Alex Hanes

A wilderness traveler at heart, I have been paddling and hiking in the wild places of this country for many years. I quickly realized that taking photographs along the way gave me another avenue to explore and better appreciate the land, while allowing me to share my experiences with people in other walks of life.

Taking pictures has become a source of calm and quiet in my daily activities. When I’m out on an expedition it offers moments of reflection. While looking outward at the landscape around I find myself reflecting inward on my feelings, thoughts, and the experiences of remote travel. My mind becomes still as I internalize the excitement, the success, and failures of the day. The pictures I take are my honest attempt to capture a reflection of those feelings and experiences.

Photography is a process of self exploration, and throughout that process I’ve learned to focus my lens on the things that matter most to me. I try to frame the world around in a way that captures the mystery and magic of nature, the wonder I feel when immersed in it. A way that brings to life those primal aspects of humanity that I often struggle to explain in words.

"That frame of mind that you need to make fine pictures of a very wonderful subject; you cannot do it by not being lost yourself."
- Dorothea Lange