Wild and Free by Col Elmore
Based on the island of Kauai and spending the summer months in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, these two sisters have been given the freedom to follow their hearts, untethered from the stresses and constraints of a conventional lifestyle. Mother Nature has been their greatest teacher, from the silent emptiness of craggy mountain tops down to the seemingly infinite horizon, humbling power, and boundless joy of the ocean. She never fails to deliver an endless supply of life lessons, packed with all of the exciting, scary, tearful and oftentimes freakin’ hard moments. The ecstatic rush of joy when seeing a perfect wave, empty and beckoning, to the stomach knotting terror of being caught close in on a big day. It’s these moments in time, experienced in complete rawness, that have shaped them as individuals, and continue to nurture that spark of adventure-driven wildness.
For me, photography, exploring nature and a constant drive to travel the world have been passions of mine for as long as I can remember. Starting out with me and my sisters undertaking numerous make-believe “world travels” around our childhood home, while I attempted to press the right button to film our romps on an old VHS camcorder. It has helped me see the world in a different way, allowing me to feel more intimately aware of the subtle nuances of a place or time, recognizing those little things that end up creating the larger image. I’ve always loved capturing people doing what they’re truly passionate about, so shooting my sisters on our many real-world adventures has brought me such joy!
These images were shot on a recent family trip to the beautiful surfing enclave of Byron Bay, NSW, where we planned to stay 3 weeks, but ended up falling in love and bumping into our visa’s expiration 3 months later! Growing up and embracing this lifestyle of adventuring, travelling and sharing waves together, has created a bond between the three of us that transcends family and is a constant source of gratitude.
Wild-schooling, as we’ve practiced it, is the embrace of life and nature in all of its many forms and the constant learning that comes from following the ever-changing flow of this precious life.
Comments
Carolyn C Wheat said:
Beautiful young souls experiencing God’s, wonderful world with REAL INSIGHT! So rare….so pure…. I think they have it all . Josh and Allison….you have given the world to them…..unemcumbered with false values of society! Carolyn