From Above
My mother-in-law once told me it’s a combination of kuana‘ike and kuleana that dictate the path of our family history – past, present and future. We hold a responsibility to that path and our unique perspective of the world. As an artist and photographer, my excitement comes from creating visual images that continually show the world from a different perspective. One of my favorite things is to explore other countries, spending hours wandering and seeking unique, captivating images that culturally express life in each place.
This image was taken just after sunrise on Haleakalā in Maui. It reminds me that there is always another view of life on this beautiful planet, and that we all have a unique perspective and should embrace our gifts and abilities to share that with the rest of the world.
As a teacher, I try to inspire our students to learn to see the world through their own eyes – to feel confident in sharing their perspective, and to encourage them to always look deeper at the things they focus on. How we see the world and others in it serves as the basis from which our lives are lived.
James Anshutz teaches photography and DJ Fundamentals at Punahou. He also is a commercial photographer who has worked with Hana Hou! The Magazine of Hawaiian Airlines, Honolulu Symphony, Hawaii Pacific Health and Lululemon. He’s published an award-winning book featuring breast cancer survivors in 2010, and his work has been part of projects that support children battling cancer. More of his work can be found at modifiedimages.com.
© James Anshutz