World Wide Instameet 13; Tennessee Valley

Photographers meet at Tennessee Valley Beach // Mill Valley, CA

Photographers meet at Tennessee Valley Beach // Mill Valley, CA

It was a bluebird morning in the Bay Area; So we crossed the Golden Gate and head for the coast. Tennessee Valley is a special hiking space that leads down to a small beach in the Marin Headlands. The trail head is just off the N. 101 Freeway, at the end of winding Tennessee Valley Road. This is a popular Trail for beach goers, hikers, and biker alike, so prepare for a busy parking lot.

I, with 30 other photographer friends, made the trek creating portrait, and landscape art along the way. The flat, easily manageable,  two mile walk from the trailhead to the shore is peppered with horse corrals, canvas yurts and Spring wild flowers. Idyllic! This was a gathering powered by Instagram; The World Wide Instameet 13, hosted by my best friend Emma Fineman, along with friends Harry Glazier and Cory Marryot. For those who have never attended an "Instameet" - they are sponsored gatherings where professional, amateur and photo enthusiasts alike, meet at a local destination, tell its story and build community. We hug, shake hands, chat, network, and create beautiful things from the experience. In my opinion, the best part about meets aside from gorgeous camera content, is making new, likeminded friends. Some that last a lifetime! 

I am sure, as you will notice in my posts, I LOVE taking pictures of people. Destinations inspire. I mean, they are my one true joy; to seek them and savor is why I travel. But when a human(s) is involved in the frame too, it adds a whole new element to the story and emerges new life within it. Below are some portraits I took and then, some taken of me.

Tennessee Valley shown bright under the a warm sun and cloudless sky. We managed to find the kind of light (or lack there of) and shadows we needed in deep rock crevasses and under colored cloth. The wind was wild, sea breeze fresh and mood exciting. It was a very special morning spent with kindred creatives and I was so happy to be apart of it!

If you'd like to see more photos from myself and other photographers from this day in Tennessee Valley, search #WWIM13TVM on Instagram or click here!

Portraits of me by: David Leong

xx

Sara De.