If you take a walk down Ocean Boulevard in Coronado, you’ll see surfers headed to the beach, locals walking their dogs, and children dragging sand buckets. You may also see “the girl with the camera,” Mekenna of Mekenna’s Moments.
Whether she’s capturing scenes in her day-to-day life or travelling and adventuring with her husband, Mekenna turns fleeting experiences into lasting photo memories.
“I’ve had a camera for over half of my life, and after a few military moves, I started using it to document the areas around me. In Monterey, I documented the surrounding cities. We moved to Europe for a bit, and I documented the places we were traveling. Everything was so new and beautiful. Every time we went to a new country, it was like a whole new world.”
Mekenna’s Moments in Coronado
Mekenna’s relationship with Coronado is one that many other people who leave and return can relate to.
“We left Coronado, moved to Monterey, then went to France, came back to Coronado, and this place is paradise, but I had such a hard time coming back. I felt like a completely different person, but I was put back where everything feels the same here. Why do I feel so different?” She elaborates, “This should have been the easiest move back for me, because I had a history here. Every other move, it’s starting from scratch again. This should be the easiest thing, and I had a hard time using my camera because it felt routine and familiar here.”
A 52-Week Challenge
To break through the mental block, Mekenna decided to complete a 52-week photo challenge. Her husband was deployed for nine months, and she had an injury from an ultramarathon, preventing her from running. It was the time.
“I started going out with my camera at least one time a week,” Mekenna shares. “Eventually, I was going out between three and seven days a week. Sometimes twice a day. I’d go out at sunrise or sunset, and then for a midday walk, and I’d always bring my camera.” Mekenna actively reminded herself how fortunate she was to be in Coronado and to take advantage of it. “I went to the Coronado Flower Show, brought my camera, and started looking at Coronado differently. Looking at the people that are part of Coronado, the businesses that are part of Coronado, and the hidden beauty in everything that felt achingly familiar.”
While there are many indisputably beautiful backdrops in Coronado, like the Ferry Landing, the San Diego skyline, and Hotel del Coronado, that’s not where you’ll find Mekenna.
“It’s about capturing these small moments that people mostly overlook because we’re just so busy and caught up in our day-to-day lives. We don’t realize the magic in these things.”
Her unique style of photography
The images Mekenna captures are usually unposed. When she’s inspired, she uses her best judgment, balancing authenticity with respect and permission.
“I have to get close to somebody. It’s a balance of asking permission and also capturing something that I feel like the person would feel comfortable with.”
Mekenna shares one experience while walking on Orange Avenue.
“A woman was sitting down in front of a store on a work break, smoking an e-cigarette. Her face was covered by smoke, and I froze and took a picture.”
Mekenna asked the woman if she could take a picture, and ended up taking several.
“There is one image where her face is completely covered by smoke. That one spoke to me. It’s funny how our creations can sometimes show us what we’re feeling. Her image reminded me that while I’ve been creating for a long time, I have a tendency to hide those creations, and it inspired me to share my Coronado Photo Project on my website”.
At the end of the day, Mekenna values the connection she makes with strangers while working on the project.
“I want to understand the people that I’m taking pictures of. I’ve spoken with many people, and often I don’t even take a picture of the person I’m speaking with. I’m drawn to them for certain reasons, and then I start speaking with them. We have so much to learn from everyone around us.”
The more things change
Returning to Coronado felt like stepping into the past, but as she began the Coronado Photo Project, Mekenna viewed things through a different lens.
“It’s been wonderful to intentionally observe everything around me. This simple practice helped me connect with Coronado in a way that I never had before, and I slowly started to realize I was documenting a slice of history here.”
“I thought everything was the same,” she explains, “but not too long ago, I took a picture of a sign that said ‘Coronado’ by the Bank of America. The other day, I walked by that spot, and the sign was no longer there. I now see that things are changing here every day. It’s been very transformative.”
Helping others find their photography footing
Mekenna feels called to help other people on similar journeys.
“I wrote a guide that teaches others how to use a camera simply. I know so many other people who feel drawn to document their world with a camera, whether it’s their daily lives, the places they live, or the places they travel to. But if you’re like me and didn’t go to school for it, learning how to use a camera can feel very overwhelming at first. I want to help others overcome the same barrier that I faced many years ago with this e-book.”
On how impactful photography has been for her, she shares:
“My husband’s job often requires us to move every few years. It’s very challenging to restart every time you move to a new place. I’ve found that it is important to find something to ground me and help me see life more clearly, and photography has always been that grounding experience for me.”
You can find Mekenna enjoying a matcha at Bay Books or walking the streets of Coronado with her camera. Follow her journey on Instagram and her blog.
