We recently connected with Kara Lynn and have shared our conversation below.

Kara, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

A local children’s hospital was renovating their adult inpatient unit and I got brought onboard to assist with some of the artwork installations throughout the ward and in each patient room. I worked closely with the hired art consultants, but I really enjoyed being able to work with the nursing staff and get their input since they would be the ones who would be seeing it every day. I had previously gone through extensive orthopedic surgery there, and it was nice to be able to have the patient perspective of what would be nice to have in a room as well as for the families. The new construction turned out really nice and it warmed my heart to hear from the staff on how different and beautiful all the pictures were. I hope that the images from my travels will make their stay in the hospital a bit nicer.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I grew up in Minnesota where I spent most of my free time playing outdoors. From a young age, my family introduced me to the world of nature through wildlife documentaries and magazines as well as outings to wildlife refuges and nature reserves; all of which have influenced my love and appreciation of nature and my strong desire to protect and preserve it.

After earning a bachelor’s degree in biology, I worked in several states in natural resources conservation for many years. It wasn’t until I moved to Hawaii for work that I also fulfilled a childhood dream to live there, become a scuba diver and instructor, and started to travel around the world. My passion for photography evolved a lot over the years. I always enjoyed taking pictures in nature to document my adventures or observations, but it became more than a hobby once I started traveling and diving more.

My travels and photography are fueled by the desire to fully experience a place, its people, and its wildlife. I would like my art to inspire others to get out of their comfort zone and see the world—to learn about other cultures, embrace our similarities, and celebrate our differences.

The natural world is changing every day and with every image, I capture a split second in time that documents the reasons why our oceans and native habitats are worth protecting. Many of the places I have explored have been in marine protected areas similar to national parks. These areas are critical for preserving habitat and protecting wildlife so that they will be around for generations to come. I wish that my art will inspire people to be better stewards of our planet, to help protect these lovely areas and the animals in them that I have photographed. When you’re more connected to the land and the people, you’re more willing to protect it—people protect what they love.

I work with clients to create prints on different media (canvas, metal, paper) to suit the needs of their project or home. I also do freelance wildlife/nature/underwater photography for photojournalism assignments.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

My mission is much like what I wrote in the previous question in regards to my bio. It is my hope that I can combine my experience in conservation with my love of photographing the natural world so that I can not only educate people about the beautiful things on our planet, but help create a call to action so that people may step forward and we can protect, enhance and/or restore critical habitat for species on the IUCN red list among others. We may often think that art and science do not go together, but in the scheme of things, they go together very well. I personally also would like to be able to see as much wildlife in situ as possible because there is really nothing like seeing animals wild and free in their native habitat. We never know if there will be a time when we won’t see those animals or habitats again and so it’s vital to document it as well.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

For me, it is being able to go out and do exactly what sets my soul on fire. I love that I can do so many activities with my photography in order to capture the right moment. I’ve been able to go jungle trekking, scuba diving, freediving, kayaking, hiking, backpacking, snowshoeing, etc just as a means to put myself in the environment to be able to capture the right shots. In the age of digital photography, it’s possible to change an image that’s much different from the original. I can see other artist’s editing styles, but it is difficult to see my own. I try to represent things as close to reality as possible. It also warms my heart to see so many people light up when they see my art in their home or elsewhere. It brings me joy to spread joy and know that my images will outlive me.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.karalynnphoto.com
• Instagram: sea.kara.explore
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seakaraexplore
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@seakaraexplore