Via

A couple of months ago, I wrote about my day spent bouncing off the reefs offshore in Waikiki. Now that the work is published, it is possible to reveal the mission and showcase the image selected by the assigning photo-editor.




Via Magazine, published in Northern California, Utah & elsewhere, sent me to Oahu to capture the action at the world renown surf school run by former world touring pro surfer Hans Hedeman. Hans was just reaching his prime back in the days when I was surfing on the East Coast prior to relocating to the islands and getting to meet him during the shoot day was an unexpected  bonus thrill. 


The goal of the shoot was to capture a dramatic image illustrating the surf lifestyle in a coastal city/urban environment, in this case - Honolulu.


A great day was enjoyed in the warm, clear waters of Waikiki... almost 8 hours in the brine as I worked the various surf lesson groups throughout the day. The image above was selected for publication.

Bright Lights Big City

Early monday morning it was up before the sun and off to the airport to catch an early flight to Oahu, rented camera and big-ass waterhousing in tow. Upon arrival at the airport, I was surprised to see very little activity & no check-in lines or security screening back up. After an easy check-in and baggage drop, off to the lounge to await boarding. A quick, smooth, 30 minute flight later and it was off to collect the baggage and catch a rental car courtesy shuttle to sign in for my vehicle for the day and the 15 minute drive into Waikiki to meet my subjects for the day's assignment.

Changing from flight clothes into surf trunks in the car parked at the Honolulu Zoo, I then mounted the camera into the housing, checked & double-checked all the camera settings, flash card capacity, battery levels, etc., grabbed my pair of swim fins and headed across Kalakaua Avenue into the pristine sands of Waikiki beach, already beginning to get crowded with visiting tourists, predominantly from Europe as best as I could surmise from the conversations I overheard as I walked towards the water's edge. One more quick check of camera settings and into the drink and a 200 meter swim out to the edge of the reef fronting Waikiki beach where my subjects would soon be joining me. Low tide combined with the full moon meant shallow... very shallow water on the reef for the morning photo sessions. With only half a meter of water to maneuver in the surf, wave surges insured that I would be dragged over reef with each new set and there were bits of skin from legs & feet left behind after that morning session. Two hours later, back to the beach to download cards to the laptop, grab a coffee and then back to the water for another two hour session. Three sessions and a total of six hours in the water later, it was late afternoon and time to rinse off & dry the gear, quickly change and grab a bite before heading back to the airport. Time allowed for a brief stop at the park at the very end of the Sand Island Industrial area where great views of the Aloha Tower & Downtown Honolulu skyline & mountains could be seen from across the harbor. Here, I commandeered a picnic table and downloaded the final image files to the laptop, then headed back to the rental car baseyard to return the vehicle and catch the shuttle back to the terminal.

Unfortunately, I am unable to post images from the true mission of the assignment until they are published by the commissioning publication. In the meantime, here are some views rarely seen of the Waikiki shoreline.

Dropping In

Waikiki From The Reef

Diamond Head

Two-World View

Underwater Self-Portrait

Late Afternoon Stand-Up Paddle Session w/ Diamond Head Backdrop