It's hard to believe photographer Michael Shainblum when he says he thought he was a failure growing up, especially after viewing his gorgeous time-lapse film "Into the Atmosphere."

The film, which showcases the grandeur of California's underexplored wonders, is garnering rave reviews for capturing nature beautifully without relying on cliche California landmarks and settings.

Shainblum answered some of our questions about overcoming learning disabilities and his love for offbeat spots in California.

As a kid, a lot of people would succeed in certain ways that I couldn't. It took me a really long time to learn how to read and write. As a kid, school takes up a good portion of your life. And I wasn't very good at most academics