My Story

My work begins with attention.

Photography taught me to slow down and notice what is often overlooked. A wildflower beside the trail. Light moving across a ridge. A conversation that changes something quietly but permanently. Over time, I began to understand that the things that matter most are often the things we almost miss.

That understanding shapes how I move through the world today.

When I was eight years old, family friend and award-winning photographer Bruce Roberts included my brother, Steve, and me in an environmental storybook. That was the same year that I started sleep away camp in Brevard, NC, and fell in love with the Blue Ridge Mountains.

I was fascinated by Bruce’s techniques, especially when he set a small glass fish tank in a creek and then put his camera inside in order to take a photo half submerged underwater. Keep in mind that he was shooting on film and wouldn’t see what he had until he developed the roll.

I had no idea that I would one day pick up a camera myself. Bruce obviously made an impact on my eight-year-old imagination. This story is as relevant today as it was almost 50 years ago.

My story has been featured in Backpacker Magazine, The Japan Times, and The Laurel of Asheville.

Through photography, retreats, workshops, and speaking, I help create space for reflection, clarity, and meaningful connection. Some of this work happens outdoors on trails and public lands. Some happens with leaders and organizations navigating change. At its core, it is about learning to see more clearly — ourselves, each other, and the world around us.

I am the founder of the George Masa Foundation, which encourages young people to engage with and protect the natural world through photography and storytelling. I also maintain a section of the Appalachian Trail with the Carolina Mountain Club and serve as a trustee of the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation.