PEYTON
baldwin
Colorado-Based storyteller.
I’m driven by the desire to transcend time through my art. Through my passion project and creative sanctuary, Casa Lucis, I aim to foster meaningful connections among people, while my art serves as a catalyst for inspiration and reflection. I strive to illuminate the beauty and depth of the human experience in conjunction with Creation; creating moments that resonate long after they are captured.
Ferns and Fjords
One of the most unforgettable journeys of my life—navigating through the diverse landscapes of Oceania alongside my brother. Together, we delved into the depths of the world's most breathtaking locales, from New Zealand's fjordlands to the tropical rainforests of southern Australia. These images will eternally showcase the inherent beauty of these cherished lands and inspire me to deeply appreciate our planet for as long as oxygen fills its air and rivers cascade down its mountains.
Frontier reflections
Alaska's raw landscapes and the introspective depths of my spirit. Spanning from the serene quietude of Fairbanks to Kenai's wild currents, this collection captures the dialogue between majestic wilderness and personal revelation through a season marked by pain and overcoming. Moments of solitude atop windswept ridges and encounters with wildlife weave a narrative of spiritual growth. These images—from Denali’s elusive peaks to the vastness of Wrangell St. Elias—reflect a journey of friendship, faith, resilience, and profound introspection under the vast Northern skies, marking a path to healing and understanding.
“All your life, you will find that the desires of the ego appear to be at odds with what you want deep down. Those deep-down desires are born of the soul, and they are the reason you are actually here. The ego sees the world as a zero-sum game, with only so many resources and opportunities, and because of the fear that drives it, it must take as much as it can, and it must do it soon.” —Rick Alexander.
tHE COLORS OF EARTH
Amidst a vast landscape of contrasting hues, green and blue never fail to catch my eye. There is something deeply comforting and simultaneously mysterious about them; holding both potential and danger, hope and humility. In my various adventures around the world, among the most memorable of sights are those teeming with these earthly tones. These photos evoke in me, not only a deep love for our pale blue and green dot, but also a peace of knowing that I too belong to the same home known by every other living thing—plant, animal, and fungi alike.
ALTITUDE
Ever since I spontaneously climbed my first Colorado fourteener at the age of fifteen, mountains have remained my favorite subject to capture whenever I’m behind the camera. That afternoon marked the first time I had contended with a struggle as immense as the ascent, actively overcoming self-doubt in the face of it, and ultimately triumphed, both physically and mentally. After summitting all of Colorado’s tallest peaks and the countless others with which my soul has found itself intertwined, I revere them as some of my greatest teachers—embedding within me a deep confidence and an acute humility in my finiteness.
"Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will dress himself for service and have them recline at table, and he will come and serve them.”—Luke 12:37
TEMPORAL VISTAS
In hindsight, one of the many reasons why I so deeply value photography is its ability to transcend time. With a simple glance at a photo, my senses are transported back to that very moment with an almost identical level of viscerality. Considering this dynamic, I believe a photo holds even greater value when it captures a moment that is transient and ephemeral, such as a sunset or autumn hues painted across a forest. These photos encapsulate that fleetingness—those beautiful moments that are especially precious because they are rare.
WHERE SAGE GROWS
The mountains will forever occupy the throne of my heart in the realm of nature, yet over the years, the desert has steadily ascended my list of revered landscapes. The mountains taught me perseverance, the oceans instilled in me the skill to adapt, and the desert showed me the art of slowing down and being present. The uniqueness of the desert lies in its details and the remarkable power it has to ground me whenever the rest of the world feels too chaotic. By being still and observing the lifestyles of the numerous organisms adapted to this harsh environment, I've cultivated a profound love for nature, and consistently return to my everyday life with a sense of peace obtained only from a visit to these arid lands.
“Once you know this is true, that the heart of man, his body and his brain, are forged in a white-hot furnace for the purpose of conflict (the struggle of creation) and that with the conflict removed, man is a sword cutting daisies, that not privation but luxury is the wolf at the door and that the fangs of this wolf are all little vanities and conceits and laxities that Success is heir to.” —tennessee williams
WILD BESTIARY
Throughout the years, I've been fortunate to encounter many tremendous species, our co-inhabitants on this magnificent planet—from kangaroos in the southernmost reaches of Australia to bears, bison, and rams right in my backyard. As someone who has spent thousands of hours exploring nature, wildlife encounters remain objectively rare, making each sighting all the more exhilarating. The animals featured in these portraits will never get to admire these photos themselves, but they will serve as a source of inspiration and awe for many generations to come.
OF LIGHT & TIME
My personal journey into photography began with a fascination for light painting and long exposures. Since getting my first DSLR in 2015, I've been dedicated to mastering its functions. Like many photographers, I started with the automatic setting, but my ambition to create visually abstract photography urged me to delve into manual controls. Over a decade filled with perseverance, numerous failures, and steep learning curves, my appreciation for this format has deepened. I've grown increasingly in love with its uniqueness and its ability to unveil moments that would otherwise remain concealed.