Hawaiian Photographer Doc Buoyed by BYU Connection

Although Devin Graham never met Jon Mozo, a Hawaiian outdoors photographer who died tragically in 2005 at age 33, the two are bonded by their respective Brigham Young University Alma Maters.

Graham studied theater media arts at the main campus in Provo, while Mozo was once a student at BYU Hawaii. What's more, because of the way the three BYU campuses are connected—there is another one in Idaho—Graham has collaborated with more recent BYUH students on some of his YouTube channel projects.

Beginning in November 2010, Graham worked closely with Mozo's family in Hawaii to document the story of a life ended prematurely. Mozo, despite knowing the risks of photographing within the winter waters of Oahu's dangerous “Pipeline” better than just about anyone else, perished there on February 9th, 2005. He is one of five people to die in these treacherous waters in the past seven years.

 

Transcend: The Jon Mozo Story is scheduled for release later this year. It brings Graham full circle in a sense, as his cinematic aspirations began during his high school years in Oregon with the making of several snowboarding-themed shorts.

Mozo was a well-known and much loved figure on Hawaii's North Shore. Screenings of this documentary on the Islands will no doubt be cause for much spirited celebration of this documentary subject's simple yet heartfelt approach to life.

[Jon Mozo Gallery]