Water Project: Finding Your Lens on Life

Seth Willingham didn't set out to become one of Southern California's most recognizable drone photographers. He grew up splitting time between Hawaii and Laguna Beach, fell in love with the ocean through GoPros and free dives, and stumbled into drone flying when a friend basically handed him a Phantom and said to just try it. Ten years later, that borrowed drone has taken him to Australia, Alaska, French Polynesia, and everywhere in between, and it all started with the right people refusing to gate keep.

In this episode of Shady Characters, Seth sits down with Tim and Evan to talk about the grind behind the gorgeous: waking up before sunrise not knowing if the sky will cooperate, flying off the bow of a boat hoping the battery holds, and the discipline of always going after the best initial shot rather than fixing it in post. He also opens up about selling his supplement franchise right before COVID, navigating the transition to full-time creative work, and what legacy really means when you're raising a six-year-old who'd rather be cliff diving in Hawaii than doing just about anything else.

"If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together."

Follow Seth at @waterproject.