Introduction Post - A Pro Photographer and Fully Caffeinated World Traveler

Hey everyone! I’m Elia Locardi, and I want to thank my old friend @Jarvie for inviting me to join the community.

My background is a bit unique as I was born and raised in the Florida Keys which is a little chain of islands that represent the southernmost tip of the United States. Considered to be more of a Caribbean culture, I learned how to swim before I could walk and spent most of my childhood on the ocean watching the sun, moon, and stars float above the water's reflective surface. Growing up, I was fascinated by nature as well as the distinctly vibrant and turbulent weather patterns that occur in a tropical climate zone. Looking back, this quiet childhood helped to instill a deep connection to nature and my long-standing fascination with the weather has followed me into adulthood to become one of the main driving elements of my photography. Along with specific times of day and lighting conditions, I often use dramatic weather to convey a specific mood and atmosphere in the images I capture.

Flash forward to now - I’ve been a full-time photographer since 2009, and this passion to capture the world around me has taken me to more than 70 countries and given me some of the best experiences of my life. 2 million miles and countless days in transit have also taught me to always value the journey over the destination and to never take the little things for granted. Being on the road full time has also taught me the value of a strong caffeinated beverage, and while the classic advice for trekking all over the world might be to stay hydrated, I prefer to stay caffeinated. 🙂

I’m excited to be part of this growing community! Please feel free to comment below and point me to your images. I'm new here and need some people to follow!

If you're curious about my work, there's a lot of info to find here: My Website || Twitter || YouTube