We hosted photographer, Carla Peña at Getaway Mount Adams last summer so she could spend some free time reconnecting to her love of her craft, and to enjoy some time in nature with her partner and their new puppy. Here’s what she had to say about her creative practice, her Getaway, and her connection to nature.
I was born in Havana, Cuba and migrated to the US at age two with my mom. After high school, still unsure of what to study, I attended FSU where I quickly picked up photography as a second major to Sociology. I loved the way my passion for people and thirst for a creative outlet merged into what I do now. I’m a lifestyle photographer and mostly work with brands in content creation. I am deeply inspired by beautiful everyday moments but especially those that include connecting with people and the outdoors.
Growing up in Miami, my only real connection to nature was through the ocean, my mom would sometimes pick me up from school early just to escape to the beach which was never more than half an hour away. Even as a young girl, I loved the way being near the ocean made me feel, I felt I knew myself when I was in the water. My broader connection to nature as I know it now though, came after moving to Tallahassee for college. My boyfriend kind of introduced me to the idea of hiking and camping and we did our first ever camping trip for our 3 year anniversary. After that (honestly terrifying) first night, we began to do hikes more often and searching for trails near us quickly became a favorite past time. Two years after that we took our love for the outdoors to the next level and hit the road in our prius for a life changing two month road trip across the US where we camped nearly every night. I’d say nature has increasingly become a huge inspiration for me in my photography work. I am deeply grateful for the way it fuels ideas and an overall sense of peace.
Our Getaway experience was really lovely! I had never experienced nature in quite this way where we had all the comforts of home and the vastness of the outdoors all at once, it further fueled our dreams of one day building a small home on lots of land. The practical yet intentional simplicity of the interiors really highlighted what matters most, which was that big window for me where I felt safe and open to seeing everything outside.
You can keep up with her work on her Instagram and her website.
In need of your own creative escape? Book your Getaway today.