Two and a half years ago, I had a successful career as an internationally award-winning independent film producer, but I was burnt out, averaging two hours of sleep a night and felt trapped by the hectic pace of my life. The well of joy I once felt from working on films ran dry, and I felt like a zombie running a marathon. My health began to decline, and I had insomnia and debilitating migraine headaches. Something had to change.

 

I finished the projects that I had committed to and set aside 30 days to do nothing other than meditate, write, sleep in and listen to what my inner artist was yearning to do next.

 

That was the month that became my life.

 

My intense soul-searching led me North.

 

In two weeks I saw the Northern Lights for the first time on the plane to Iceland. As soon as the icy air kissed my cheeks, I felt completely at home, held by the beauty and grace of the landscape.

 

I had grown up with a camera in my hand, having been raised by a single dad who was courted by National Geographic while in high school. His poverty-stricken parents forbade him to go into the arts, so my engineer dad passed his love and knowledge of photography into my eager hands. 

 

Photography was a constant companion that had held my hand throughout my entire life. It gave me the visual aesthetic in filmmaking that I credit with my success.

 

Once I held a camera under that glowing sky, capturing the aurora dancing off icebergs, I was struck by pure joy. Everything about it felt right, and there was no turning back.

 

My life was suddenly expansive, filled with the sweet, wild infinitude of bliss that came with truly experiencing the delicious details of nature and collaborating creatively with her.

 

I longed to share this feeling with my friends, family and larger tribe, and I wanted to make a positive impact on the world.

 

Denesa Chan Photography grew organically out of these experiences and desires.

 

Through high-quality eco-friendly, limited edition photographs made from recycled materials, I inspire people to embrace life’s wildness, fall in love with nature and build a sustainable planet.

 

Each sale raises awareness and resources for a specific environmental project around the globe, which is tied directly to the ecosystem in the photo. The end result is to foster not only a deep respect and sense of awe for the natural world, but to see the tangible ways in which we are connected to that world and empowered to care for it.

​