About Me
Hi, and welcome. I’m Lona Downs—a wildlife and travel photographer, named after my grandmother and I’m glad you’re here.
Photography has been part of my life for years—never just about the image, but about the feeling of being there. It’s my way of slowing down, noticing, and holding onto moments that would otherwise pass too quickly. For a time, though, that feeling—and that part of me—went quiet.
After losing my eldest son, the camera I once reached for so easily stayed behind. The world felt different, and creativity felt distant. I felt distant too.
Through that period, I never really left the outdoors—it was the one place that still felt steady. I found myself drawn to it more deeply then, not searching for anything, just being there. Watching the light. Listening. Letting the quiet exist without needing to fill it.
Somewhere in that stillness, something began to shift. Not fully, and not in the way it once was—but with a deeper awareness, and a clearer sense of what matters.
My life today is full—of laughter, family, and love—something I hold close and choose to keep private. Alongside that, my travels have taken me from the stone paths of Peru’s Inca Trail to Machu Picchu, across the peaks of the Himalayas, to the summit of Kilimanjaro, and into the quiet, icy wilderness of Antarctica… and so much in between.
Photography has become something more than it once was—not just a way to capture what I see, but a way to stay connected to it. To feel it. To remember that even after loss, there is still beauty here.
Now, it’s what carries me forward.
Through my blog and photo galleries, I’m beginning to share these moments—adding to them slowly, as the stories come together. These are not just places, but experiences shaped by light, time, and what they left behind in me.
Along the way, they are becoming something more—collections of images and words I’m shaping into books. Something meaningful to hold onto, and one day, something to pass on.
Whether you’re here for inspiration, a sense of wanderlust, or simply a quiet moment of connection, I’m really glad you’re here.
Let’s explore, one story at a time.
Lona
