I haven’t blogged in a while but I feel I have a few things to say so, today seemed to be as good as any other to start back up or at least jot down a few words.
Been a tough week with a few personal things going on. I haven’t had much of a chance to get out and shoot. I could blame the weather or the lack of waves over the last few weeks. Those may have some blame but it is also an emotional thing. At 5am you have to feel it. You got to want to go out, put on the wetsuit and get in the cold water and shoot, capture some art. If you wake up dragging butt or the attitude isn’t there you mine as well crawl back into bed, which I did. I have dragged my butt down to the waters edge when weather conditions and mind set are just not there. What a waste of time. Shooting just for the sake of shooting is a waste of gear and drags on your creativity.
Finally a little of the funk broken I woke up and was ready to go. Grabbed the gear, the wetsuit and I was out of the house and on the road within minutes. I decided to stay local to my area and hoped that the weather would hold up and a decent swell. Just because the sky is clear at your house doesn’t mean it will be clear at the beach. Luckily all were good!
When I got to my destination it was still dark, donned the wetsuit and headed for the break. Waves where so, so wan’t super excited but wasn’t disappointed either. I like to get to the waters edge early and find the best area to go in. I sit and watch, still dark out so i usually have plenty of time waiting for the light to break over the east horizon just to get my bearings. It is probably the most peaceful time of my entire day. I am usually the only one out there which I like so I can gather my thoughts and observe. As the sky lit up, it was really awesome, super excited about the light of the morning.
Because of my style of shooting I shoot in 3 to 6ft breaks. I need a steady footing to get what is considered a steady panning motion to capture the wave art that has just the right amount of motion blur and wave crispness. I talk to myself quite a bit. I am also getting better at not looking at the back of my camera so much. I make very few adjustments while in water. Once the sun clears the eastern mountains the moment is over. Harsh light contrasts the waves heavily and I am back up at my chair packing up to leave.
Overall this is my peace time. From when I first get there and sitting at the waters edge in the dark to sunrise. I find peace and usually I can put my thoughts together. I would love to do this every morning that waves, weather and frame of mind would allow. But mostly I just take one day at a time. I really dislike having the first two conditions good and the third isn’t really there. For a few days this week, that is the way it was but I finally moved past all of that and for at least one morning got up and out, and it felt good!
If you read all of this, thanks. I will try to pick up the spirit in the next blog and hopefully they will come a little more frequently.
Your work is astoundingly beautiful. Being from Rhode Island, I miss the ocean very much. We had the sunset on the waves instead of sunrise but just as beautiful. Your Uncle has been posting some of your work and I am always amazed at the work. I hadn’t realized you were actually in the water. That’s true suffering for your art.