Photography Rules...

It happens. Pre-beatdown self portrait.

I love photography. I love surfing. I love the ocean. After a repetitive cycle of injuries bodyboarding, I saved up some cash and purchased my first water housing from Del Mar Housing Projects and combined all three and never looked back.

I wrote that little introduction for one reason... To motivate you if you are on the fence about getting a waterhousing. Just get one. It takes time to learn positioning and settings, but if you are a surfer already, you know wave mechanics and will be one up on some of the guys/gals out there.

You know when you pull into a big, glassy barrel and you know the memory will last a lifetime? Well, now you get to be in the elements creating art documenting the event. I love to shoot photo's on the beach also, don't get me wrong... But there really is no better feeling then hovering on the inside as the sets start to stack up on the outside. You want to start swimming out to make it under before the thing explodes and gives you a proper beating. Until you see a friend paddling for the set of the day. You know you are in the right spot, yet you know the lip is 3' from your head.

You swim a bit more into position and raise your waterhousing out of the water and fire off a couple shutter clicks and have the best view in the house as well... You think you got a solid one, a keeper if you will, and are just as stoked as if you were riding the wave. You hoot for your friend and both are full of the "Only a Surfer knows the Feeling" kind of vibration.

Photo Courtesy of Jeff Yusa @ liquidplayground.blogspot.com

There really is not many other forms of photography where you can be actually involved in the action. Unless you sit in the middle of the cobblestone Spanish street as the bulls rush by you. I think I'll take surf photography mo' bettah.

The Veterans of water photography had it rough... I remember watching artists like Don King swim out at second reef Pipe, shoot for about 30 minutes or so, no doubt getting images we all dream we could get, only to have to swim back in. He would have to dry off the best he could, take apart his housing and change film, swim back out and do it again.

The respect for the original craft is not lost with me... I am a digital user now with a memory card that can hold upwards of 400 RAW images on it. I have so much respect and give so much praise to the veterans like Brian Beilmann, Hank, Scott Winer, Mr. King, Scott Aichner and so many others from the generation I grew up in. You all were my icons. I always wanted to start shooting water, just never could afford a proper set up. I started shooting film film first thankfully so I understand how hard the process can be and appreciate the time sacrifice the legends gave back then.

So, if you are interested give it a try... Don't expect to score right away. There will be many lost sessions due to bad settings, water drops, positioning issues. Heck, on any given day, at any given spot there are a ton of water shooters now. With the advent of the digital camera and Go-Pro, the craft is more accessible than ever before.

Just be respectful of the pioneers who made the industry what it was, buy some of their prints, visit their sites and shows. They paid their dues and earned it. Whenever I go back to Hawaii, I actually watch the water shooters just as much as I do the surfers. So much skill in those who know the craft well. Respect. That is just my two cents. Respect and support the legends. Easy as that.

In closing, get out there and enjoy nature. Create your own art. If you have the drive, you know it and have it inside of you to help preserve nature on one of the best mediums known to man. Also, if you have some extra cash, buy a film camera and film from your local camera shop. We truly need to keep that form of photography readily available to all generations.

Have a great day and enjoy life. Aloha everyone and thank you for the continued support. I promise new sessions when we get some waves and I get my waterhousing back from Del Mar. She is getting an overhaul and will be good as new. Thank you Erik. Check here for Del Mar's line up. See you out there soon my friends.

- JP