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History, You, and Your Camera

Early on in my photography career, not sure what I was doing, yet knowing I both enjoyed it and had an aptitude for it, I began shooting my own brand development images for my Surf themed company on a Minolta system. Both on land and in the water. Larry Moore who would become my editor at Surfing took me aside and explained the significance of building a body of work over the arc of a career lifespan. He explained what a library was, and how to set a bar on my work, in order that I might become an image

Creative Theory

I was approached by a friend of mine about the subject of artificial waves breaking over artificial reefs. The lens being creation of such a structure in open (deep) water. As we slowly examined the concept and looked at both naturally occurring as well as man made systems, I had a few thoughts: I have long wondered about something. Is it prudent to strictly mimic nature, in creation of design? Or would we be more successful in an endeavor to approach that new design concept by taking the organic concept, and add our own input to the design? This is

Art and the HUman Condition

Again, big HT to Titus Levy for this interesting piece. http://www.smithsonianmag.com/second-opinion/these-nine-artists-will-help-you-understand-future-planet-180963576/#mBT2Bo3J7ibEu9VD.99 Oddly enough of course, it is under one of the pretenses (There are two main ones, Art and Sea) that I am asked to contribute to projects. At Blue Mind Block Island I was to present after Dr Helen Reiss gave an emotionally stirring talk on the value of Compassion. In it she used a film about plastic pollution and the albatross on Midway Island. The film stated basically that the Albatross were under threat from plastic pollution. As one of three Artists presenting at the Summit, it wound

Joy

Joy. It is a quirky subject. But for Artists, all strong and uplifting work comes from the place where joy resides. In the heart. If joy lives there. Well, guess what that does… When I was studying in Bible College, one of the most fascinating subjects was that of Joy. There is a scripture verse written on my heart that I frequently in life’s trials, find myself needing to refer to. “The joy of the Lord is your Strength”. You will see that tenet reflected everywhere in both the Old and New Testaments. I sometimes find myself shouting it inside

Bali: dispatch 3

It is a curious experience, when you walk down a beach, and have a look around at your surroundings recognizing that it is coming up on the time to leave. The thought dawns: will I be in this place again? It is not an entirely comfortable feeling, this one. Especially when one connects to the place and it’s people. I doubt there is a place on this blue marble where I have explored, that has not left it’s mark on me or left a portion of it’s psychic presence upon my self. This after all, is what life is about:

Bali: Dispatch 2

When I land in a country, my modus typically consists of a calculated scramble to develop and capture content. It is rare to know in advance whether what one experiences right off the jet, is going to be a non repeatable event. So typically, I throw myself 100 percent into work immediately. Such was the case here this time on Bali. Indeed the featured image was shot within my first 20 minutes swimming a reef break off the coast of East Bali. I had not even met the surfer yet, but have since become friends with 18 year old Lempog

Samsung NX1: Throttling Up

The past week has been a blur of field trials and digital lab examination of an array of image files produced in a wide range of subjects on the Samsung NX1. Doing this, switching out from my amazingly detailed and efficient Canon system, to neophyte professional imaging contender Samsung, with it’s NX1, is a lot of work (and fun). In the middle of it all, my last shoot on Canon was published, along with a cute little videolog I produced, to illustrate better the texture of our day at the beach here. The feature is titled “Ventura Highway: Three Blondes”

Echo Terminus: Bali

This place is odd, in that as we begin get ready to leave for the US, the island of Bali ramps up it’s serenade and little glimpses of hidden treasure sparkle from behind shadow realities. Just what it does. When that happens, this is what it means. Bali has you. You don’t have it. Gusti made it by today and we got caught up on all the “guy things” he and I typically discuss. Then he told me about his Mother’s passing, in intimate detail, and we both teared up. Some of the scenes from the burial ceremony day are

Ocean Ohana: Guardianship

The other night my wife and I were at a friend’s home in Ojai. A bunch of us regularly get together and cook for each other. An eclectic mix of artists, musicians, scientists, researchers, doctors and ex or current military operatives, we spend the evening into the night, just enjoying the fok out of each other, and strangely enough, in spite of the laughter, challenges to each other’s knowledge bases, great food (each person is a remarkable chef-cook) and some interesting wines, we actually learn stuff that can be carried with us from that point onward. One such gem which

The Value of Story: Mavericks

I am just back from witnessing the spectacle which is the Mavericks Invitational big wave event at Pillar Point, Half Moon Bay, Ca. There are a huge number of stories surrounding this event, and I must select a few, and share those in Editorial. I worked this event with Deniece Watkins Smith who is a budding Photographer, sage Silicon Valley Real Estate Agent and wife to Cary Smith of the Pillar Point Harbor Patrol. We shot the event together. It was a lot of fun, challenge, and rich with story! Here is a great piece on the value of Story.

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