One From Each: 2023

Another whirlwind of 365 days gone by. Another laundry list of lessons learned, people met, trips taken, memories made, good times had, faith tested, relationships forged, hikes hiked, flights caught, waves ridden, meals enjoyed, and of course, photos created. I feel like I say this every year, but this year has certainly come with so much change. 

I had some unexpected life change this spring with getting laid off from a job where I thought I was secure and content, only to be redirected to an amazing new opportunity that has been beautiful and challenging—an unsolicited breath of fresh air that I didn’t even know I needed. Lets see, what else.. My parents moved out of our childhood home and out to Texas which has been a bittersweet hurdle. I started leading a group of high school lads at church which has been so fun and equally humbling. Our men’s group at Rhythm is thriving and those Monday nights fill me up more than I can explain. Supper Club went pretty hard with only one miss (November, but that was made up by friendsgivings). I’m watching all my friends grow and thrive and bloom into such incredible people. I’m an uncle (again)! All kinds of good stuff going on. But also tough moments. Hellos. Goodbyes. See you arounds. Shockers. Bummers… the ups and downs I experience are just that - ups and downs. But it has helped me learn all the more that Jesus is always the stronghold of my heart. When times are good, He is even better. When times are bad, He is better still. It’s tough to articulate, but there is real joy and hope to be found in Him and Him alone - this can be a wrestle in today’s culture but it’s the most worthwhile wrestle in the universe; something you have to experience to know and something that you should check out for yourself. You won’t be disappointed in Him. 

Throughout finishing this new photo book I have been working on, I have been writing a lot and really reflecting on what I have learned over the past 5-6 years as my life has dramatically changed. One of the things I have been writing and thinking about a ton is the little things. The fact that we are here at all and are able to functionally move, breathe, see, think, feel, explore…when you stop for a moment to think about it, it’s all so incredible. Every second we exist, there are an innumerable amount of things going on inside of our bodies, working together to make this all perceivable and livable—what a gift. I lose all my words when I think about it. Exploring these thoughts and putting them on paper has been such a beautiful and humbling experience. There’ll be much more of that in the book, which will hopefully be dropping in April. But through all the writing and reflecting, I’ve come to the point where I am just so grateful to be here taking another breath. The closer I look, the more I see. The deeper I go in my faith, the more trust I have, the more control I let go of, the more peace I experience. 

Oh and I've been fortunate enough to go cruise around with my camera on a handful of awesome trips, both with some amazing people and on my own. From international adventures, to road trips, to shooting around home, I have really enjoyed taking pictures this year. 

Anyway, I don’t even know if people read all this blabbering, I just like writing to myself on here sometimes. But to all 40 of you (according to my web analytics) who see this, here’s a photo or two from the days that I was out and about with my camera this year. Enjoy.

John 10:10

Imperfects: Shipyard Collection

Ever since I was introduced to the Imperfects a few years back, I was impressed not only with the product but with the soul behind the brand. Mike Lynch and his amazing, tight-knit team have built something special in the heart of San Diego; a company that makes some mighty fine garments, surfboards, and skateboards, but also promotes a culture of imperfection, honesty, creativity, and a spirit of continual improvement. Recently, Mike asked me to photograph some of their products and while I don’t usually do much of this kind of work, I took a stab at it because I love the brand and what they make/do. Here’s me taking a slug at shooting with Christian and Brennen in the Imperfects gear (the focus was on their Shipyard canvas kit, but we worked with some other pieces as well). Mike—thanks for the opportunity, amigo!

Models: Brennen Daniels, Christian Salibo

VAHNA x JOHN Hebert

This summer, I had the opportunity to shoot John Hebert for the fall 2023 issue of VAHNA. John is the main photographer for VAHNA and someone whose work I have admired for a long time; his stuff is incredible. The assignment was to go visit John in his current hometown of LA as well as the desert in order to capture who he is and what a typical day looks like for him. John is a photographer, a skateboarder, and a motorcycle enthusiast… but more than that, John is kind, creative, funny, diligent, and easy-going. Getting to spend some time shooting photos and exploring around town with him was a real treat and as a cherry on top, we found some beautiful light in some fun places. Thank you to Ben and the crew at VAHNA for the trust and the opportunity to shoot this!

Through The EYes of Paul Lefevre

From Normandy to Newport, Paul Lefevre, the Frenchman behind Son of Cobra, brings a wealth of experience, expertise, and passion to the worlds of cars and surfboards. We had the opportunity to go up to Paul’s shop in Costa Mesa to spend time talking about cars, surfboards, and the connectedness between the two on an assignment for RAEN. Plus, Paul was kind enough to take us out for a rip in his (literally) mint 2002. What a treat. Thanks Paul!

SQUARE X Cycle Zombies

In the fall of 2022, I had the privilege to work with the Square team on a couple of ‘day in the life’ style of shoots. The first one we did was with Scotty Stopnik, the big boss over at Cycle Zombies. The initiative was to capture Scotty in the CZ shop as well as out enjoying his craft while ripping down PCH—all to tell the story of a group of people that do what they do for the genuine love of it.

To see the full story and case study, click here. To see my imagery from the shoot, click the ‘view gallery’ button below.

SQUARE X WOODIN SURFBOARDS

The second ‘day in the life’ shoot for Square was with Kurtis Woodin of Woodin Surfboards. The initiative was to capture Kurtis in his element(s); the sea, the shaping bay, and the showroom, in an effort to highlight an individual who lives and breathes their passion.

To see the full story and case study, click here. To see my imagery from the shoot, click the ‘view gallery’ button below.

ONE FROM EACH: 2022

I have a whole bunch of photos from a variety of adventures, big and small, that I took throughout 2022. I would love to make a blog for each of these trips but to be honest I am hoarding a lot of those images for an upcoming book project of mine that will be out in 2024 and don’t want to share those photos just yet. So in the meantime, I wanted to compile some of my favorite b-roll images from all the various projects, beach days, adventures, solo missions, morning walks, sunsets, and trips near and far from 2022. 

The one (invisible) common and more important thread among all of these photos is the growth that I have seen in my faith and the freedom and lightness I have experienced through following Jesus with all I’ve got—a decision I made later in 2021 despite being a ‘Christian’ since I was little. The genuine acceptance and embracing of my faith has been the most beautiful and incredible life change, even in the most imperfect moments of my life where I still screw things up. It’s hard to put into words the peace and purpose that I’ve found since choosing to walk in this. The community I have, the love and grace that I’ve felt, the wisdom I have been shown through God’s word… it all just constantly blows my mind. It’s a contrast of being humbled and empowered, of surrendering and celebrating, of being broken and made whole. Life with Jesus is the ultimate adventure. 10/10 would recommend. 

Here are some images that I had a fun time taking and thinking through in 2022. Enjoy

Peru 2022: Chicama

In October of 2022, I went down to Chicama with some friends to try and get ourselves on some of the worlds longest lefts. Peru is such a unique and beautiful place especially as a surfer. When most people think of Peru, they think of llamas, Machu Picchu, and the Amazon. But the coast of Peru is far from lush. It’s wild, it’s windy, it’s gorgeous, it’s barren, and it's seemingly unspoiled. To me, the mountains and sand have this subtle purple/red glow to them that I can’t not see when I go there. The people are wonderful, the food is simple and delicious, and of course the waves are a paradise for goofy-footers. We didn’t end up getting great swell but still had so much fun. This trip was an eye opener for me in a few significant ways; I’m grateful for it all. I just can’t go somewhere like that and not think of how good it could be when it’s really doing it’s thing. I’ll be back… and soon. More to come from this place.

Through The Eyes of Séréna Lutton

I first saw Séréna’s work a few years ago in some Herewith magazines and I’ve been a fan ever since. From photography to layout design to business wit, she just gets it. Séréna has a big heart for community, a funny pup named Junior, and a love for all things related to life in and around the ocean. We went up to visit her in Costa Mesa for a Through The Eyes piece for RAEN and it was good fun getting to know such a lovely human. Thank you, Séréna!

Read the whole interview on the RAEN site here.

VAHNA: Of Dust and Death

I had the privilege of heading out to the dusty and magnificent Saguaro National Park with VAHNA this spring to shoot a feature called ‘Of Dust and Death’ for the fall issue. The days were hot, the light was gold, and the Saguaros were really a treat to go see. Thank you so much to Ben Giese, VAHNA, and RAEN for the opportunity… and thanks to Austin Dixon for always being such an epic road trip pal and weapon in front of the camera. The photos were fun to shoot but the time we all spent talking in the car, connecting over camp meals, and exploring the beautiful desert together are the ones I will never forget. What a lovely, strange, and magnificent world we live in. God is so good.

Psalm 131

THROUGH THE EYES OF JJ WESSELS

Through the Eyes is a RAEN project where we go interview and shoot some photos of people who we believe are simply doing interesting and inspiring things. We look for individuals who embody the values of the brand and go tell their story. More of these to come. For the full story on the RAEN site, click here.

vahna moto: big sur 2022

As a major advocate for print photography, I will always get behind a publication like VAHNA. I shot this feature in Big Sur with Kevin Pak and Austin Dixon in January 2022. We were met with brisk mornings and quiet horizons with the assignment of capturing the freeing feeling of riding a motorcycle. I couldn’t imagine a better place to bring these photos to life. It was a couple days of beautiful views, meaningful conversations, tasty food, classic campfire stories, and good times spent up north with great friends.

Cori + Austin

Early in summertime, my friend Cori reached out asking if I would be a fly on the wall for her special day. I don’t normally shoot weddings, but knowing Cori’s style and the photos she wanted on her wedding day, it sounded like a fun time. She let me run with things and just had me shoot it my way. Cori and Austin were married between the golden hills and the gentle pacific on a beautiful mid September weekend in Cayucos, CA. I’m thrilled to have been part of it.

p&Co High spirits Ss20 campaign

Spring 2020 campaign lookbook shot for P&Co in Amboy, Yucca Valley, and Palm Springs. High Spirits was all about a modern spin on a 50’s diner vibe and an adventure on Route 66. A bit of a different spin for me but this was a really fun project to shoot.

Models: Grant Puckett, Alice Skyles

p&Co Summer 2021

Shot part of the summer 2021 launch for P&Co across multiple days in San Diego, Laguna Beach, and Carlsbad.

Models: Jacob Atwood, Austin Dixon, Alice Skyles, Des Vasquez

Mammoth summer time / poler stuff trip

In summer 2020, a handful of friends and I wanted to get out for an off-roading camping trip up around Mammoth Lakes. I had been in communication with the team at Poler and thought this would be a good time to collaborate. This trip was a blast. Good times, good people, curious bears, lots of laughs, and beautiful views.

SUMMERTIME AT HOME

This isn’t a collection of travel photos, but that’s because being home in San Diego during August through October is one of my absolute favorite places to be. Warm water mozies on into Southern California, there’s fun swell in the water, the sun is hot, the beers are cold, and close friends are there to enjoy it all with me. During those days, I try to spend more time in the water than not. Whether it’s with my camera or my surfboards, I just want to be in the ocean as much as possible. When those days are followed by cooking dinner at home with a few friends, sitting outside eating, drinking something tasty, and jammin’ tunes on a warm summer evening, I feel whole. Nothing tops off those salty days better than that. This is what it’s all about for me, so these are a few flicks from some of my favorite days at home in 2020.

SEQUOIA BACKPACKING

Every year we I go backpacking with my mom, my brother, and some of our close friends. We’ve been on a Sequoia kick for the last few years—that place never ceases to blow me away with beauty. There’s nothing like being way out there. No service, no noise, just close family and friends and the wilderness. I love the time we get to spend out there, it’s absolutely cleansing for the soul to get that kind of reset. It’s challenging, relaxing, nourishing, and so wonderful. Here are some photos I took when I wasn’t reading by the creek, sipping some whiskey with dinner, or having those long talks on the trail.

NEW ZEALAND 2020

Yep, (pre-covid) 2020. I went on a highly anticipated surf road trip with a few friends and my brother just two weeks before that global pandemic thing shut the world down. There’s nothing like being 25 years old with your buddies next to you, the world in front of you, and nothing holding you back from adventure. Or so we thought, haha. While this was a passion trip, we were also working with Rhythm to shoot their spring line which was really exciting—I have always wanted to work with them on a project like this. With boards packed and ear-to-ear grins, we were off.

Then boom. We got about 10 days into our adventure before covid hit, shutting us down robbing us of the next 12 days of adventure. Miserable timing, but during the time we did have out there, we had an amazing experience. We surfed, explored, indulged in meat pies, traded books, traded off driving the beastly RV through windy canyons, we cooked, we reveled in the beauty, and really lived up our time in the land of ferns and fun waves. Although we got stopped short, this was one of the most interesting, thrilling, and unique trips of my life. I love this story and love the few photos I was able to take out there as well. P.S - Rhythm if you are reading this, let’s take another swing at this one day.

p&Co WOMEN’S FALL 2019

P&Co Women’s Fall 2019 shot up in Julian, CA on a delightful October day. This was a fun one. During the day, we made our way through the old town of Julian drinking hot cider, eating pie, and seeing what kind of rusty antique stores we could find. Come afternoon, we continued on a drive through the countryside enjoying the golden velvet of Julian’s fall aesthetic, followed by a glowing sunset to cap the day off. Good times, fun car, cool people, beautiful spots, and not much of a plan… just the way I like it. Here’s some photos from the work we did up there for P&Co.

Models: Jo Elise, Britni Sumida

palante yoga: ST. LUCIA

After a fun trip in November to Peru with Pa’lante Yoga, the holidays passed and in late January, I was contacted again about going with them on a trip to St. Lucia in May. The trip entailed shooting yoga, hiking the Gros Piton, lots of beach time, and kicking back by the pool at a mental accommodation in the Caribbean. After seeing the trip itinerary, it was a quick yes. This week was just all about relaxing, hanging with cool people, taking a moment to breathe, and shooting some really fun photos. Thanks to Jax and everyone at Palante for having me there with them, this was a great time.

p&Co ONE ROAD AT A TIME CAMPAIGN 2019

This was the first project I did with P&Co—to hop on the road with a couple buddies and shoot part of their SS19 campaign. Needless to say, I was thrilled at the opportunity. A weekend on the road, shooting whatever we wanted throughout the central coast? Sign me up. I had my friends Kevin and Nelson in mind for this shoot and when I asked them about the trip, they were just as excited. There we had it, an assignment to go have fun and take photos of it. Cha-ching! With a short checklist, were off: 2 British Customs bikes, cameras, firewood, food, whiskey, and beers… You know, the necessities.

To sum it up, the best part about this trip was that there was really no plan. We didn’t have any specific spots, shots, or thoughts in mind, which allowed for a lot of spontaneity, making the trip really fun. We  figured that as long as we have some cameras, bikes, and roads to explore, we couldn’t go wrong with a weekend trip due north. From camping to riding to shooting to being crammed in the truck on the way up, we had so much fun every step of the way. We took this trip one road at a time, allowing for adventure to take us wherever it wanted, that’s really what it’s all about. No rules, no regards, just great times with great people doing epic shit. You can never go wrong with that plan.

palante yoga: PERU

Palante Yoga is owned by my friend Jax Gephart. With Palante, Jax takes small groups of people on surf and yoga adventures to some amazing places. She reached out to me about shooting her Peru trip in November 2018. The plans were to stay in a little town called Máncora at the amazing Casa De Sofia, surf, do yoga, eat delicious food, and relax…sign me up. I try and jump at each and every opportunity to travel, especially when ceviche and left hand point breaks are on the itinerary, so this one was a must. We also spent some time in Lobitos surfing and visiting the kids at the local school there which was an awesome experience tacked on to the trip. I had a great time shooting this for Jax and the group that was there with Palante Yoga.