A LITTLE BIT ABOUT ME

The Girl Behind the Camera

Hey there, I'm Nava!

Nice to meet you! I’m a photographer, digital strategist, and social media manager currently based out of Oceanside, California. I’ve been a lover of the outdoors and ocean life as long as I can remember, and I take my camera absolutely everywhere.

I'm constantly traveling, learning, and connecting with others who share my passion for this planet. I find myself a perpetual beginner with perhaps a few too many hobbies, and photography started as a creative outlet I use to document my adventures.

Now, I use both my camera and knowledge of digital strategy to bring others’ stories to life.

My purpose in life is to help other creative, adventurous humans achieve their vision – whether that’s getting those Pinterest-worthy pictures to document a major milestone, or bring a brand to life through rich, detailed imagery.

I do that in part my documenting the love stories, portraits, and companies of other individuals who feel at home in the outdoors. Whether that’s on land or sea, I strive to work with others who are ready and excited to join me there.

Always dreamed of a backcountry elopement? I’ll be there! Love to ride horses and want your profile to reflect it? Sign me up! Not sure where to start promoting your new dive shop? I’m your girl.

There is no place I won't go to tell a story.

My Purpose

My Experience

My path as a photographer and digital strategist hasn't exactly been linear. My journey began when I first picked up a camera in college. Since then, I have worked as a SCUBA photographer for a summer camp, social media manager and web designer for a National Park, videographer and photographer for the Navy, and more!

Wanna know more? >

25 35 40+

countries visited

National Parks

U.S.

states

The Nitty Gritty

My creative mind and adventurous spirit aren't the only things that help me do my job - I'm backed by some serious credentials too!

My Qualifications

> M.A. in Digital Strategy (in progress)

> B.S. in Biology and Marine Sciences

> Google Search Ads Certification

> NAUI Divemaster, Rescue, & Science Diver

> TDI Cavern Diver

> FL Boater's License

Qualifications

Ready to Explore?

ME TOO.

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The “Galapagos of North America,” aka Channel Islands National Park!

⛴️ Only accessible via @islandpackers ferry or by private boat

🤿 Activities include snorkeling, kayaking, SCUBA diving, hiking, and fishing (in some areas)

🏕️ Camping and backpacking are available on the islands, but reservations go fast so advance planning is recommended!

Don’t forget to stop by the visitor center in Ventura to pick up souvenirs and talk to the rangers @channelislandsnps

🤿 Kayaking, snorkeling, AND hiking Channel Islands National Park? My dream date…cute.

This park has been on my list for YEARS ever since I found out they have SCUBA certified rangers that provide live dive talks 🤯 already can’t wait to plan a trip back and spend a little longer underwater!

Being the long distance daughter isn’t so bad when you have adventurous family that will travel to explore with you :)

@channelislandsnps

a successful Sunday snorkel 🤝🦈

📍San Diego - La Jolla Underwater Park (just swim straight out and you’ll see tons of leopard sharks and stingrays!)

My favorite birthdays are the ones without cell service 🏕️

A quarter of a century spent in the woods or underwater and I can’t wait to see what the next 25 bring! 🩵

Wise words from David Attenborough’s new 2025 documentary: Ocean 🌊

Happy World Oceans Day! 🪸🌎

Not pictured: Asher’s water zoomies and the best ice cream I’ve had in my entire life @mitchellsicecream 🍨

The gift and curse of moving around is all the long distance friendships, but how fun it is getting to reunite in such cool places! 🌳 Thanks for showing me around your city @hlweber6

“🎶 Noooo respect, noooo respect! 🎶” -The volunteer publically shaming people for stepping beyond the guardrails at @haleakalanps

Pro tip: Change that 5am alarm to 3am if you actually want the summit to yourself 🤡

And by “out of the group chat” I mean Hayley asked me if I was serious about going to Hawaii and I sent her an itinerary 2 hours later 💀

Some of our favs:
🌺 @maukawarriorsluau
🌋 Sunrise at @haleakalanps
🌴 Exploring the black sand beach at Wai’ānapanapa State Park
🐠 Snorkeling at Napili Bay

Part fish, part human 🧜🏼‍♀️🤿

5 days spent diving through coral and swimming under waterfalls has me dreading the return to cold, turbid California water 😭

📍Oahu & Maui

🗺️ Earth Day - one of my favorite days because I love seeing the amazing outdoor spaces everyone else shares about! It still blows my mind that some of these places even exist - some states and countries genuinely look like different planets.

Here’s to another year of spending time outside, shopping sustainably, and bringing reusable bags & water bottles absolutely everywhere 😎🌎

📍New Mexico, Texas, Switzerland, Florida, S. Dakota, N. Dakota, California

☁️ Dreaming of summer days with blue skies and little cell service

📍Somewhere on the border of Switzerland & Italy

Out where the wild things are 🌵

My brother has officially caught the camping/travel bug (although you’d never guess he was having fun from the 2nd pic)! Twas’ a fun weekend spent scrambling over rocks, eating campfire meals, and stumbling upon farmer’s markets in the desert! 🤌🏼🏜️

Looking back on 2024 ✨

It was odd choosing photos to represent everything that happened this year because I feel like there’s so many moments that simply weren’t captured or that pictures could never do justice. But, going through my camera roll was a nice reminder of the friends I’m lucky to now have scattered across the map and all the places I was fortunate enough to visit this year. 🗺️

📸 In an effort to pull back the curtain a little, I also included a bonus slide of some of the places I spent countless hours this year - at my desk, behind a camera, or sitting in front of my laptop somewhere. Because I spend more time here than nearly anywhere else, I feel equally fortunate to have worked with the incredible team at @noru_pensacola, and now @mccscp. 💞 Can’t wait to see what 2025 has in store!

Me 🤝🏼 forgetting to check the elevation gain until I start a trail

Best holiday present I could ask for is getting to relax AND adventure in a cozy little mountain town 🪵 Jackson knocked it out of the park with this one and I cannot wait to come back when it snows! 🤞🏼

🛩️ I’m starting to get the itch again…

Though I’ve been thoroughly enjoying our time in southern CA and filling my cup with smaller, local trips, every 3 months or so my brain starts to…wander elsewhere. I start looking at the list in my Notes app and browsing Google flights to see where I can go on one or two days of leave. 👀

Right now Norway, Indonesia, Wisconsin, and Ohio are at the top of my list so if you’ve been to any of the above, pleaseee let me know! But for now, enjoy some pics from N & S Dakota last May ✨🏜️

🥾 First California camping trip in the books! (at least since moving here)

Lemme tell ya, it is SO special being able to drive an hour and be in the mountains, at a site with hardly any people, next to a ranger station that JUST finished putting up their Christmas lights. 🥹🎄

Already got the next one in the books! 👀

🎞️ A few last outtakes from our roadtrip through Texas, Arizona, & New Mexico:

⛰️ Guadalupe Mtns National Park (1-3) - Extremely remote but absolutely worth the drive, tons of long distance hiking trails I’d love to go back and do one day! Also home to the highest peak in TX

🦇 Carlsbad Caverns National Park (4-6) - Cannot explain how cool this was, definitely something you need to see in person as pictures can’t do the vastness of these caves justice

🏜️ White Sands National Park (7-10) - Extremely small but cool opportunities for sand sledding, horseback riding, and backcountry camping in the dunes! Honorable mention to our beautiful campsite at a state park nearby 🫡

🌵 Saguaro National Park (11-12) - Big park split into 2 districts, obviously the giant cacti are cool but it all started to look the same after a few miles 🫢 would definitely explore more of Tuscon next time!

A teaser of our Florida ➡️ California roadtrip! We covered 7 states in 5 days with stops in Texas, New Mexico, & Arizona.

We got to see some extended family, a ton of diverse scenery, & several National Parks I’ve never been to before! 🌵 It honestly went by super quick and I’m excited to share more pics from some of the super remote & unique places we camped!

#california #roadtrip #texas #arizona #newmexico #nationalpark

Let me introduce you to my best friend, Teresa. 💛

Teresa is without a doubt one of the most outgoing, spontaneous, down-for-anything people I’ve ever known, and it’s those very qualities that formed our friendship so quickly. Despite any struggles or chaos going on in her own life, she radiates light and positivity, and has a faith like nothing I’ve ever seen. In just a year of knowing each other, she has undoubtedly become one of my best friends and the thing will miss most about Pensacola.

Teresa - to know you is to love you. Here’s to hardwood floors, paddleboard sessions, broken tents, sushi dates, taco nights, & friends you can simply *exist* with. I cannot wait to watch you continue to chase your dreams and be present for all the big moments in your future. ✨

Thank you, Pensacola, for giving me people that make saying goodbye so hard. For showing me that life post-college didn’t have to be scary and friendless. To the Greggies gang, my NORU family, my dive buddies, and the ones who have already left - I’m always just a FaceTime call away :) 🫶🏼

#home #longdistancefriendship

Home is wherever I’m with you 🤍

Couldn’t leave Pensacola without some pictures to commemorate our time here 🐚✨ Living in Florida the past 6 years has been nothing short of incredible and I’ll miss the warm Gulf waters, the Gator games, and the friends we’ve made (don’t worry, your post is coming 🤫) dearly…but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t even MORE excited to begin this new adventure.

Cheers to California!! Please come visit!! 🥂

#roadtrip #florida #couplesphotography

📍The Wandering Path, Milton FL

3 years ago, Jackson and I went on a camping trip in remote Cape Canaveral and after one of the buggiest, muggiest, hottest nights of my life, I thought our days of summer camping in Florida were over. ⛺️

Buttt with a few precious days between summer and fall semesters and our time in Pensacola drawing to a close, I found this perfect spot with AIR-CONDITIONED yurts!! Not to mention a full kitchen setup & bathrooms 🤌🏼

#camping #florida #therealflorida

🫠 Lesson learned: always always ALWAYS wear a wetsuit

In an effort to not just show the highlights on social media, here’s how this weekend’s dive ~actually~ went!

There were ZERO jellyfish until we swam out about 500ft and then they were EVERYWHERE. Above, below, everywhere I seemed to look and pretty soon my legs, face, and hands were on FIRE 🥲 Props to Jenny & Noah for staying in as long as they did because I was dyingg

#scuba #jellyfish #pensacola

📍The Wandering Path

This Hipcamp site is located north of Milton, FL, and was the perfect “staycation” to end a long and grueling summer semester. It’s been hard to stay on top of school and still get outside, but these (air conditioned!) yurts less than an hour away from home made it easy. 🏕️

There’s also a lot of stuff to do in the area like paddle sports and trail riding, but we actually spent the evening at Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Rodeo! I love how much diversity there is within an hour’s drive of Pensacola 🥹🐴

#camping #hipcamp #florida

🥾 Let’s talk solo travel part 2! Do I love to travel with my husband/family/friends? Absolutely! But that’s not always possible and I still enjoy going by myself, so what are some of the precautions I take?

📡 Carrying a satellite phone with me - I use the @garmin InReach, which allows me to send messages even when I have 0 cell service. Pricey but the peace of mind is so worth it! Not to mention the SOS button for emergencies
🔪 Carrying some form of protection with me, no matter if I’m travelling locally, domestically, or internationally (+ a whistle)
🗓️ Sending my itinerary to emergency contacts so they know my general location/timing
👤 Mostly keeping to myself - usually, I’m an extremely social person and don’t get me wrong, I love to meet people when I travel. But I’m especially vigilant of my surroundings and who I talk when I’m by myself, so I usually don’t interact with people unless it’s a public setting.

Did I miss any? 🤔

#solotravel #solofemale #weekendwarrior

🇨🇭 This alpine hut/restaurant I stayed at on my second to last night in Switzerland was one of my favorite things I did the whole trip, and is something I WISH the U.S. had.

Nestled about 3 miles and 1700ft above the tiny, car-less city of Zermatt is the @edelweiss_zermatt - one of over 150 such huts located throughout the country 🤯 Some are privately owned, most are run by the hosts from the @schweizeralpenclub, and almost all receive their supplies by helicopter. 🚁

The hike up here was no joke, and most are much further than this one. If/when I go back, I’d love to a plan a route that strings several of them together, or visit some in other countries. Who’s in? 👀

#backpacking #alpinism #switzerland

🇱🇮 Only 62sq mi and yet PACKED with things to do and unique sights, Liechtenstein is easily a place I could see myself returning to.

⛰️ Bordering Switzerland & Austria, this tiny country has ancient castles and historic structures, a riverside bike route, alpine huts nestled in the Alps, via ferratas (rock scrambling), and a trail that spans the length of the country. 🧗‍♀️

🎒 As my first solo international visit, I was also relieved to find that the public transit was easy to navigate and most people spoke at least a little English (also watching the Euros with a bunch of Germans was quite an experience)…

#solotravel #girlswhotravel #princelymoments

Me 🤝 wearing my Blundstones with every possible outfit & situation

🥾If you know me, you know these boots basically never leave my feet. I wear them to work, on hikes, going out, and most recently they were the only shoe I brought on my trip to Switzerland!

I loved getting to style this new pair for a little evening of sunset & shark watching on the pier! 🦈🌅

#liveinmyblundstones #floridaliving #ad

🇨🇭In a few days I head home from Switzerland and it has definitely lived up to the high expectations everyone talks about!

Everything is remarkably clean, organized, and picturesque, the transportation is easy to navigate, and meals are basic but tasty. I’ve been averaging 20-30k steps a day from hiking and walking around towns, all of which look like they were pulled from a fairytale. 🥾🏰

🪂 There’s also so much more to do than I originally thought- caving, paragliding, kayaking, diving, BASE jumping, horseback riding, hundreds of trails, & of course, snow sports. I can’t believe I was originally thinking of only spending 3-4 days here!

That being said, I’m pretty excited to be home soon after ~2 weeks of travel 🏔️

👑🇱🇮 The journey to one of only 2 double-landlocked countries in the world…

All the small & large solo trips I’ve done domestically have been in preparation (unknowingly so) for this - traveling to a remote hut in a new country by plane, train, bus, cable car, & then foot. 🥾

It sounds cliche but the journey is really part of the fun too! The views along the hike were incredible, I always meet cool people, and part of me actually enjoys the adversity of navigating a place. And of course, getting to capture everything 📸

At this time tomorrow I’ll be on my way to somewhere I’ve never been before 🥹 truly one of the best feelings!

The work has been done - 2 weeks ahead on grad assignments, meticulous planning of buses and trains, & making sure everything at work is complete.

Now it’s time to pack my camera, a book, and put my phone in airplane mode ✈️

#solotravel #flight #alps

The look at the end 😭🥹

We may not be as good as @gianina & @jonah_almanzar, but I wouldn’t trade my dance partner for the world. I’ll choose us every time :) 🫶🏼

#partnerdance #couples

🏕️ I used to let my fear of something bad happening, getting lost, creepy people, etc, stop me from going out and seeing places or trying new things. I didn’t want to go and be the “weird girl by herself” and had no friends to go with.

🗺️ It was only once I forced myself to go anyway (camping, line dancing, beach, etc) that I actually started making friends. Now, I love to travel with my husband or family and friends but they’re not always able to go with me - turns out those things are still fun by myself too! 🤷🏼‍♀️

#welcomebacktoearth #solotravel #solocamping

Let’s talk solo camping. 🥾

It took me a while to get to the point I’m at on this trip, where I can sleep in a tent for multiple days in a new state and not think twice about it.

But it started with short, overnight trips to local parks I was familiar with, and before THAT it started when I was a kid, camping with my dad in Shenandoah, learning how to pitch a tent for the first time. 🏕️

And honestly, it started because of necessity. I didn’t want to let others’ availability stop me from going and exploring places, and camping was the cheapest and most freeing way to do that so…here we are!

There are, however, a lot of precautions I take, but that’s for another time.

#solo #camping #womenwhoexplore #welcomebacktoearth

I’ve never felt more down to earth in a place that looked like (a much greener) Mars 🪐🌱

South Dakota has completely surpassed all my expectations, even with some less than ideal weather. There’s something so soothing about the sound of rain on a tent after a long day of hiking that just puts me right to sleep. 🌧️

#welcomebacktoearth #badlands

After one of the busiest weeks of my life, I’ve never been more excited to head out to the wilderness, disconnect, and see some new states while I’m at it!

I feel so fortunate to have grown up camping with my dad, and now to have a partner and friends who are also willing to explore locally 🏕️🥾

Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms out there, but ESPECIALLY to my incredible friend @sshaylanguyen!! 🌻

It hits a little different getting to celebrate and see your friends become parents and wowowow is this little guy going to have the coolest life ever 🛥️🥹 Documenting these precious moments is my absolute favorite thing!

Virginia really is for lovers 🫶🏼

If you thought I was done posting this session think again! It wouldn’t be a countryside session without a little guitar and some cows 🥹🐮🌾

Honestly shoutout to Francisco for playing some tunes for his lovely fiancé out here bc I *still* get nervous with any kind of audience! 🪕

#guitar #countryside #virginia #couplesphotography

I got to shoot Ashley & Francisco’s engagement photos when I was home in VA last week and I’m not over how stunning it was 🥹

It so sweet to hear about the community they’ve built with their local church and listen to them pray over their marriage together, I could just FEEL that their love is going to last a lifetime 💫

#virginia #pray #church #couplesphotography

Happy Earth Day!! 🌎 🍄⛵️🐬🌳

ft. a collection of some of the beautiful places I’ve had the privilege of experiencing 🫶🏼

1. Grand Teton National Park, WY🗻
2. Sunset at a research station in Curaçao
3. Belize ✈️
4. Gator watching at Payne’s Prairie 🐊
5. Olympic National Park, WA
6. Sea kayaking in Alaska 🚣‍♀️
7. King’s Canyon National Park, CA
8. Rainbow Springs State Park 🐠
9. Montenegro
10. Acadia National Park, ME 🌲

🦈 In theory, sharks are one of my favorite animals and I’ve been lucky enough to dive with them several times but…

There’s a distinct difference between swimming with lots of small ones in clear water like this and seeing a big shadow appear out of the murk at dusk.🫢

I just try to tell myself that they’re like puppies, they don’t have hands so they bump into stuff and sometimes use their mouth to figure out what it is 😅

#shark #underwaterphotography #underwater #sharkbait

Get to know the girl behind the camera ft. 10 fun facts about me 😌

1. I have lived in 4 states and 2 countries, but mostly grew up in northern VA

2. My family is Hungarian & Italian and my grandparents live abroad 🇮🇹🇭🇺

3. I was in Girl Scouts for 12 years (shocker I know)

4. I double majored in Biology and Marine Sciences at @uflorida (neither of which I use 🤪)

5. My husband and I technically met when we were in high school but didn’t date until years later

6. I have a goal to visit every state/National Park, and keep the amount of countries I’ve been to the same as my age 🗺️

7. I am right-handed but left eye dominant, so I shoot lefty

8. My name is Hebrew and learned enough of the language to read and speak it for my Bat Mitzvah ✡️

9. The coolest place I’ve ever dove were caves 100+ feet underwater in Mexico 🤿

10. My favorite animals are orcas and tiger sharks, and I have a dream to swim with/photograph both 🦈

📸 by @forrest_dowling44, edit by me

Sooo I think I may be a officially be a sunrise gal because omg the LIGHTTT ✨🕊️

This space is so so pretty and I’m already dying to go back and shoot there again 🥹 love couples that are willing to test out new locations and get a lil creative with me!! ⛵️

#sunrise #morning #florida #pensacola #couples

I’ll have what they’re having 🥃

This evening was so pretty!! The sunset, the seagulls, the song…perfection 🤌🏼

#couplesphotography #couplegoals

Me 🤝 spending every waking second outside this summer

If the sun is out…so am I 😌 and boy do I have the tan (read: sunburn) lines to prove it this weekend

#surf #pensacola #beach #summer

Reporting live from Pensacola Beach 🐬

So glad I finally got to see this pod that hangs out by the pier! They may or may not have swam away when I tried to get in and make friends 🫢 next time!

#pensacola #beach #dolphins #dolphin

A fever of devils…

🦈 Lesser devil rays are in the same genus as Manta rays - most people are familiar with their devilish “horns,” which are really two cephalic fins they use for feeding! They’re actually an endangered species, so I feel lucky that we seem to have several groups (fevers!) of them here in Pensacola.

I hope I’ll be lucky enough to see a group like this in the water one day 🫢

Surf photography is basically me drinking seawater and getting slammed by waves for hours but shots (and people) like these make it worth it 🏄‍♀️

These are the days I’ve been waiting for, minus the cold water and wetsuit tan 🫠

#surf #pensacola #florida

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