Samba to the Sea

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Key Biscayne, FL
Samba to the Sea

Sunset Chaser and Natural Light Lifestyle - Wedding Photographer based in Tamarindo, Costa Rica and Savannah, GA. www.sambatotheseaphotography.com

Welcome to Samba to the Sea – – I’m stoked you are here! Me llamo Kristen (Spanish for 'my name is Kristen') and I’m a wedding, family & brand photographer, a wave dancer, and a sunset chaser, splitting time between the surf town of Tamarindo, Costa Rica and the Oak lined squares of Savannah, Georgia. Wedding + Family Photography: www.sambatotheseaphotography.com
Brand Photography: www.sambatothesea.com
Sunset Print Shop: www.thesunsetshop.com

Pura Vida,
Kristen

12/03/2022

Real growth and achieving your dreams happens when you show up every day and put in the work. The work when no one is watching. It is iterating for days, weeks, and years. Putting one foot in front of the other, even when you think you’re going backwards or sidewards. It’s being 1% better than the day before. It’s believing in yourself and following your happy.

Just like this sunrise photo.

I photographed this 7 years ago. It was the 128th shot captured on my then brand new, first Nikon full frame professional DSLR. I was just starting to get my feet wet with photography and as scary as the purchase was, it was time to invest and upgrade to a full frame, professional camera body. I had just flown into Miami from Costa Rica to pick up the new camera, as well as visit my brother and sister-in-law there.

7 years later, the culmination of all that work + following my love for photographing sunrises + sunsets has led me here — to a two page spread feature of this sunrise photo in Coastal Living’s Winter 2022 print issue — a magazine that I’ve loved reading since I can’t even remember. It’s a total pinch me moment. Thank you Coastal Living - I’m honored to have this opportunity to share my work — my passion - with your readers.

So keep going. Keep putting in the work. And make sure those blinders are on — it’s your dream in your own time, not a comparison to someone else’s.

P.S. Love this special sunrise photo as much as I do? I’ve been waiting months to release this beauty, and with the winter 2022 edition of now published, “Greetings from Key Biscayne” is ready to come home with you! Check it out via the print shop, The Sunset Shop!

P.P.S A very special thank you to — your support since we first connected here on IG years ago means so much.

11/25/2022

Have you heard the news?

As my way of saying thanks for y’all following along here on IG, the first 5 print orders at The Sunset Shop will receive 20% off -- including the limited edition prints!

After those lucky first 5, it’s 15% off all prints - yes, even the limited editions!

The prints only go on sale ONCE a year, so if you've had your eye on one of my prints this is extra incentive to hop to it! And only 20% off is available to those that follow along…so shhhhhh!

Click the link in my profile and try your luck with code ParadiseAtHome20 to see if you’re one of the first 5 for 20% off! Use code ParadiseAtHome15 for 15% off prints.

10/31/2022

Trick or treating, sunset surfer edition. 🏄🏼‍♀️🌅🎃 Happy Halloween y’all!

10/07/2022

I thought about posting here on Instagram the past couple of weeks, but I decided to live in the moment instead sans social media and very little email.  I'm sorry, but I'm not really sorry...  Yes, I could have planned ahead better and scheduled to post like I normally do.  But instead, since I last posted over 3 weeks ago, I've been soaking up spending time visiting with family in Miami, New Jersey, and Boston, as well as exploring the New England coastline + capturing its beauty.  Just like this pastel sunrise sky in Newport, RI...

I sure did miss connecting with you, but I also cherished the quietness of no notifications and relishing in moments.

That's the funny thing about technology -- it connects us, but it also can disconnect us from being present.

So in case you needed this gentle reminder, put down that phone, close the computer, and go live in the moment this weekend. Just like Emily the Golden Retriever who was so excited to be back at the beach! 💕

Hope you enjoy these sneak peek's from my roadtrip through coastal Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Maine! It sure was beautiful...minus the 44 degree weather.

09/16/2022

What are you earliest, fondest memories?

The common thread of my earliest, pure joy memories revolve around being in nature.

Like cannonballing off a raft into Caribbean crystal clear turquoise waters while visiting my grandparents every year in Antigua.

It's no wonder that after a couple of years of living + working in the concrete jungle known as New York City after college, even though I "had a good job + good life" on paper, I lived for the weekends when I could get out of the city and back into nature.

Then one gray and rainy Saturday morning, I took a surf lesson in Queens and a new door cracked opened.

A door that has led to a life experienced outside with dawn patrol surf sessions, afternoon sunset chasing beach strolls with Gidget, and the amazing opportunity to photograph that raw beauty that surrounds us.

I feel unbelievably grateful that photography is my calling. That I get to witness magical scenes unfold before me, performed by the greatest conductor herself, Mother Nature, and then capture + share those moments with you + the world.

And with this beautiful opportunity, it is my duty to be a voice - an advocate - to ensure that I help to protect our Earth so we can continue to experience + marvel in her beauty.

What does that mean?

Samba to the Sea as a business started with making my photo postcards only with 100% recycled paper. Because there was no way I could support cutting down trees to print photos of nature.

As Samba to the Sea has grown, the foundation of my business has been building a responsible business that gives back more than I need -- a business that is "enough".

I'm a proud member of , where 1% of my GROSS revenues yearly are donated to this amazing non-profit organization.

I support as many small, local business vendors that are socially + environmentally responsible to offer sustainable prints + products to you.

But I'm not perfect — I’m a work in progress, and there is strength in unity + leadership.

That's why I couldn't be more in awe that Yvon Chouinard, the guiding light of sustainable businesses as the founder of , gave away his entire company this week…

(Continued in comments)

09/09/2022

I've technically never owned a car.

But, I have this thing for cars.

Especially for classic cars.

Nope, the car I drove in high school and college doesn’t count because that was courtesy of mom + dad (thank you!).

I learned to drive stick shift on my dad’s kit-car Austin Healey affectionally called “Blackie”. Oh that engine purr and pure power…and no power steering or automatic breaks!

Then soon after learning how to drive manual on "Blackie", my dad (FINALLY) finished a years long project of building his own Austin Healey kit-car. This time the car was automatic and fire red...but still no power steering or automatic breaks! We named the car "Furia Roja", or "Red Fury" in English, and it was equally as dreamy to drive.

That is when it decided to turn on... 😂

So even though I've technically never owned a car, my love for cars was passed down to me from my dad thanks to those kit-car Austin Healeys.

Totally makes sense that I love to photograph classic cars now, right?!

But enough about me, let's get to get to the good part...photos of dreamy cars, including "Furia Roja", in my newly released Adventure Awaits collection! Now go get your swipe on!

09/03/2022

It had been years since I had been in SoCal and it certainly was a whirlwind of an *amazing* trip exploring and photographing the coast...starting in Laguna Beach, then San Diego, and back up to Malibu!

Yes, that's right...I took Gidget to the iconic surf break where the original "Gidget" Kathy Zuckerman started surfing in the 50s!!! It definitely was such a special experience…having Gidget “come home to Malibu”! 💕🐕

I can't wait to share more of my trip with you, but we'll save that for another IG post so you can hop off from checking the Gram and continue enjoying your weekend!

But before you go..enjoy these sneak peeks of captures from dreamy SoCal...😍😍😍

08/19/2022

Adventure awaits...are you ready???

You know that top down,
wind in your hair,
late afternoon sun kissing your face feeling?

Yeah, that feeling of carefree days...

It's a feeling like no other, especially when you're rolling in a gorgeous classic car.

So are you ready? Get your swipe on and and say hola to the new Adventure Awaits collection!

19 prints of vintage Land Rovers, Jeep Wagoneers, Porsche 911, Ford Bronco, Toyota Land Cruiser, VW Bus, and an Austin Healey...oh my!

This collection has been years in the making -- in fact, some of these photographs were captured several years ago that I almost forgot that I had them in my archive.

I even had a dream last night about a creative shoot that I had completely forgotten about, which led me down a rabbit hole this morning looking through my 2016 archives! Needless to say, this classic car print collection is just the beginning of new collections to come. ;)

Tap the link in my profile to check them all out…and welcome back to your classic car adventure daydream! 😉

08/08/2022

True or False? —> Good things are worth waiting for.

I 100% agree. Like this breathtaking home, Angel del Mar, here in Tamarindo. Justin and Angela, the homeowners, spent years making sure every detail of their beach dream home was exactly what they wanted - from construction materials that could stand up to the tropical climate to the artwork on the walls. Yes, that’s right — they picked my artwork ☺️☺️☺️☺️!!

Justin and Angela, I couldn’t be more honored. Thank you - mil gracias. ☺️

P.S. Angela even makes a cameo in the sunset surfer girl photo — she was my model for the shot! I ran into Angela on the beach one afternoon at sunset, and as we were chatting I saw the sky starting to show off. I asked her if she wanted to get creative with me…and boom, my photo print “Angel del Mar” was captured. Gracias Angela! 💕🏄‍♀️🌅

08/03/2022

Wanna know why I call rainy season here in Costa Rica sunset season? Swipe on through and 😍🌅 for yourself! Sunsets the past month were on 🔥!

07/02/2022

Dear Lake Michigan,

How all of your shades of blue were a dream to photograph. Until next time mi new amor. 💕

Pura Vida,
Kristen

—> Y’all, can you believe that all these shades of blue are actually a lake? I grew up near the Atlantic Ocean and visiting my grandparents in Antigua…needless to say, I never knew about the magically beautiful water color of Lake Michigan until a couple weeks ago. OMG 😍🌊

06/11/2022

You know those moments where something inside you whispers that you have to do something? Those moments where you simply follow your heart?

11 years ago I hopped on the subway in the center of Manhattan in New York City. An hour later, at one of the very last stops on the A train line in Queens, the train doors opened and the fresh ocean air rolled in.

I had arrived.

An hour later, I had arrived at one of NYC's beaches in Rockaway to take my very first surf lesson.

No, I'm not pulling your leg...you can surf in NYC and my Google search had told me so!

It was a gray + rainy Saturday morning, and looking back, the conditions for surfing were bad.  B-A-D.  Any experienced surfer definitely was not going to paddle out in those wind chopped + ankle biter conditions, but hey...I didn't know any better!  Plus, when you're a beginner surfer, you start out in the choppy whitewater waves anyway. And most importantly, as my 2011 New Year's Resolution was to learn how to surf, I was going getting in the ocean no matter what!  It was love at first wipeout.

I can't even remember if I really stood up + "surfed" one of those choppy whitewater waves, but I was hooked. Something inside of me came alive, and my life path was forever changed. A year and a half later, I was trading my NYC corporate heels for a surfboard + camera in Costa Rica.  How those 11 years have flown by, but also those 11 years seem so far away. Samba to the Sea started right after that first lesson, and I'm so thankful that you've been apart of that ride with me.   Thank you + mil gracias!   It truly is amazing what happens when you listen to your heart + follow your happiness. 💕🌅🌊

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Key Biscayne, FL
33149

Website

http://sambatothesea.com/

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