Photographer Caroline Pacula, who left her career in tech to dedicate herself to her creative passion a little over 10 years ago, first dabbled in family photography before focusing her lens on coastal landscapes. “While I’ve lived in the Bay Area for more than 35 years, I was born in France to Dutch parents,” she says.
Her sense of wanderlust is reflected in her photography and stems from a childhood spent living in different countries and continents, most notably Asia and Africa, and from being exposed to diverse cultures all over the world before moving to Marin. “My father changed roles at his company, and he was asked to transfer from Algeria to Marin County.”
While she can easily wax philosophical about the beauty that lives in every nook and cranny from Sausalito to the Point Reyes National Seashore, Pacula says that Stinson Beach will always hold a special place in her heart. She has a series of memories over time that include family day trips, high school gatherings with friends, bonfires and acoustic guitars, and more recently, a much-needed escape for her 40th birthday.
In the photographs that follow, she plays with light, color and scale in her signature style as she captures the coastal enclaves around Marin. “One of my favorite quotes is by Paula Bendfeldt,” says Pacula. “’Travel opens your heart, broadens your mind and fills your life with stories to tell,’ and photography captures all these stories and moments.”
Caroline Pacula’s work can be purchased at Serena & Lily, Anthem in San Francisco and on her website.
