May Grey is followed by June Gloom and the chance of securing good surf photos is cloudy at best. Every so often, however, the sun pops out in all its glory, lighting the scene and filling it with color. While hard to plan, it is those moments that I target for a surf photography session. Saturday was just one such case…
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I often get asked for the inspiration behind my images. “How do you arrange your shoots,” “how do you set up your lighting,” “how do you choose your subject matter?” Well…
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Shooting in the water is at times super frustrating, but the rewards can be so worth the effort. I get a lot of questions on how this image came about so I invite you to click below to read the story behind this image.
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I spend a lot of time on the shore and in the water shooting surfers. With few exceptions, I find that we surfers are generally a super happy group. Why is that? My thoughts….
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When it comes to gorgeous colors and beautiful contrasts, the Big Island of Hawaii may take the prize. I went for a quick-strike trip last week and this is what I learned. First, lava …. [click to read more]
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As a photographer, I am giving interesting opportunities to observe so many aspects of life. This past week was one such experience and I wanted to share it with you because it was an uplifting experience.
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I’m going to give this one an emphatic YES! While I take a lot of shots of surfer’s doing their thing, I always have my eye open for a potential image that would complement a room. It might be subtle colors, shapes or details that catch my eye, but…
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Six years ago I was biking down the Strand between Coronado and Imperial Beach when I saw what I thought was a lawn ornament in the water. I chuckled to myself that someone had made quite an effort to play a prank. On my ride home, however, the lawn ornament had moved! Unbelievably, there was a living, wild flamingo in San Diego Bay!
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Whether the waves are big or small, there is a dedicated subset of watermen that prefer to hit the water with a set of fins on the feet and their hand on the wave. These are the bodysurfers: a bold group of chargers who launch out of the waves like the dolphins that often surround them…
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Summers in San Diego are wonderful, but late fall-winter is where its at. This past week was a prime example. Our weather was holding steady around 70 degrees with a hint of an offshore breeze. A beautiful swell lit up the beaches and gave a tease at what is yet to come…
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Surf photography can take many forms. For contest surfers, I like to create close-up images to put the viewer into the action. For in the water shooting, there is nothing better than a deep, hollow barrel. For telling a story, however, I firmly believe that pulling back is the best option. What do I mean?
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Sometimes a super crisp, focused image is great. Other times I see something different than the whole shot. It is those moments that make a good image, but they are sometimes hard to discern. I like to go back to Photoshop and try and see if I can create what I “saw” when I was in the moment. You might be surprised!
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Sunday marked another Paddle for Clean Water at OB; another community effort by Surfrider Foundation; another year in the long line of continual years of seeking a solution to the problems affecting our coastline…
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Back in the 80’s when I was leaving for college, some of my lifelong friends decided it would be great to get together on summer breaks for a backpacking trip. One trip led to another and now three decades later, the tradition continues. Our individual lives have spread us to all corners of the U.S., but once a year, the High Sierras serve as our beacon.
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When many surfers hear the word SUP, they immediately think of the over 40 crowd floating along the bay inexplicably wearing a leash as they slowly cruise along over 2″ ripples. Then there are the surfers who also surf SUPs. This is a different breed of watermen and waterwomen and nothing like the bay floaters.
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Every spring, a convoy of trucks towing trailers filled with state of the art shells and long oars descend on Mission Bay. Then come the busses filled with athletes from schools all across the nation. Finally, SUVs and minivans pull into the parking lots, disgorging excited parents wearing all forms of college attire. That’s when we know it is time for the annual San Diego Crew Classic.
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Standing still and silent, the Coronado Bridge traverses the bay in a graceful curve, carrying workers and visitors back and forth to downtown. It is relatively new (1969), but an icon that represents San Diego as much as Balboa Park.
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Remember those trips to the beach when you were just a little kid? You would walk along the shoreline with your little green bucket swinging from your hand as you scanned the sand for a beautiful shell to add to your sandy collection. Maybe it was a whole sand dollar, or perhaps a jewel toned shard of shell. Everything was a treasure. You would bring them home, hose them off, and line them up on the warm bricks to dry. What is is about collecting seashells that is timeless?
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Don’t point your camera at the sun; Don’t use a long lens on scenic shots; Don’t shoot backlit objects. Well…all good advice. What happens, however, when you don’t follow the rules?
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I posted before about my fascination with our Brown Pelicans and got so many great comments and questions, I thought I would share the story behind this image I call “The Dive.”
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