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Luke Chávez

@lukefchavez

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Conservation | Wildlife | Travel
Educating+inspiring people to see+save the world
📬 [email protected]
🏋️‍♂️ PT @lukechavezfitness
📍 CO
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Big congrats to @lukefchavez, Grand Prize Winner of the 2023-24 SFS Student Photo Contest 🎉 Luke’s stunning photo was selected by our jury from over 365 entries!

📸 Luke’s mission? To use photography to inspire action for conservation.

Reflecting on his semester in Kenya, Luke shared:
“I wanted to photograph the region’s wildlife and cultures, which are among the world’s most beautiful. What drew me to the program was the opportunity to learn conservation from Kenya’s leading academics and researchers. Now, my mission is to promote conservation through photography. SFS enriched my knowledge in so many ways and was instrumental in shaping the way I looked through my lens this semester.”

🐾 Most unforgettable moment?
“Seeing mountain gorillas in Rwanda wasn’t just the highlight of the semester - it was probably the coolest thing I’ve ever done in my life. To stand with a gorilla right in front of me - no barrier between us, perceiving a wild animal truly perceiving me - I’ve never felt so connected to nature and the world around me.”

🌿 The trek to get there? Tough and life-changing:
“The trek lasted more than an hour through difficult terrain. My hands and arms were all cut up and stinging from the nettle. With each step I had to stop and pull my feet out of the mud. We finally came to a clearing. I could make out a black shape ahead of me. I didn’t even realize what it was at first. One black outline became many, and suddenly we were surrounded by more than thirty gorillas, from babies to silverbacks. Everything seemed to melt away as we entered their world for a short hour.”

👏 Thank you, Luke, for sharing this incredible experience and reminding us of the deep connections we experience when we open ourselves to the magic all around us.
#SFSPhotoContest #ConservationThroughPhotography #StudyAbroad #SFSKenya #WildlifeEncounters taken in Rwanda by @lukefchavez

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2 years ago

Night fishing in Haeundae, Busan, Korea, 2023.

#travelphotography #natgeoyourshot #landscapephotography #travelgram #busan #visitbusan #busantravel #부산여행 #부산에가면 #travelgram #documentaryphotography #visitkorea #koreabyme taken in 부산 by @lukefchavez

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3 years ago

The macaques of Gibraltar are the only wild monkeys in Europe. There are about 200 of them living on top of the rock, and they have great symbolic importance for Gibraltarians. They’re not afraid to steal stuff (see the one with the Snickers), and they’re not afraid to pose, either. This photo shoot was one of the coolest experiences of my life. Gibraltar is a must-see!

#travelphoto #wildlife #wildlifephotography #nature #streetphoto #travelgram #naturegram #monkey #macaque #rockofgibraltar #sunsetlovers #visitgibraltar @visitgibraltar taken in Gibraltar by @lukefchavez

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3 years ago

(Repost because I uploaded the wrong shot). Ouray is probably one of the most unbelievable places I’ve ever been. And the crazy thing is that so many people have never even heard of it. taken in Ouray, Colorado by @lukefchavez

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20 hours ago

If you take your camera out basically anywhere in the White Mountains, you’re probably going to get a good picture. I finally got to start working on some photos, and I’ll begin uploading them tomorrow. Very excited!

Artist Bluff Trail, New Hampshire 10/6/26 taken in Artist Bluff Trail by @lukefchavez

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2 days ago

They said this was a good foliage year, and they weren’t kidding! This is already slightly past peak, so you’d better get up there soon.

If you comment “location,” I won’t send you the location, but it’ll help more people see this video and hopefully encourage folks to go see the amazing foliage New England has to offer. taken in White Mountain National Forest by @lukefchavez

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3 days ago

This post is based off of things I’ve heard other photographers complaining about as I’ve chased the foliage across the country this month.

As a photographer, you should be striving to be better. But not at the cost of living in the moment. Sometimes, bad weather conditions or lighting can actually provide the best images. In other cases, it’s an opportunity to put the camera down and just appreciate the views. taken in Grand Teton National Park by @lukefchavez

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4 days ago

The highlight of a crazy weekend in Mesa Verde that included nearly getting swept away in a flash flood, lightning hitting right next to my tent, and a whole lot of epic cliff dwellings. That’s what the park is known for, but the views around the park are out of this world. taken in Mesa Verde National Park by @lukefchavez

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5 days ago

The aforementioned shots from Schwabacher Landing. After 3 attempts, I finally got some decent conditions on my last day. At the same time, seeing a place like this is a privilege. When conditions are “bad,” it’s an opportunity to step back and appreciate the things and places that drive us to do this in the first place.

Grand Teton, fall foliage, sunrise, reflections, photography taken in Grand Teton National Park by @lukefchavez

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6 days ago

I try to avoid the crowds and look for lesser-known spots, as I said in my previous post. But there are some locations you can’t help but be drawn to. Seeing the sunrise at Schwabacher Landing during peak fall foliage is an experience you simply can’t miss, even if it means competing with hundreds of people for a parking spot in the dark.

Grand Teton, golden aspens, reflection, foliage, landscape photography taken in Grand Teton National Park by @lukefchavez

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6 days ago

Shooting in a place like the Tetons is more challenging than you’d think. Sure, you can get an amazing image just by going to Schwabacher’s Landing or Oxbow Bend (my pictures from which I’ll upload later), but when you’re standing next to hundreds of other people taking the same exact picture as you that’s been taking thousands of times before, probably with better conditions, you realize that it’s also hard to make your images from such a place stand out.

So I spent a full week looking for lesser-seen locations to shoot from. This picture is my favorite from all of those, and best of all, I didn’t see a single other person either day that I went.

Grand Teton, landscape, mountains, foliage taken in Grand Teton National Park by @lukefchavez

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7 days ago

Just spent the week at Grand Teton National Park scouting out locations for a future baseball stadium. It was kind of crowded but I found the spot… taken in Grand Teton National Park by @lukefchavez

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8 days ago