surf - San Diego (Wind and Sea La Jolla)

We have a big swell hitting right now, so I grabbed the camera and ran down to see if I could get any good shots. Tide was dropping by the time I got there, so the waves where not quite as big.
I have never taken surf photography before and I the longest lens I have is the 55-250...definitely felt the limitations of the lens...but it was fun.
There were some pro photogs there with gigantic white lenses! I almost took pictures of those!
1

You've got a natural talent. All those pictures are good from a surfer's standpoint.

Your far range (250mm) turned out to be a good thing. If you look at all the Surfer Magazines from the 1970s, they had a lot of pulled back shots like this. I loved it because it gave a better perspective on the scene.

Most magazines now will only run closeups. These are nice, but the magazine's intent is to make sure the stickers on the surfboard can be read so that the advertising sponsors are happy.

Transworld Surf Magazine ran a cover a couple years go with Andy Irons on a borrowed board. THe board had no labels on it, and it caused a row at the magazine. It's silly.

Back in the 70s the magazines were incredibly better than they are now because the focus was on surfing, travel, waves, and the lifestyle.

Now it's all about dinero.


Your shots kickass. Keep doing exactly what you just did. Try to write down what time of day it was (and the date). Learn what you did right. You'll be surprised how hard it can be to duplicate it.

Number two is a little funky, but from a surfer's standpoint it makes you wonder, "did he make it?"

Also, the guy dropping in late and going right (with his back to the wave). I wonder if he got hammered of if he made it.

You know, looking back through these photos, it looks like you know surfing.

Number one isn't special in terms of what the surfer is doing, but the scene and the shape of the wave leads a fellow surfer to wonder what he's going to do as he works his way across that wave.

Number four is my favorite. That is a true classic California scene. Too bad the goofy photographer in the water got in the way of your shot, but that's no big deal.

MikeFairbanks wrote in post #9388888
You've got a natural talent. All those pictures are good from a surfer's standpoint.

Your far range (250mm) turned out to be a good thing. If you look at all the Surfer Magazines from the 1970s, they had a lot of pulled back shots like this. I loved it because it gave a better perspective on the scene.

Most magazines now will only run closeups. These are nice, but the magazine's intent is to make sure the stickers on the surfboard can be read so that the advertising sponsors are happy.

Transworld Surf Magazine ran a cover a couple years go with Andy Irons on a borrowed board. THe board had no labels on it, and it caused a row at the magazine. It's silly.

Back in the 70s the magazines were incredibly better than they are now because the focus was on surfing, travel, waves, and the lifestyle.

Now it's all about dinero.


Your shots kickass. Keep doing exactly what you just did. Try to write down what time of day it was (and the date). Learn what you did right. You'll be surprised how hard it can be to duplicate it.

Number two is a little funky, but from a surfer's standpoint it makes you wonder, "did he make it?"

Also, the guy dropping in late and going right (with his back to the wave). I wonder if he got hammered of if he made it.

thanks!
I think it helps that I grew up surfing, now that I am older the water just seems too damn cold! lol

Ya the guy in shot #2 pulled it off. I cropped in tight to show his board perpendicular to the face of the wave. I was shocked he made it. Wave had a big ledge sucking up the face.

the other guy was way way to deep and got pounded. As he was getting up you see him trying to decide which way to go, and neither looked good. But you got to give him credit for going anyway.
I shot most of these in burst so I have the sequences.

I will probably go down tomorrow early morning and see what I can see.
West coast is tough late in the day with the sun in your face.

He probably should have gone left.

I agree Mike, the left looked make able.

sequence of that ledgy drop in.

800 x 2663

EMBED PREVENTED, IMAGE TOO LARGE: http://farm3.static.fl​ickr.com …74809143_38fac2​c9c5_o.jpg Click here to see our image rules.

Nice series I like #1 the best. Only caught one goofy footer in #3. Looks like this area breaks better to the left?

Design wrote in post #9389157
Nice series I like #1 the best. Only caught one goofy footer in #3. Looks like this area breaks better to the left?

thanks, it is actually a point/beach break, so depending on the direction of the swell, anything can happen.
Today there was a nice right working on the inside, but just north and further outside off the point the left was working. I was out on the point in between the two breaks to catch both spots.

#2 looks like Simmons, not Wind n Sea. if you shot this facing north and that wave came through about 100 yards south of Little Point, it's Simmons. that spot only breaks on a large west swell and it's very ledgy as seen in #2. if it is in fact Wind n Sea (directly west of the hut), i've never seen it that ledgy and i would've loved to have been there for some shack'age.

i agree with Mike's comment that you know surfing. for someone who doesn't surf (while not knowing if you're a surfer), it's usually tough to identify the good shots (ie: positioning,timing,etc​.) and you did a great job. keep it up, we still have at least 2 more days of good swell, especially in your neck of the woods.

Jaewhy wrote in post #9389280
#2 looks like Simmons, not Wind n Sea. if you shot this facing north and that wave came through about 100 yards south of Little Point, it's Simmons. that spot only breaks on a large west swell and it's very ledgy as seen in #2. if it is in fact Wind n Sea (directly west of the hut), i've never seen it that ledgy and i would've loved to have been there for some shack'age.

i agree with Mike's comment that you know surfing. for someone who doesn't surf (while not knowing if you're a surfer), it's usually tough to identify the good shots (ie: positioning,timing,etc​.) and you did a great job. keep it up, we still have at least 2 more days of good swell, especially in your neck of the woods.

You may be right, I was facing north from wind and sea. I don't know the specific break names down here. I grew up surfing in Orange Country, but now live in San Diego but do not surf anymore.

thanks for the compliments, I will be back down there tomorrow and give it another try.

MMURAD wrote in post #9389335
You may be right, I was facing north from wind and sea. I don't know the specific break names down here. I grew up surfing in Orange Country, but now live in San Diego but do not surf anymore.

thanks for the compliments, I will be back down there tomorrow and give it another try.

this link might help you with surf spot names, by the way nice shots

MMURAD wrote in post #9389335
You may be right, I was facing north from wind and sea. I don't know the specific break names down here. I grew up surfing in Orange Country, but now live in San Diego but do not surf anymore.

thanks for the compliments, I will be back down there tomorrow and give it another try.

Great pics!! I'm in San Diego also. Why do you not surf anymore??

I'm sick about missing this swell as I'm headed to Colorado to play in the snow...

Michael15 wrote in post #9390815
Great pics!! I'm in San Diego also. Why do you not surf anymore??

I'm sick about missing this swell as I'm headed to Colorado to play in the snow...

working 50-60 hours a week tends to get in the way, plus I am over 40 and married.(hence no life)
Plus I grew up surfing Salt Creek with no one in the water, and surfing Baja when it was relatively safe. Now I just look at a lineup and have no desire to go fight the mob.

MMURAD wrote in post #9392024
working 50-60 hours a week tends to get in the way, plus I am over 40 and married.(hence no life)
Plus I grew up surfing Salt Creek with no one in the water, and surfing Baja when it was relatively safe. Now I just look at a lineup and have no desire to go fight the mob.

Ok....I get the working 50-60hrs...the crowded lineups...the wife....but over 40???? I'm 47 and just started surfing a couple years ago!! Good luck and great pics!

Michael15 wrote in post #9392117
Ok....I get the working 50-60hrs...the crowded lineups...the wife....but over 40???? I'm 47 and just started surfing a couple years ago!! Good luck and great pics!

it's not so much the age as it is the crankiness. I see the crowds and mainly the teenagers in the water and the way they behave and I would end up punching one of them.
I regularly see 4 guys dropping in on each other and 2 spongers hopping them on the shoulder.