Who lives
Who dies
Who tells your story?
…When you’re gone, who remembers your name?
Who keeps your flame?
You really do write like you’re running out of—
Time
I’m still not through…
I ask myself, “What would you do if you had more—”
Time
And when my time is up, have I done enough?
Will they tell our story?
Can I show you what I’m proudest of?
And when my time is up
Have I done enough?

Excerpts from the final act of Hamilton
- Lin Manuel Miranda

In March 2022, we visited our second son, studying in Madrid for the semester. I was amazed at how well he knew the city and how he, like our first son who studied in Paris in 2019, had become a voracious explorer and a photographer with a keen eye. It caused me to stay awake our last night in Europe, as I started to envision the birth of this idea to collaborate with our sons to create this website. I jumped out of bed in the middle of the night and scratched out all kinds of notes.

However, only days after I returned home, I received a completely baffling and unexpected Cancer diagnosis and an uncertain future. When I saw Lin Manuel Miranda’s masterpiece Hamilton between my diagnosis and surgery, I heard some lines in the final act in a new and profound way. Miranda convinced me to tell our story, and WanderLush was born. I wanted to make it clear, I wanted to make it beautiful, and I wanted to make it mine….for the record, for my family, for my legacy.

Three challenging months and miracles later (for more see “More About My Story” below) I found myself strong, resolute and profoundly grateful to be chipping away on this personal project now coming to fruition.

Mainly, this is a website devoted to our Travels and our collection is visible on the home page. I never tire of seeing new places, to see the myriad of beautiful ways people live, where they call home, and what home means to different people. I learned my love of travel and photography from my Dad, who has been adventurous his whole life - starting out on a European Journey at the request of Eleanor Roosevelt, when he was Student Body President of the University of Colorado, in the 1950s. (see “Our Story” for more about my Dad’s story). My parents met skiing and are now 88 and 85. For sixty years they have been (and for the most part still are) avid skiers, hikers, bikers, and adventurers - still traveling the world - as recently as Fall 2021 in Croatia. In addition my Dad is a sailor, scuba diver, and photographer - and he taught my sisters and I respect for different places and cultures and curiosity about the world. So, this site includes some of his images and special stories of traveling with him as an adult, especially in China and The Caribbean. This site also includes stories and images from his nephew and my cousin Jeff. Retired from a storied career in the Entertainment Industry, he is a Peabody Award Recipient, artist and entertainer, and one of my best friends of my life.

I am generally a self-taught photographer. I first picked up a camera over four decades ago at the age of 15 or so, because I saw the way light sometimes settled on things, and revealed beauty that I didn’t want anyone to miss.  This is the reason I was, and still am, drawn to Photography.  I love to illuminate, capture and share - beautiful things - large and small - in our world.

After Journalism school I have worked in magazine publishing, photo editing, portraiture, product photography & branding, and interiors & architectural photography. I have lived in Boston and the Pacific Northwest before returning home to Colorado in 2001.  I am also including my other work as a photographer over the past decades including Portraiture, Florals, Product Photography and Interiors. These portfolios can be found in “Other Portfolios.”

My photographs are far from perfect. But I have a hungry eye, and I let it feed.

My Life’s Purpose has been to make the most of every opportunity - to explore our precious world - and to gather, nourish, support, celebrate, enjoy, and love my special orbit of people that surrounds me. I am blessed to travel this beautiful miraculous journey along side of them, and I live in gratitude to them every day.

This is my life’s body of work and I Invite You to Know Me. I appreciate you taking the time to be here. Welcome.

Brenda Lush 2022

In collaboration with Husband Peter, Sons Derek & Evan, daughter Anna Rose Lush,
And - Father Richard Olde & Cousin Jeff Olde