Gabby Harrington

It's not always about the gear you have, but about your knowledge of light. After being contacted by Kauai model Gabby Harrington earlier this week, I was researching some new ways to use my strobes in the studio. Unfortunately my Elinchrom Ranger pack bit the dust, so I was trying to come up with some new lighting schemes. When it came down to it, I decided to walk outside our studio and set up a white tile-board against our lava rock wall in the shade. I threw a 4x6 bounce against the other corner wall. This provided some mental results as you can see below in the images. So at the end of the day, all you need for good portraits is a beautiful model and some nice shade. You can see more of Gabby in the IssaDeMar post I did on my blog a few months back. She is for sure an up and coming Hawaii model and is heading to New York soon. Hope you enjoy.

Imperial Motion

One of my fondest trips to date is a job I did for Imperial Motion. I had the privilege to travel up the California coast with my good friend Dave Yearwood. He is a Surf Ambassador for the company and quite a character as well. We got into plenty of trouble along the way, but all in all, we got some epic images. Some of the spots in these images are Oxnard, Big Sur, and San Francisco.

Malia Manuel

This Past winter I had the privilege to shoot Kauai girl Malia Manuel. We both hail from the same island, but always crossing paths isn’t easy. So we finally linked up on the north shore of Oahu to do a quick shoot in the morning. Malia is now off on the World Tour and will hopefully bring the World Title back with her. Check out her Instagram to keep up with her travels. 

Kauai Juice Company

Last week Kauai Juice Co. was kind enough to give me a tour of their colorful workspace and headquarters. A small, local business born in 2010, Kauai Juice Company has exploded within the health community on Kauai. Priding themselves on using locally sourced + sustainable produce, they offer an array of juices, kombucha and elixirs. Improving the health of Kauai's population one sip at a time, Kauai Juice Co. is a one stop shop for juice enthusiasts.

Open 7 days a week 8am-4pm, they are located at 4504 Kukui St, Suite 20A in Kapaa.

Interested in a juice cleanse? KJC offers several juice cleanses ranging from beginner to intermediate. See their online store for more information.

Robin Fisher and Kristal Veighl (owner), the smiling faces of Kauai Juice Co.

Waiohai

Summer is right around the corner, which means its time for small waves. That doesn't mean that the creativity has to stop. Small days give such opportunity to find new and unique ways to capture water images. Last night we paddled out to Waiohai on the south side of Kauai and tried to capture a few. I shot these with a Canon 1dMk3 + Canon 24mm 1.4 + SPL Splash housing and 8in Dome. This is even wider then the shots in my last post giving more of a chance to capture some over under perspectives. Here are some random shots from last night. Aloha!

Seea x Ashley Johnston

Been super stoked to work with my significant other on her new endeavor as brand ambassador for Seea. They are a swimwear company based in Southern California creating retro surf wear for women. We shot these images on a small day on the south shore. I used my Canon 1dMk3 + Canon 35mm 1.4 + Spl Splash housing and 8in Dome. The large dome gave me a chance to get some extra flare from water spots shown in a few images. These were shot on the South Shore of Kauai in Poipu. Check out some of Ashley's Work @ ashleyjohnstondesign.com 

IssaDeMar Black & White Campaign

I always get stoked to see old friends make it big, Marissa & Melissa are the creators of IssaDeMar Swimwear. We have been friends since college and I've gotten to see them start from the humblest beginnings. They are now rising stars in the Bikini World and are going to take the market by storm with there new collection. Marissa flew over to Kauai on a last minute effort to get some images for there upcoming look book. Overnight, Marissa booked model Gabby Harrington and we all made the pilgrimage to the end of the road in Ha'ena on the north shore of Kauai. We arrived just before sunrise and shot into the late morning. You can see more of the new line on there website. www.issademar.com

First Pipe Swell

Wanted to share some of the images from the first real Pipe swell I've ever shot. Was even more stoked that surfline.com ran a bunch of the shots as well. The life of a water photography is always risk first and possible reward later, but after spending a few days on Oahu, I can say it was all worth it. Shot all of these images on my Canon 7D in an SPL Splash Housing. The Lenses used were an 85mm 1.8 and a Tokina 10-17 Fisheye. Hope you enjoy!

The Moments

Really stoked to see another image featured in Nalu Magazine out of Japan. Shot this a few years back of Corina at Churches in San Clemente.  This image really takes me back to when I first started shooting surfing. I didn't know much, but began to realize it was all about good light in an image, it creates a mood that brings the viewer into the image. 

Nalu Magazine Cover

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Nalu Magazine 

Never thought I would get a Magazine cover when I started shooting a number of years ago. But low and behold I got one! Thanks to the crew over at Nalu Magazine in Japan for running my shot. I took this image a year ago at Polihale Beach on the westside of Kauai. Went out to camp with my lovely lady and we awoke to some awesome conditions the next morning. The Sun was just rising over the mountain and it gave that water the blue shimmer that pretty much made this shot. Hopefully some more to come! Camera used was a Canon 5Dmk2 + 10-17fisheye + SPL Water Housing. Aloha.

Weekend Surf Adventure

I recently got the new GoPro Hero 3 Black Edition. I gotta say, I'm quite impressed. The little thing takes stunning video and awesome photos too. Its all I really need to take with me when I go surfing and it saves me the hassle of rigging up my normal housing. Here is a little video I shot and edited in Adobe Premiere Pro. Hope you enjoy!

One Razor, Thirty Days, Seven Countries

In 2012 I was offered a once in a lifetime opportunity, I was hired as a digital tech for a Gillette commercial. We spent 30 days on the road traveling to Iceland, Dubai, South Africa, Thailand, Japan, Italy, and France. I got to travel with an amazingly talented crew of people who pushed me harder then I've ever been pushed before. These are some of my images from the trip.