Nature’s Vibrance

By Nora Heston Tarte

A bolt of lightning over the water, a rocky bluff at sunset, a shadowed figure traipsing through the forest—these are the images Brad Wright captures behind his lens, traveling far, but mostly near, to feed his creative desires.

His favorite places to shoot vivid landscapes and seascapes are near home: the crashing waves colliding with jagged rock formations of Monterey Peninsula and Big Sur. For Wright, a sandy beach gets boring. “I like to go out when there’s a lot of colors going on,” he says. “I like to get nice clouds in my photos. That’s something I’m always hunting for.” Wright dabbled in photography while in his 20s, but at the time, he couldn’t afford to continuously develop film. After a few career changes and a move to Monterey, he decided to pick up the hobby again, with the assistance of his daughter, who holds a bachelor’s in photography.

His focus is on nature shots. Growing up, Wright was routinely exposed to the outdoors, through traveling to the mountains with his parents, meandering around the creek he lived by, and being a Boy Scout. “I love nature, so that’s part of me,” he says. “I’ve always felt comfortable in nature.” The secret to his success is in more than his artistic eye. He says being in the right place at the right time is part of the challenge, which often includes rising before the sun and tracking the weather.

After interest in his works piqued, Wright started a business selling his colorful captures. His website offers a full-service shop where guests may select portraits and make framing choices online. He also shares his photographs on MontereyCountyPhotography, a Facebook page he created to encourage others to share local photographs.

For more information, visit bradwrightphotography.com.