Brad's Story

Photo Credit: Greg Vaughn
Photo Credit: Greg Vaughn

I came to the Big Island of Hawaii in 1982. It was supposed to be a quick trip, a break from the Alaskan winter, where I was living in a cabin at the edge of Cook Inlet, on the Kenai Peninsula. I had lived in Alaska for years, first doing geology in the Brooks Range, high above the Arctic Circle. Then as an archaeologist in Prince William Sound. When I wasn't "working" in the bush, I lived at my cabin, grew a garden, fished from the beach, and observed the numerous volcanoes across the Inlet.

I grew up in Utah in the Wasatch Mountains. I spent my boyhood exploring this range, as well as the sandstone deserts to the south. Being surrounded by the beauty of nature has always been a priority. That is what inspired me to go to Alaska, and years later, to Hawaii.

My two week tour of Hawaii turned into a lifelong love affair. I never left. Kilauea Volcano has a lot to do with this. I still visit my cabins in Utah and Alaska for balance and perspecitive, but Hawaii is where my heart is.

The current eruption of Kilauea Volcano began a few months after my arrival to Hawaii. Having pursued photography since I was a young boy, I knew that this living volcano with its liquid light and unique textures offered something very special. I was hooked. The opportunity to record the many faces of creation and to explore this mesmerizing landscape is a privilege I will continue to pursue.