier tour boat in Alaska was hiring deckhands. Believing that to be my answer, I quickly responded and submitted my application. I had always wanted to visit Alaska and I figured this would be the break I needed before returning to school.
The ONLY flaw with my brilliant plan was this; I had no idea how absolutely I would fall in love with Alaska, glaciers, and working on the water. After spending that summer seeing people take in the magic of glacial ice, I never looked back. I am now (roughly) halfway through my "sea time" to receive my Sea Captain's License. I plan to spend my days sharing the plants, animals, and coastlines of our seaside national parks with people from all over the world, with camera in hand, of course.
Since that time I have also married. My wife Jess and I live most of the year in a camper van, moving around to different seasonal tourism jobs. Funny enough, she is a therapist and runs a private tele-health practice. I like to think I still do a little good in the world of mental health by supporting her and the hard work and dedication she puts in with her clients each day.
