ENLIGHTENMENT: Photographer Felipe Silva, aka The Lost Coast

I don’t know how I came across The Lost Coast’s Instagram page, but once I saw amazing photos of the Sierra Nevadas, Death Valley and other California landscapes — and found out this was a hobby at the time for a fourth-grade schoolteacher in Sacramento — I immediately became one of his 50,000 followers.

Felipe Silva has a great story to go along with his photos. Moving here from Brazil at age 13, he was repeatedly expelled from, then dropped out of high school. Becoming homeless at age 18 was a page-turner for Silva, who went back to school and got a teaching degree from Sac State.

Photography started to appeal when he noticed interesting views and places while out on nighttime runs but only had his cellphone to take photos. One day, he decided to return his Beats By Dre headphones and exchange them for a real camera. He bought a Nikon, and so began his journey into a new career that has taken him to the highest of heights (literally) and allowed him to visit some of the most amazing places on earth.

Join me for a salon talk with Silva about his life story, his outdoor photography, his exploration of AI as a tool, and his thoughts on what creatives need to do to make a living these days. And he also may provide some good tips for aspiring outdoor photographers, too.

We want this to be a truly interactive conversation, so please bring your questions — no topic is too small or too dumb to ask about.

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Ruhstaller’s BSMT has a variety of beers on tap, as well as wine, kombucha and sparkling water. Light snacks will be available, but please feel free to BYO food and nonalcoholic beverages.

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