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Entitlement

Somewhere along this journey I started to do more then just take pictures, since I travel so much I get to document each local surf scene I travel too. I’m lucky enough to have another job so I don’t need to make money selling surfing pictures. This has it’s plus and minus, I take the pictures I want too and if you want to buy them more power to ya.

On this day I went to the old mans longboarding beach “Gilgo Beach”. It’s a “town beach” and if you don’t know what that means: it means it’s operated and run by a town so they can do anything they want with it (kind of like a country club). If you aren’t a resident of the town it cost $40 a day to park, there is no public transportation and they really don’t want you there. I wanted to document the old man scene that I watched growing up when I used to go there as a kid. I wanted wide angles of the gracefulness and close ups of the technical nose-riding. I forgot that even though I enjoyed watching this type of surfing, this is not my favorite type of scene to be in.

Old dudes on Long Island are crabby, they usually hate their job have a bad back and think they can catch every wave. Thats all well and good but surfing is supposed to fun. Most of these guys are the epitome of a hard core surfer, cold weather, dawn patrol before work and they will never stop surfing. It’s something that I respected growing up but never understood that tough guy, weary of outsides, this is my beach attitude. All of them will deny this, but none of them even payed attention to the young surfers or short boarders in the line up. I didn’t stay long and I won’t post the negative attitude I witnessed but just remember have fun, it beats working any day.

Even thought I think I got some good shots I’m not going to speak about the photos individually, they are happy in their little pack and I’m just going to let them do their own thing. Maybe one day when I’m old I’ll understand but I hope not lol

Posted by  |  July 27, 2012 | Categories: ART, B&W, Exploration, Gilgo, long board, NEW YORK, old man, SURF, surf photography, Water Angles | 1 Comment

The Definition of a Surfer

Any surfer will tell you riding waves may be the act of surfing but being a surfer has many meanings. I am not the same surfer I was when I was 12 when I got my first board and I won’t die being the surfer I am today.

I’m back in NY after a lengthy North America tour and a high school friend wanted to get some surfing pictures of her and her 10 month old daughter. It was hard for me to prep myself conceptually for this photo shoot only because the elements would be greater then the surfing (lighting, angles, distance, crying babies). I decided that early morning light would be the best, an East Coast summer sunrise has this crisp almost blinding light that seems to skim across surface of the ocean and I knew it would add to the youthfulness of this shoot.

Now my friend neglected to tell me that she has never taken her daughter surfing before so my ideas of close ups, capturing joyfulness excitement of her child riding waves turned into watching the bond of a surfer/mother take the first steps into a whole new world. I realized I needed to swim further away and give less direction and not even continue our conversations. They were both justifiably nervous and both of them didn’t really know what was going to happen. I watched as their moods changed and the elements that I was so focused on faded away. I could tell my friend was realizing that a new chapter of her surfing life was starting to happen and even though she might not want to give up her old surfing life,she was ready to make this work.

The range of emotions that flew by were powerful enough for me to be stop in my tracks

You wouldn’t think paddling out on a two foot day would be challenging, until you realize that it’s the first time you’ve ever done it this way

the initial relief of making it to the outside was washed away by the realness of the moment and the striking realization that this was really happening

My favorite photo: the wave passing by with neither of the heads turning, as if it didn’t matter

and the exact opposite: the mother watching what she would love to be doing while holding her daughter tight

On this day no waves were ridden but we welcomed a new surfer into the world. Aloha

Posted by  |  July 26, 2012 | Categories: ART, Business, Exploration, Fine Art, fun, Photography, SURF, surf photography, Water Angles | 3 Comments

Hometown Breaks

I’m a New York Surfer, I grew up on Long Island. This is a statement I had to defend my hole life. Now I’d love to show you how epic the waves can actually get In NY but it’s not going to happen in this post haha. I’ll be in NY till september so here’s to hoping for an early hurricane season.

I went to the beach today with my friend and his family, I was hoping to get shots of him and his daughters surfing but I forgot that none of my friends can surf and they all got Old and Lazy (they would be the first to admit it). So I got some shots of some local surfers and a few shots of us messing around in the shore break.

I know it’s not Hawaii or any other amazing breaks I’ve shown in my posts but its home. No matter how far I travel, my root grow out of nasty brown water and I’m proud of it 🙂

As my friend stated watching me take shots “TAN SHIRT KID IS KILLING IT”

Learning on small waves will make you scrappy!

My buddy wanted to try taking shots of me, but he didn’t feel comfortable out in the break so we hung out in the shallows. This is the best shot he got of me, it’s harder then it looks isn’t it

but he did get a great shot of me getting pounded by the white water… Thanks

Before we left I went out one more time while he caught his breath and had a cigarette break ( I wonder why he need to catch his breath?)

this guy asked for a business card, so even though it not an amazing shot. Everyone is stoked on getting a surfing shot so, I hope he likes it.

O yeah, heres my friend being sexy on the shore

Posted by  |  July 16, 2012 | Categories: Business, Exploration, fun, NEW YORK, Photography, SURF, surf photography, surfing, Water Angles | Leave a comment

Quality vs Quantity

It’s been a long time since I had the opportunity to taking surfing pictures, for the last 2 months I’ve been in the Midwest and Canada for work. I had the 4th of july off and was in San Francisco so I packed up my gear and went to the beach. In the last few years I’ve visited NorCal a lot and have leaned most of the breaks from Santa Cruz to SF. If you have never visited coastal northwest of the United States the weather is almost always foggy and overcast unlike the picturesque beaches of SoCal. So unless you are a hardcore surfer and will brave cold water and heavily populated shark infested waters you don’t surf here. UNLESS it’s a holiday… When it’s a holiday every kook and his kid are at the beach riding longboards on 2 foot beach break.

Luckily I know were to go. I went to a surf spot called Grey Whale, even though it’s easy enough to get to and only 5 miles south of Pacifica Beach it’s never going to be a crowed surf break. Limited parking, 50-100 stairs down a cliff and a short beach keeps tourist away. It’s also a steep fast wave so it cuts out most of the long boarders and beginning level surfers. Their must have been 100+ surfers at Pacifica surfing 2-4 waves, there was 6 at Grey Whale the whole time I was there and really only 3 of them belonged. As for the size it must have been head high to some double over head sets.

If I wanted to sell shots I could have made a killing at Pacifica but instead I really only took pictures of one guy and when he offered to pay for the shots I declined. So I introduce to you Keil Miller of San Diego. As stoked as he was to receive the shots, I couldn’t be more grateful he was there to make my only beach day in 2 months worth it. Aloha

I knew it was a heavy day when people comment on the fact they can’t believe I just swam out there but I didn’t really realize until I saw this picture haha. I guess in the heat of the moment I don’t really worry about limits.

I was hooting more then he was when he raced thru this barrel, haha

It was super overcast and since this shots angle was up and away from the beach it was grey and void of color. I thought it looked better as B&W

Think about where I was to get this angle? I thought I was going to fall on top of him

Posted by  |  July 10, 2012 | Categories: ART, B&W, Barrel, Black and White, California, Exploration, fun, NorCal, Photography, SURF, surf photography, surfing | 7 Comments

Follow the Light Foundation

This was my Follow the Light Foundation submission. I’m not much of a video editor yet but I put a lot of heart and thought into it. I hope you enjoy.

Posted by  |  June 10, 2012 | Categories: ART, B&W, Backdoor, Barrel, Black and White, hawaii, Ho'okipa, Photography, surf photography, surfing, underwater, Water Angles | 4 Comments

California Revisited

I’m working on a west coast International Marketing Tour, yet for some reason I’m in Illinois… Don’t ask it’s marketing. I’ve  gone to California a few times already this year and have been lucky enough to land some pretty solid swells. Here are a bunch of great shots for one reason or another didn’t make the cut in my previous post, so I thought since I’m suck in the Midwest and the chance of getting great surfing shots is slim, I’d revisit the west coast.

Sold this shot to this guys friend for a gift… so I didn’t want to post the shot until he got it. It was the best shot I’ve got in California hands down! (it was his first session with his new board… I think it’s a keeper)

This kid was killing it that day!

The water temp so freezing this day I was surprised I stayed in for 2 hours with only a shorty 2/2mm. Wish I could stay longer it was a super glassy day

I could just post the 3 shot from this sequence and claim it was a sick but he didn’t even come close to landing it.

Here is a great barrel shot from the Wedge but it was a little too pretty to add to a post when you are calling the place a freak

Posted by  |  May 15, 2012 | Categories: ART, Barrel, California, Exploration, Fine Art, fun, Huntington Beach, long board, Newport Beach, SURF, surf photography, surfing, THE WEDGE, Water Angles | 2 Comments

Texas Sunrise

I had to drive 6+ hours to be able to stay on Galveston for an extra day but when there are waves you do what you have to do, especially since I won’t see the ocean for 30+ days. I got up super early and drove the coast till I saw surfers at 37th Street. Couple of long boarders and one fun boarder but it was more then enough for me to get suited up. (I would swim out if it was an old guy in a row boat as long as he was riding waves).

Luckily for me there was a lot of style in the water and some amazing color the brown water was a great contrast for the morning light.

Here’s Mike!!! a Texas A&M student and a super nice kid, he was riding this wide twin fin and it was the perfect board for early morning chop, this ended up being my favorite sequence from Texas. I feel it represents the majority of TX surfers, people who enjoy just being out there dong what they love. Riding waves is fun and doesn’t have to be more then that

This angle was the only one working early in the morning, it was too grey shooting away from the sun.

Found a frothy barrel on the inside sand bar… really brown

David Voigt the local pro/surf shop employee that I met the day before showed up to grab a few more shots,  surf photographers don’t show up everyday in Galveston.

The sun finally came up and so did the waves. Still a little grey but when you got talent in the water you make it work.

The best photos come when the surfer actually works with me to get the shots. He knew I was shooting fisheye and that means the closer the better.

Posted by  |  May 7, 2012 | Categories: ART, Barrel, Galveston, Photography, Pro's, SURF, surf photography, surfing, Texas, Texas surf, Water Angles | 7 Comments

3rd Coast

So I travel a lot for work, last week I was in Southern California this week Galveston, TX. But luckily for you I always bring my camera.

I was at 61th St in Galveston (yes Texas has surf). I shot fisheye today, something I don’t normally do when I don’t know the break or the local surfers (because you have to get really close), but I thru caution to the wind and it paid off. Actually it made the waves look a lot bigger.

Just incase you didn’t know the water is a filthy and brown, O yeah it almost always smells like low tide, but if it has waves I’m going in haha

People are friendly in Texas! This kid was just a local college student spending his free time at the beach. You be surprised on how many people don’t even say hello to me and people wonder why I charge them for photos (If this kid emails me I’ll give him everything for free). It pays to be nice

The line up was empty so I was about to go in then this guy paddled out and I decided to see what he had to offer. I’m glad I did he ended up working at the local surf shop (Southern Spears Surf) across the street. He was killing it and it actually made my session so big ups to SouthernSpearsSurf.com

To be able to punt airs with on shore wind and mush waves is a huge testament to this guys ability

Here is the last sequence I shot, I love when I get a shot and I know that it just made my session.

Thanks Texas

Posted by  |  April 30, 2012 | Categories: Exploration, fun, Galveston, Photography, SURF, surf photography, surfing, Texas surf, Water Angles | Leave a comment

The Wedge is a Freak!

If you aren’t familiar with the “Wedge” in Newport Beach, CA let me tell you that the place is an anomaly. A rock jetty was built to protect the entrance to Newport Harbor and it formed one of the gnarliest waves I ever had the pleasure to witness. It’s unique angle and shape takes the power of one wave bounces it off the jetty and then combines it with the second wave of the set.

You’ll notice in the pictures that I’m facing the shore but your looking at the skim boarder profile, that is because he is riding the force of the wave bouncing off the rock jetty and then it is “Wedging up” and combining with the second wave of the set.

This is a nice picture of the wave.

Not so nice. The problem is you never know how crazy it will get till it’s too late haha

Riding the Power off the jetty about to get shacked by the wedge.

It almost always barrels but on larger sets it has this double slab and it drops out with out warning

Here is a shot from the beach  to show you how massive it can get… After that my favorite crashes

If you don’t get pounded onto the beach the next set will get you.

Why would you put your body thru this punishment? because when it’s good it’s great

Posted by  |  April 30, 2012 | Categories: ART, Barrel, Newport Beach, SURF, surf photography, surfing, THE WEDGE, Water Angles | 2 Comments

A Light Show

As the sun sets it releases the days tensions and reminds us that tomorrow is a new day.

I went out for a “setting sun session” the other day at Huntington Beach, CA. I wanted to capture the essence of what it feels like as the light falls behind the Pacific Ocean and that sensation as a surfer when you realize you almost don’t even need to see what you are doing to enjoy the rush surfing brings you.

Having to shoot into the light in sports photography is an image killer, good thing I don’t think surfing is a sport… It’s hard to explain to a surfer that I got the shot but not one they will appreciate, every surfer wants a well lighted image of themselves (But other surfers can enjoy the silhouette)

At 4:30 the sun was staring me in the face, making it hard to focus, took me a good 30 minutes to get this shot to work

The only place I could get the blinding light to work for me was in the barrel. Good thing its like a second home for me haha

I said it more then a few times, to get this shot you always get blasted in the side of the head. You’re trying to hold your position and then BAM!!! All the neck pains are worth it when it comes together 🙂

I was probably more upset he didn’t make this wave then he was

I took this photo because I realized I was about to have no more light and the only photos that would still work would be above the lip.

At the end of the session you stay in the water hoping to get that last glimpse of magic, the one that lets you go in with a smile on your face.

Posted by  |  April 23, 2012 | Categories: ART, Barrel, Business, California, Exploration, Fine Art, fun, Huntington Beach, Photography, SURF, surfing, Water Angles | 6 Comments