"Stripes" by Johnny, 17 | Dry Tortugas National Park 2016

Moments like this are what makes investing in yourself worth it. I could have gone down a different path—but I didn’t and I won’t, because I know I am capable of capturing beauty in life.

About Johnny: Hi, my name is Johnny. I enjoy playing sports and fishing. But little did I know that my favorite thing of all was underwater photography. My past was full of getting in trouble with the police and reckless behavior. That behavior got me sent to the place where I would find out the good things life has in store for me. When I was sixteen I was sent to Northwest Passage. During my time in the program, they taught us how to use underwater cameras—and what we were able to do is amazing. This is what led me to have a much brighter future. Every photography trip I went on helped me more and more. Being underwater was my way to know that I will have an ongoing, better future.