Patrick Brendan Lantz

I am a passionate nature photographer captivated by the old growth forests of the Pacific Northwest. Through my photography I seek to evoke the wonder and nostalgia of my childhood summers spent hiking and camping along the West Coast.

I was born and raised in Los Angeles, went to college in Washington DC and ran back to LA as soon as I graduated (having learned only one valuable lesson: I’m a West Coast guy for life). I started a career in government affairs working at a lobbying firm, but eventually figured out that reading about politics is much more interesting that working in it. I started working in hospitals as a consultant helping implement electronic medical record software and found helping medical providers save and improve lives was a much more rewarding way to spend my time than advocating for whatever company or cause hired my firm. After years traveling as a consultant, my wife and I decided it was time to settle down and start a family and chose Seattle as where we’d grow roots. Living in the Pacific Northwest brought back strong memories of summer vacations with my parents when we’d pile into a camper truck and drive from LA to Vancouver Island and back over two to three weeks. Getting to spend time hiking those same trails and camping in those same campgrounds filled my heart with nostalgia and joy. Soon enough I was mimicking memories of my father with his trusty Canon AE-1 clicking through rolls and rolls of film, and I began to appreciate being outside in nature even more. My wife saw what an impact these “photo days” were having on my mental health and bought me a starter DSLR and a healthy hobby quickly grew into an obsession. Now I’m compelled to go bring my camera anywhere and everywhere, but nothing catches my eye like natural landscapes. And so I go out at every opportunity and try to encapsulate the emotions I feel as I’m out in nature.