I wanted to live a full life within the means that were given me. I didn’t want to depend on somebody else’s affirmation or permission to be able to grow and go forward. And I didn’t want my future to become controlled by my own fears as well. I wanted to be independent. I wanted to fulfill my curiosity about the earth and try to answer age-old questions about why I was born and why now. I wanted to create a project that was solely my own, one that would last as long as I wanted it to and not be controlled by deadlines or finances. Mostly, I wanted to find out what it was I needed to be happy.
Journeys
What started out as an artist project turned into something much, much more. My primary purpose for these travels was to create meaningful images of nature from a perspective not often seen. I didn’t want to see the world from the side of the road or on a path that is readily walked. I wanted to celebrate the water as the source of all life. I wanted to be on the water looking up in wonder and gratitude, not on the banks looking down in control. I wanted to celebrate the world that God created, not man. People and the artifacts they create come and go, but in order for the world to survive nature has to remain strong and virulent. Nature needs to be celebrated, respected and protected.
The story that resulted was a personal one of body, mind and spirit combined with a unique view of America and its people from the vantage point of 2’ above the waterline. During my travels I found out that hard physical work was good for me. I was also able to meet so many wonderful people who lived outside of the confines of my career. I realized everybody had a story to tell and that everyone’s life was equally important. I also saw that sometimes those with the least were the ones willing to share the most. I confirmed my bond with nature as a means to find my own path to God and decided to dedicate my talents as a photographer from then on as a way of celebrating the natural world that God had provided us.
© John Guider 2017
