We had the good fortune of connecting with Flo Li and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Flo, can you talk to us a bit about the social impact of your business?
I want my photos (underwater photography especially) to serve as a storytelling platform. In the past few years, I have contributed images to magazines, science apps, wildlife tracking platforms, and news outlets.

I am especially fond of our underwater world – and in particular the kelp forest. As you might know, 95% of the kelp forests along North America’s West Coast have disappeared. These vital ecosystems with incredible biodiversity are not only beautiful to see, but also a superstar in fighting global warming while serving as an economic powerhouse.

By documenting these diminishing habitats through my photography, my work has initiated online conversations regarding what concerned citizens can do to help heal our ocean. For example, the visual comparisons lajolla.ca published have inspired locals to ask what they can do. We all want our underwater gardens to look beautiful again for our local snorkeling and diving community. Recently, we started @kelp_restoration_lajolla on Instagram, our DMs are filling up quickly asking what help is needed. We are using my photos and videos to inspire individuals, document the project, and to tell a story of resilience for a very worthwhile cause.

Underwater scene with two divers, fish, and seaweed, sunlight filtering through water, vibrant colors, and marine life.

A black cat swims underwater with its body horizontal and tail curved, water reflections above, and sunlight on the ocean floor.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
My interest in photography began as a child – using my dad’s camera. Growing up in the countryside and a big city with an artist mother and an orchestra conductor father gave me an interesting contrast in life – I realized from an early age that I perfer nature. My mom would pack up a watercolor kit so the two of us can go paint on top of the mountains. She also asked my dad to take me swimming in the pristine river nearby in the countryside. My grandma and I would sit up at night to watch the shooting stars and listen to the frogs sing. Life felt magical. During the times when we had to go back to the city, I would spend hours in the garden just looking at each flower and each bug. I needed to be outdoors, and I needed nature to survive.

Somehow in my teenage years I have forgotten what truly moved me. I was trying to fit in this culture. So I studied bioengineering and became more mechanical in my thinking. I ended up finding my first job as an engineer and worked in a lab and designing machines – removed from nature and natural light. I didn’t understand at the time why my career was going so well but I was dying inside – mentally and emotionally. Money was easy but life was hard. Life was just TOO HARD… I often come home and just go into my closet and cry – not even knowing why I was crying. I felt like I couldn’t go on any more.

During that time, I got into marathon training and triathlons, thinking it would fix me. And it didn’t. One day in an half ironman race, I went down hard on my bike hitting head first… There was an out of body experience, an awakening…

Long story short, somehow my path was being redirected back to the arts and back to nature – through photography. From my work in portrait, product, and underwater photography, I have come to see everything as interconnected – and we are all pieces of nature. I no longer feel alone or separate – because there’s so much beauty, peace, and love surrounding us – we just need to slow down and breathe it in. Nowadays I no longer feel anxiety or depressed. Joy is a constant companion. I seek patterns and explore how we fit into a “bigger picture,” and how each chapter is just a glimpse into a longer journey, and each of us is just a little piece in a greater nature.

I think the biggest lesson is when you are out of touch with nature, you will inevitably suffer. A lot of our mental health issues could be that we are out of touch with reality – we live in our own minds or the collective mind with made up stories. But when you are in nature, enjoying a sunset, climbing a mountain or just being underwater, if you truly savor the moment, there’s no noise, just apperciation, just being. And in this being, you will sense a greater force at play. And you will know the beauty of life.

My Instagram handle is @flowing_zen_nature – I showcase serenity in nature. I want visitors to my page to feel the zen I feel in an ever-changing ever-flowing universe. I want visitors to feel the harmony that’s intrinsic in nature. Just like wildlife, we too are part of nature – both products of its evolution and also the active stewards of its future. Biologically speaking, we rely on the same ecosystems for our survival as all other life forms. Psychologically speaking, we are wired to find healing, cognitive restoration, and a sense of belonging in the natural world.

My goal through my art is to challenge the common feeling of separation from nature and help individuals understand we ourselves are a vital part of the natural environment.

Underwater scene with a turtle swimming near seaweed and rocks, sunlight filtering through water, vibrant colors, and clear visibility.

Sea turtle swimming underwater near rocks and aquatic plants, sunlight filtering from above.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
My friend is currently visiting from Sweden at the moment and we are going to
1. Hike Torrey Pines trails on a early Monday morning
2. Visit the Glider port for a late lunch and beer overlooking the sea cliffs in La Jolla
3. Book a hang-gliding or para-gliding trip for later this week
4. Bring our camera to photograph sea lion pups at the La Jolla Cove
5. Book a whale-watching tour with Legacy Whale Watch
6. Snorkel with Leopard Sharks in La Jolla Shores
7. Goto Little Italy Farmers Market and plan to cooking a nice meal together
8. BONUS – chase bioluminescence at midnight!

A deep-sea creature with a rounded body and a tail, floating in dark blue water with reflections on the surface.

Underwater scene with tall green and yellow seaweed swaying in sunlight, blue water background, sunlight filtering through.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
More than one for sure!
First – Elisabeth Frausto – writer and reporter for lajolla.ca interviewed me in 2023 regarding our local sea turtles. She got me started on the marine conservation journey.
Second – social media gets a bad reputation sometimes, but I’m here to argue that I’ve met so many amazing friends through Instagram – our shared passion in photography really helped me to become a better storyteller. I thrive on feedback, constructive criticism, and suggestions. It can be an incredible tool when we use social media in a positive manner and form a supportive community. I have certainly found that in our ocean lovers such as @Rocio_Salty_Log, @sdsealsociety, @the.surreal.sirena, etc.

Instagram: @Flowing_Zen_Nature

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/floliphotography

Other: Getty Images https://www.istockphoto.com/portfolio/FlowingZen

A dried seaweed or plant floating underwater with sunlight rays above, against a blue-green background.

Underwater scene with colorful coral and a blue fish among small fish swimming in the ocean.

Image Credits
photo of me by my dad Albert Li

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