Story Written by Al Baker
Sure, everybody has heard the stories when it comes to the big man in the red velvet suit. The books and songs that all explain the massive feat that he has to achieve every single year. As if it wasn’t amazing enough that he could fly around the world leaving gifts for all the children on a single night. It’s what you don’t hear that might amaze you even more. It’s the searches that have yet to be told…. Until now.
When packing up for the night to come, Santa straps on his black hiking boots with fuzzy white lining for warmth. Packs up his toy sack with high sodium salted caramel cookies, a 3L reservoir full of milk, and lastly of course… [wait for it…] toys. With an old lantern, a topography map with written names of kids from the good/naughty list and a single compass, he is now ready to take on his search for the Children of Adventure.
Not the children that wait by their bedroom door peaking through the door cracks looking at the tree to hopefully catch a glimpse of him, but the ones who stay in tents amongst the trees that don’t expect to even be found. Not the children who run around the house during the Christmas parties on a cold winters day, but the ones who hike around the outdoors with their parents in search for adventure and exploration, all while picking up after their dogs. These are the challenges that Santa enjoys most. The challenges of rappelling every canyon, climbing every mountain, and never giving up. The challenges you didn’t even know about.
But, now you know.
Self Portrait & Story is done by me. Every year I work on a personal Christmas project and this is a few images from my current project. I wanted to create something on the magical side without going overboard. I quickly wrote the story to go along with the images and I believe I will write more as I continue the small series. I am not a writer so be easy on me! Lol. I took these images in Cathedral Gorge State Park. Possibly the best camp grounds I have yet to stay at! Hope you guys dig this and the rest of my work that I have shared on here. Enjoy.
This photo was a result from a major rookie mistake! What had happened wassss...
This is Inspiration Point on Anacapa Island. With Anacapa being located in Channel Islands National Park twelve miles off the coast of Oxnard California, I had to make sure I did not forget a single thing. I did major pre-night cleaning, setting up, and putting everything away. I checked... I double checked... I triple checked... repeat... I'm ready.
Spent an hour on the boat with the foggy visibility becoming clearer by the minute. I unpacked everything at the campsite half a mile away from the boat dock, took a nap as I did not get much sleep the night before, and waited for sunset to come.
I was so excited for the golden hour! I hiked my way up to Inspiration Point for the first time to find a gorgeous scene of the Anacapa islands layering over each other, with the silhouette of each body of land getting lighter the further you look. The biggest island so faint, you can barely see it.
*Snap. Snap. Dance. Snap. Snap. Dance.*
That's basically how it went but I was by myself. Why not? The joy overfilled me that I just had to let it flow. It definitely tired me out though so it was that time to pack up and head back to camp.
The next morning, I woke myself up on such a terrible thought. The thought that after all the equipment cleaning, I forgot to put in my memo... Oh no......
I did just that. No memory card. No sunset photos. Safe to say was doing a whole other kind of dance that morning. Luckily though, I brought my back up camera. Yes, memory card inserted. I checked.... I double checked... I triple checked........
Put your headlamps on, keep your head up high, and light up the sky.
With my back up camera in hand, sporting the Sigma Art 20mm, I just started snapping photos away walking along the cliffs trying to get a different photo every step I take. These photos showed me that Landscape photos doesn't always have to be during the golden hour. The simplicity of the light fog off in the distance says a lot more than it looks.
I was at the tallest point of the small East Anacapa Island. The best part of it was just being able to turn 360 degrees and see nothing but the water vanishing into the light fog. I felt so alive, yet so peaceful at the same time. Until the sun hit and I had nowhere to find shade.
The loud goofy sounds of sea lions barking brought me to this overlook. Looking down by the water, near the large rock formation are a group of sea lions just chillin'. It's really tough to make them out but I believe they weren't what made the photo anyhow. The small structure off in the distance is the Anacapa Lighthouse. Without it being in the photo, I don't think I would bother sharing this picture!