Blog

What is Surfing: Fifty Views

Each day lately, begins with me wading though the e mail file. Today I opened a newsletter from an organization which I support, by lending them usage of some of my images. The subject header was “International Surfing Day”. A “Cool, we have our own day” impulse when I pressed the “read” icon, rapidly transitioned to less than kind post read thoughts. The newsletter yielded the cyber floor to a new surf magazine editor from Orange County who I had never heard of, and who communicated his chronologically and geologically biased adolescent view of what Surfing is. But it occurred

Vtown Introspectus

The town I live in, like many in the US is faced with stark fiscal realities as money supplies shift and real estate markets go someplace no one thought that they would. It is a time for my little town as well as myself to consider how the future should look. In a historic review of many great cities, you will generally find that decisions made in times of calamity later proved to be what defined the town. Our neighbor, Santa Barbara is a great case in point. When an earthquake leveled much of downtown Santa Barbara not long after

Drawing the Line

Tyler Warren, Walking the Line Learning to say “no” was one of Life’s hardest lessons for me. It came at great expense to those I love most in the world. No is not simply the absence of yes. It is the proverbial line in the sand of our life’s path. For a photographer and artist it is quite possibly the single most important thing that one can ever learn, because it is the no’s that will give you the space for the yeses that determine your subjects and future. I have had several “aha moments” in a career association with

Tribe Makers

My girlfriend Donna’s video, “Passages” is now up on the Intuit Website, you can view it here. The video whose production I have blogged a bit about, is the requirement necessary for grant payment. If you VOTE for her at the videos end, and find it in your space to provide a comment, your generosity could propel her story into winning a place in the final five. She would use the funds to grow her business which not only positively affects the town of Ventura in which we live, but an array of incredible women. You can vote the video

Ashes and Smoke

All images above courtesy of Captain Doug Miser, Ventura City Fire Department. Donna, Mary Osborne and a few friends were sitting at the bar of My Florist, an elegant little eatery in Ventura, which had a surf film playing on big LCD’s. Mary and I were discussing her boyfriend, Ventura Fire Captain Doug Miser, and how she had a bad feeling about him the prior day as he and others from our town had been initial respondents in the Jesusita Fire. Turns out that the crew had some tense moments in and around the time that we were both sort

Jesusita Fire

The calls came into the office all day long today. A burn threatened Santa Barbara City. 3PM: Looking out my office window I could see the smoke pillar. Hmm wind is WNW. Headed away from town I had thought. 5:30PM Wind shifted to the NE. NOT good. Had called and e mailed family and friends. If you are south of the fire MOVE. We may have a Sundowner tonight. Sundowner winds are peculiar to SB. They can attain speeds in excess of 100 MPH, and arrive in force post sundown. hence the name. I had been through two horrific fires

Blur

Remember what it was like as a child, where in your grassy yard on a Summer’s day, you held arms outstretched, tilted head back and whirled around in circles? The scenery would whiz by in an increasing blur. A fun thing to do, as you examined play options. The whirling activity sort of is my life this beautiful spring day, with birds singing outside as the morning expands. I am looking at a lot of things right now. One interesting piece was just sent to us by Elmar Von Hoesslin (Donna’s ex husband) and is a creative look at his

Skinny Bitch: A Day in the Life

I have a rewarding job. I get to hang out with people I really like and create images that reflect a vibrant, healthy and exciting lifestyle. In fact, such is the appeal of that lifestyle that the world of fashion uses it’s cachet to create branding for the many products it markets. The way my shoots come together has always been sort of weird. Sometimes I feel as if some grand conductor has launched a symphony and I simply stumbled into the performance unawares. Then it all connects and I do my portion. It truly is a small part that

Mary Carmel Osborne: Unintentional Icon

To call Mary Osborne a surfer girl is about as misleading a statement as calling me a surf photographer. Yes she is a surfer. But that description is a tight pigeonhole for her to fit into. It is what she is, not who. Mary and I have history together. I doubt that there is anyone who knows me as well and anyone that I trust as much artistically and personally as her. The ability she has as an artist, producer, professional athlete, and model is often overlooked in a cursory glance. Too short to model, too nice to compete, and

Another Day At The Office

The following text came across recently from an obviously distraught Mary Osborne via her I phone. She was in Departures at LAX: Continental Airlines Horrible!!! “I just managed to have the worst check in at the airport in history. I had two longboards two shortboards ( one I was bringing for a friend) and they wanted to charge me $700. The first lady then sent me to this guy who was going to let me slide for $200, the superintendent who was another woman came over and told him not going to happen. I had to separate the two boards

Blog

Categories