Nick Selway

NATURE | LANDSCAPE | OCEAN

FINE ART PHOTOGRAPHER

The Beginning

Born and raised in Lake Stevens, Washington along the Northern Cascade Mountains, he grew a profound appreciation for the natural world at a young age. He spent his childhood traveling and exploring the Pacific Northwest with his family as his love for mother nature grew.

In 2002 he began attending Northern Idaho College where he took his first photography class. It was at this time he meets two photography professors, Tim Christie and Phil Corlis, who forever changed his life. At the age of 18 and with the encouragement of his instructors, he realized his life passion, to capture the natural world using his unique eye for light and composition as a landscape photographer.

After college, he moved to Kailua Kona on the Big Island of Hawaii where he met his best friends, fellow nature photographers, and future co-owner of the "Lava Light Galleries", CJ Kale, Don & Linda Hurzeler where he had 2 very successful galleries for 10 years.

Transition

After living in Hawaii for 14 years In 2018 Nick embarked on a new journey his lifelong dream by opening his very own photography gallery on July 1st, 2018 located in Breckenridge,CO. He had his gallery there from 2018-2021 but after 4 years he wanted to live closer to family. In late 2022 Nick moved to Scottsdale,Arizona and plans to open a new Photography Gallery in the near future located in The Famous Art District in Scottsdale,Arizona.

Achievements

Nick Selway, deemed a "daredevil photographer" by his contemporaries, was one of the first people in history to photograph lava entering the ocean from the surf. To do this, Nick risked his life entering the near scalding surf and avoiding lava bombs feet from the lava's entry point into the ocean to capture some of the most unique photographs ever taken.Nick's photographic mastery has garnered widespread recognition, with his work gracing the pages of prestigious publications like National Geographic,Surfer Magazine,Outdoor Photographer Magazine and seen on The Todays Show, to name a few. His talent extends beyond mere recognition, as Nick's photographs have been showcased in esteemed exhibitions like the Smithsonian Exhibition and have adorned the covers of Natures Best Magazine for many years. Throughout his illustrious career, Nick has amassed a collection of awards and honors, each testament to his unparalleled skill and dedication to the art of photography.

Enjoy the 2 videos below!

  • First Video-Step behind the lens with me and my best friend, Cj Kale, as we embark on a groundbreaking adventure in the world of photography. Our first video showcases the awe-inspiring journey of capturing what we've coined as 'Lava Wave Photography'—a feat never before achieved in the realm of visual storytelling making us the first and only photographers in the world to capture these types of images.
  • Second Video-Produced by the esteemed company 'Smug Mug,' dive into a decade-long saga of photographing the majestic Kilauea Volcano. Together, Cj and I owned 'Lava Light Galleries' on Hawaii's Big Island from 2007 to 2017, and this video encapsulates the essence of our shared passion and dedication to capturing the raw beauty of nature's most powerful forces.