About Paul

I shut the door, with clouds in front, behind and before me. My only companion is the camera and a three legged friend that sits in the toolbox ready for use. Maybe a sack lunch, but never leaving home without the sense of adventure and foreshadowing... "something's gonna be good." Yes, that's my life, beneath the mountains' mighty shadow, finding celebration in the sagelands below. All in the meanwhile, the legend of a forgotten ship sits underneath a dry lake bed, while the quiet whimpers of a young coyote call into the evening sky. After all these tales, the sun still sets and the end of another grand day in the Eastern Sierra comes to an end.

Ever since I was a boy, screaming for adventure below the eyes of that massive peak, the Eastern Sierra had become my workplace and very inspiration. It's easy to see that it's an endangered place, a place on the brink of extinction from everything that the world is missing. For every season that passes, I found that the region awakened my senses, leaving not only I, but its visitors with a sense of hope and restoration no matter what time of day... yes, a land that's one of the last of its kind to be locked away from the rest of the world. I believe, it's a place where a man can find himself whole again. My name is Paul Sebesta, and I can attest to that.

I've always been an adventurous person, even when I was younger, changing studies every time one of my hobbies heightened me more, before I finally decided on photography. As a result, here I am today, a photojournalist and freelance photographer now based in Carson City, Nevada from my home in Walker. I consider myself a 'relentless' photographer, traveling for hours on end up and down US 395 and its backroads, keying in on that next, unique shot of the Eastern Sierra. Unique. That's what my photography is founded to. I am most known for my Bodie Abstracts and Eastern Sierra fine art that has attracted many of my viewers, but just recently, I began dedicating my craft to shooting what's called, "Nevada Eyesights", unique artistry and breed of photograph that reside in my new home of Nevada. You'll find me selling most of my work through my own roadside venues, displaying my photography and fine art prints of Nevada and Eastern California.

"Let There Be Green"
When looking at myself, as an artist, I believe my contributions go to nature. My deepest moments come when I am on the hunt, looking for that next unique shot among our wildlands. As a proud naturalist, outdoorsman, my concerns for the future of our wildlands and natural environment grow stronger everyday. Wrongful acts are being committed every second against nature with little or no concern from the rest of society or our government heads. I believe we all need places to inspire us, places we can go to and escape from the rest of society. Such places just need to remain. With the help of good people, we can protect what little resources we have left, despite a growing population and growing demand for those few commodities that destroy nature.

For every ten photos that I sell, I donate nearly 20% of my profits to various organizations dedicated to protecting our wildlands both here in the Great Basin and elsewhere, such as the Mono Lake and Owens Valley Committees, Let Em Run Foundation in protection of Nevada's wild horses, CalTrout and Don't Drain Nevada. Just ask yourself... Is there something I can do? Of course. Where there is a will there is a way. Write to your Congressmen, your Governor, protest against harmful acts to our environment. Carpool, combine trips to reduce the usage of gasoline. Recycle. However, reconsider buying a hybrid vehicle. Though they do conserve on gas, the problem lies in their toxic batteries. As of today, there isn't an eco-friendly way in disposing of the batteries, in turn, completely counteracting the purpose of being eco-friendly. In buying a hybrid vehicle, you're actually doing much more harm than good. All of these and more are all small steps to a big conclusion. Just remember one day, nature will whisper... "You're gonna miss me when I'm gone."

"One last question", you ask. "What is 'Sierra Life' Photography?" "What does it mean?" 'Sierra Life' is exactly what it is... my vision of life beneath the mountain's mighty shadow. With these photographs, you'll be able to understand me a little better and the beautiful region that everybody dreams about. Thanks for stopping by.

"The mountains are calling and I must go." - John Muir