Ray Barbee has been travelling the world since he was a teenager. First because of skateboarding, then music as well. In the early days, he always took pictures with a little point and shoot film camera. Ray wanted to make the best darkroom prints possible, and had a desire to document his life, which led him to the Leica rangefinder. Born in sun-blessed California, Ray began skateboarding when he was twelve - a hobby for which he has become famous. Skating gives him the freedom to try new things and he gravitates towards those activities that have no rules, allowing more space to exist for self expression. That is why it was no great leap for him to go from the extroverted street skate culture to the observant appreciation of the moment. His pictures manage to capture both the loud and quiet sounds of life. They document explorations, discoveries, and experiences while speaking of his own life at the same time. Ray is the narrative, the common thread, and the connection for these images. At the heart of each insightfully-observed and cleverly-framed shot, there is virtually always the same message: make the most out of the precious time you have. The viewer is bathed in feelings of a love of life, achieved despite the strict lack of colour in his photographs. His passion and do-it-yourself attitude, which distinguish him as a musician and as a skateboarder, also define his photography. This book, “ The Joy is in Capturing the Journey” is a collection of Ray’s favorite images captured over the last 16 years.