I was asked to shoot images as the California State Games – Track & Field event and did not pass on the opportunity to get up close and personal with these athletes. Being allowed on the infield is always a treat and this meet featured athletes of all ages. Here’s the equipment I choose to take with me…
Continue reading
I grew up at swim meets. Weekends were a fun respite from long weekday hours following the black line. We got to run around with our friends, eat tons of Starburst, warm up a little and race for about one minute three times in a day. It must have been a slog for my parents! So can photos of swimming be at all interesting?
Continue reading
When shooting surf events, the focus is on the waves. We’re typically seeking to capture the gnarly cutback or fins-out move off the top. As a surf photographer with over two decades of shooting, I will tell you that it is easy to forget to look at the scenes on the beach as well. But…
Continue reading
I love to surf and I love to take surf photos. Often its with an eye towards competition surfing. Then an event comes along reminding me that surfing is about connection: connection to the ocean; connection to your emotions; and connection to your tribe. This event was a Team Quinn Adaptive Surf Event.
Continue reading
An amazing confluence of events took place this past Wednesday. School was out in So Cal. It was the first day of summer. June Gloom gave way to sunny skies. A swell kissed our shores. And it all coincided with USA Surfing’s Championships at Lowers. And oh, what a day!!
Continue reading
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.
Continue reading
Marking the coast of San Diego County are a series of piers stretching out into the ocean past the surf line. Some of these were built in the late 1800s to support coastal trade. More were added in the early 1900’s as pleasure piers. Today, they stand silently in the depths, willing couples to stroll, fishermen to cast and surfer’s to shoot.
Continue reading
It always amazes me how the story an image tells changes depending on the finish you apply to your image. Let’s take, for example, this image I shot of the Hotel del Coronado. To me, it provides a glimpse into the past. The tonal range of the photo suggests a film camera; something appropriate for a vintage resort. Perhaps it is a stormy day, yet it has warm tones so it is a bit of a mystery…
Continue reading
Every race has its own pageantry and large visuals. Yet every race is comprised of many individuals, all with unique feelings, struggles, and personal victories. While we tend to think about action shots in the middle of races, the finish line should not be overlooked as the place and moment where individual expression is at its highest. Last weekend…
Continue reading
May Gray has definitely settled in for those of us that live along the coast and we can expect June Gloom to follow. As a photographer, my work is all about the light and usually color. I absolutely love sunny days, blue skies, and blue water and the vibrant images that can be created in those settings. So what to do in May and June? Well, in the spirit of lemonade from lemons, our annual marine layer presents some wonderful opportunities to see our world in a slightly different way.
Continue reading
Back button focusing is one of the simplest ways to improve your surf photography (or any photography for that matter) and I have grown to love the versatility it provides. Here’s what you need to know…
Continue reading
Big wave surfing has sometimes been compared to bull riding. Training, scoring, lifestyle, injury and respect are all aspects shared by both sports. I decided to see for myself whether these similarities truly existed…
Continue reading
Winter was long and wet and then the sun appeared. Spring is now in the air. I journeyed fourth to Torrey Pines to see what spring looks like in its natural, coastal environment. Boy, was I in for a treat. Just seconds onto the trail, the wildflowers were ablaze. From cacti flowers to curling vines, the variety of shapes, colors and textures caused my shutter finger to fire at abandon. Here’s a sampling of the natural beauty of coastal So. Cal.!
Continue reading
Photography is an incredible medium for capturing memories, sports and events. Is, however, photography art? Today, on #worldartday, I will emphatically and positively say that well…maybe!
Continue reading
2023 started off with a bang on the West Coast. Big waves, er towering monsters, were providing dramatic moments as the watermen and waterwomen paddled out to meet these challenges day after day. Photogs were clicking away from the shore and we were producing awesome images on a daily basis. Then the ocean went flat. What to do?
Continue reading
I have spent years photographing surfers and surfing events. My goal is often to capture critical moves on the wave, body language that speaks to the difficulty of the sport and facial expressions that hint at the ultimate joy of surfing. Yet these are typically solo representations as surfing is primarily an individual sport. That is, until you watch adaptive surfing…
Continue reading
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.
Continue reading
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.
Continue reading
While many photographers set out looking for the big landscape image, I find myself more drawn to the details. That’s right, I have a passion for patterns and color. Perhaps its because there is no shortage of variation and surprise in what nature shows us. Seeing these patterns requires one to simply slow down and look more critically at our surroundings. We have a natural ability to process thousands of details when we look out the window. But what happens when we break these down into individual elements? Magic!!
Continue reading
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?
Continue reading
Water Clicker Photo Blog 