Planes of Existence
The journey of following light and water, bringing stories of water to life, and underrepresented ecosystems to the forefront. Conservation photographer and filmmaker, Sydney Smolla is using underwater photography to tell the story of water systems around her mountain town and beyond.
What is Planes of Existence?
Hello! I am Sydney, the artist behind this long term project. I am exploring all angles of water history, ecosystems, human stories connected to water and aerial photography. I have been a photographer for 11 years. Many of those years were spent exploring many different genres of photography. At the core of it, conservation has always been my why. Life experiences led me to my passion for water, the complexities of it, the stories, history and beauty of it all. Out of college I worked with biologists to help communicate groundwater education for state government in Nebraska. This opened my eyes into the policies behind water for agriculture, and how it isn’t always one sided. Then I moved to New Mexico. Here I was surrounded by reservations in Gallup. Through conversations with friends and biologists, I learned another side of water. The side where water access is not free, and not everyone in our country has access to it. I then moved to a mountain town in Southwest Colorado. Here I have witnessed the results of light snowpack and the realities of what that means for rivers and wildfires. This year I finally got into underwater photography. This is when all of the dots connected for me. As a huge water lover, being able to photograph from below the water has opened up a whole new realm of art. This project is the platform from which all of my work stems from and this is the landing page. If you are a Gallery or publication looking to get in touch, my email is sydneysmolla@gmail.com.
Exploring overlooked ecosystems
A chance to tell the many stories of water from below, and above the water, starting in the mountains around my home.
A place for conservation and fine art to exist together
And to explore ecosystems affected by water, or lack thereof…
This past winter of 2026, our region received very little snow. This series of work also includes my interpretation of the climate crisis in the Southwest but from angles rarely explored in mountain environments. These images below were taken in the midst of large fires near Dolores, Colorado. We went Paddleboarding on Trout lake and witnessed poor air quality and the red glowing sun from above and below the waves.
A chance to dive deeper.
Mountainscapes are beautiful. However, many images of mountains are from the same vantage point. We tend to protect things that we understand, but that is not always said about things we don’t understand. If photography is a documentation of what exists, then many will not see the ecosystems that aren’t photographed as often.
