The last two mornings have been weird down here in San Diego. The waves have been dismal and the weather has been strange. These photos look like they were all shot in the same day, when in reality one morning was rainy and we had the spot to ourselves, and the other was muggy and crowded. Summer lives on.
FILM: 35mm// Fuji Superia 200.
Earlier this year I had the opportunity to tour and document the Island Fin Design facilities on the North Shore of Oahu. The Island Fin compound is nestled in a tight knit community of warehouses where historic surfboard builders manufacture boards for the world's best surfers. Island Fin has called the Sugar Mill home for decades now and this short film just barely scratches the surface on the company's history and the man behind the fins, Steve Mock.
"Island Fin Design was established on the North Shore of Oahu in 1979 by surfer and craftsman Steve Mock. Since then he has continued to work with many of Hawaii’s legendary board builders and professional surfers. Each of our fins are handmade on the North Shore at our factory in the Old Waialua Sugar Mill. Island Fin Design has become Hawaii’s premier fin supplier, providing a quality product for optimal performance, aesthetic superiority and durability. At Island Fin Design we believe in quality craftsmanship, making things the right way, and taking a classic approach to template and color work trends. Combining these standards with our industry knowledge, we're proud to offer you the best possible fin to suit your style and ride." - Island Fin Design.
For more about Island Fin Design visit: www.islandfindesign.com.
Driving into Sedona is beautiful. We traversed a super curvy road situated on the side of a rocky cliff in search of our camp site. Once we reached the base of the cliff we drove through a lush green forest. The change in scenery was instantaneous when we got past our camp site and drove to the outskirts of Downtown Sedona. The striking greens of the forest receded in comparison to the stark reds from the famous rock formations scattered throughout the region. The stacked rocks that have been molded over the last thousands of years look exactly like a magnified version of the rocks you zip past when riding on Disneyland's Thunder Mountain.
I found myself mesmerized by the scenes outside the car window up until we abruptly entered downtown. My fascination with the natural surroundings quickly came to a halt, literally and figuratively as we sat at a cross-walk waiting for herds of tourists to decide which chain restaurant to eat at before going into the strip of cheesy gift shops. By the time we made it through the tourist trap, we realized we had completely missed the turn off for the creek we were looking to swim at. After one more lap through downtown we made it to a secluded creek for a much needed dip. The water felt amazing. We spent the entire afternoon swimming, rock jumping, and exploring the small water falls further down the creek bed.
In the morning we met up with a good friend and hiked out to Devil's Bridge. I received a text from a friend as we drove into Sedona saying that we had to head out to the bridge at some point during our visit. It ended up being the best hike we went on during the trip. The three-sixty view you get from the top of the bridge is unbelievable. It was picturesque to say the least. Sedona was a good choice.
For more snapshots from the trip visit: instagram.com/theslipperysaltwaterchronicles.
FILM: 35mm// Fuji Superia 200.
The first time I visited the Grand Canyon, I was the ripe old age of eleven. Up until a week ago I couldn't remember anything about that first visit. My mom had to remind me that we stopped by and walked along the rim of the canyon during our cross-country road trip. When I visited two weeks ago the magnitude and scale of the canyon was more than enough to leave a long lasting and vivid impression on my memory bank.
Maybe it's because I'm older and have a greater appreciation for visiting world renowned landmarks or maybe it's because we spent just under four hours walking the South Rim basking in the canyon's glory. I highly recommend walking along the canyon on both sides if you have the opportunity. Watching the colors change throughout the canyon in the evening is unlike anything I've ever seen. The deep red rocks paired with the soft blue sky starts to look like a painting if you stare long enough. Watching the sun set with dozens of strangers near the visitor center was the perfect way to celebrate the half way mark of our Southwestern Saunter.
For more snapshots from the trip visit: instagram.com/theslipperysaltwaterchronicles.
My good friend Suzy Lee owns a calligraphy business called, Dear Darling Calligraphy & Co. She specializes in unique, commissioned pieces like this wall mural for a baby nursery. She painted this piece in just under four days and it turned out amazing.
"Words are only words, but the change they can affect, and the hope they can cultivate is powerful. Words have undoubtedly altered the course of many lives, and I can certainly testify of that in my own."
- Suzy Lee, founder of Dear Darling Calligraphy & Co.
For more of Suzy's work visit: deardarlingcalligraphy.com & follow her on Instagram at instagram.com/hellosuzylee.
Earlier this month I ordered a new waterproof film camera to use during the copious amounts of time I spend in the water this time of year. My friends, Taylor & Eveline, came down to San Diego for a quick weekend jaunt and I snapped these photos of them with my new Minolta Weathermatic DL 35. The camera's lens versatility was its main selling point. You can switch between a 35mm and 50mm with the click of a button.
This is the second roll I have developed and I cannot wait to log some more hours in the water with this bugger.
Film: Kodak UltraMax 400.
Last week my good friend, Taryn, and I hit the road to explore the American Southwest. We left Los Angeles with only two definitive plans. One was to take a tour of Antelope Canyon, Arizona and the other was to spend a night in Sedona, Arizona. We left the rest up to chance and spotty GPS signal in order to guide us to and from each point.
Taryn is moving to the tropics next month and she wanted to get one last road trip under her belt before reseting her clock to island time. Having only spent a handful of hours in Arizona and Utah I jumped at the opportunity to explore a pretty foreign region of our vast nation.
We spent our first night just under an hour outside of the oh so unnatural city of Las Vegas. We made camp in between two towering walls of red rocks at sunset and spent the night sharing stories on the itchiest, fiberglass picnic benches ever. Before passing out underneath a sea of stars, we joked about all of the chumps gorging themselves at cheap buffets in between draining their bank accounts in the ol' City of Sin.
We woke up with the sides of our tent dangling inches from our faces as the early morning heat began to consume our once shady campsite. The roaring desert winds broke one of our main tent poles in the middle of the night, which made for a pretty funny morning as we tried to channel our inner McGyver to fix up our sad excuse of a temporary home. After solving, what would be our only hiccup throughout our week-long trip, we hiked through Valley of Fire. Perched on rocks like lizards we found ourselves alone in one of the most unique landscapes in the country.
Valley of Fire's proximity to Las Vegas was astonishing and extremely notable. We both agreed that it's comical how two spectacularly opposite places can be so damn close. Vegas' strange disconnect from the natural world and the real world seemed like such horrible place to spend time away from the daily grind, when compared with the sights we visitied within the valley. On a map Valley of Fire's geographic location may be nestled near one of the world's most stimulating big cities, but it ended up being one of our favorite places because its solitude and isolation is surprisingly comfortable.
Stay tuned for more photos and stories from our week long Southwestern Saunter.
FILM: 35mm// Kodak Gold 400.
Earlier this year What Youth went on a boat trip to Indonesia in search of waves for their newest short film entitled, Brother. Brother is a profile film about Kolohe Andino, a professional surfer from San Clemente. I had the pleasure of editing a short series with leftover footage shot on an old, handheld camera by Kolohe's family friend.
You can find Brother streaming for free at What Youth now.
FILM: 35mm// Agfa Silvertone 100.
Last week I shot a series of photos of the Shoots x Sagebrush Board Bags collaboration collection cut and sewn by Anna Ehrgott. Shoots partnered up with Sagebrush Board Bags to create an assortment of unique board bags. Each board bag is hand sewn in Southern California using a Shoots Earth Tone Casa rug and recycled coffee bean sacks.
Sagebrush Board Bags is an environmentally responsible brand that prides itself on the repurposing of all the materials used to construct each bag, this means that each bag has a distinct look and no two are alike. Each bag is lined with durable, recycled fabric that protects the surfboard from high heat delamination, Chinese wax-jobs, and transit-provoked dings.
The board bags are available in a range of sizes online here.
Cliff Kapono is the ultimate subject for a surf photographer. His style is fluid and extremely photogenic, which makes for some great imagery regardless of the conditions. I shot these photos of Cliff during a late afternoon session last winter.
Cliff just finished up an amazing short film for Surfer Magazine + RED Camera's film series, REDirect. Cliff along with his friend and fellow filmmaker, Jensen Young-Sik, created a breathtaking piece that tells an ancient story about the first interaction between Native Hawaiians and Native Americans on the California coast. I highly recommend watching Cliff and Jensen's film, WATU.
Kelsey Brookes is a painter based in San Diego. After graduating college Kelsey began working for the Centers For Disease Control (CDC) conducting scientific research during the first outbreak of West Nile Virus in the United States. After two years at the CDC, he moved to San Diego to work for a local lab that was creating blood tests for HIV, HCV, and HCB.
After four years of working in that lab, Kelsey left the scientific community to pursue a career as a painter. Kelsey’s artistic pursuit stemmed from a year and a half spent traveling and living in a van in Australia, where he refined his artistic abilities and began surfing. Today, Kelsey is a well respected painter whose art melds his two passions of science and art. His pieces center around hallucinogenic compounds and their molecular make-up. Through his brush work he articulates and showcases an array of psychoactive drugs in a unique and fascinating manner.
Kelsey’s new exhibit, PLANTS OF THE GODS, is on display at Eric Firestone Gallery in East Hampton, NY from June 20th - July 7th. For more of Kelsey’s work visit: www.kelseybrookes.com and follow him on Instagram at www.instagram.com/kelseybrookes.
FILM: 35mm// Expired Kodak Ektachrome 64.
Earlier this February I went on a two day trip to Maui with my good friend John Hook. John is a professional photographer based on Oahu. He was asked to shoot the notable towns around Maui for one of the magazines that he works for. I tagged along and followed John as he shot photos of hippies in Paia, a family in Makawao, and the sun rise atop the volcano responsible for Maui's landmass, Haleakala.
The sunrise at Haleakala is something that I've always been told to check out, but it wasn't until this trip that I was able to fully bask in all of its glory. After buying a dozen Krispy Kreme donuts in the wee hours of the morning, John and I drove the winding road to Haleakala's summit. It was quite a spectacle and one of the coolest things I've witnessed. Every hue of red, orange, yellow, and blue filled the sky over the Mars-like terrain. It was a truly breathtaking experience.
FILM: 35mm// Expired Kodak Ektachrome 64.
I am currently working on a short film piece about local San Diego artist, Kelsey Brookes. Kelsey's scientific background is where he draws a great deal of his artwork's inspiration from. Later this month his work will be featured at Eric Firestone Gallery in East Hampton, NY. The show entitled, Plants of the Gods, consists of paintings based on hallucinogenic compounds used in indigenous ceremonies throughout the world. For more of Kelsey's work visit: www.kelseybrookes.com.
Stay tuned for an interview and glimpse into Kelsey's creative process in the coming weeks.
