Hello and Welcome!

My name is Garrisson E. Peña. I’m a photographic artist and photography educator based in California.

Born and raised in Los Angeles, I discovered photography at a young age when I borrowed my father’s camera and was entranced by the power to stop time. From middle school through high school, I was a Yearbook Photographer, which allowed photography to be my main extracurricular activity. Photography was my safe haven outside of the classroom, and always looked forward to picking up the camera after completing my homework.

But in 2007, I experienced a catharsis that would impact how I see the world. My parents took me to my first big screen experience: No Country for Old Men. I recall using my camera differently, often times trying to recreate similar frames in the film. Undoubtedly, movies are responsible for shaping the way I see and further deepened my passion for photography, thus became the spark to a lifelong odyssey. After high school, I pursued my photography education at Brooks Institute, until the school closed indefinitely, where I ended up earning my degree from Art Center College of Design.

My vision focuses on distilling the world to cinematic frames. I don’t consider my photographs a direct representation of the conventional standards of photography. Instead, I prefer to see my photographs as a movie frame of self-expression. I tend to merge what I’ve absorbed from movies in combination with what I’ve learned from photography. I search for what moves and mystifies me, and value the reverence of creating a photograph. I want to convey immersive and evocative moments by echoing the essence of a movie on the big screen. I listen to my mood, curiosity, and observation to drive my creativity.

I’ve been photographing for 15 years and believe my life is enriched because of photography. I’m privileged to have been mentored by many great photography-oriented individuals whose wisdom I’m deeply grateful for. I’ve had the good fortune to see many breathtaking places as well as appreciating the beauty in my backyard. These days, I’m concentrating my efforts on nature photography with a sacred focus on the Western United States. I hope my love for Mother Earth resonates through my imagery.