Surfin’ USA - California To Be Exact
If you know me, you know I like warm weather. That’s a given for most of us, but I really, really like it. Maybe it’s more of a strong dislike for cold and snow, but either way, getting away to warmer climates is always welcome.
We recently traveled to California and Arizona. April back home is usually when things start to feel pretty great, so the urge to head south isn’t always that strong. Not this year. After the winter we just endured—with lingering cold, rain, and even the odd snow flurry—this trip couldn’t have come at a better time.
For the first four days, my wife was tied up at a conference, which left me with plenty of time to explore the California coast—one of my favourite things to do. I always end up watching and photographing surfers. This time I traveled light, with my Tamron 70–180mm f2.8 on the Sony A7 IV. Shooting in crop mode still gives me 24MP, so effectively I had a 70–270mm range. Not quite enough reach for my liking, but still capable of getting some solid shots.
If only the waves were a bit bigger—and the surfers a bit better—it takes some patience waiting for those standout moments. But that’s part of it. Here are a few captures from Manhattan Beach and San Clemente.
Earlier in the day, I went to a different section of Newport Beach, a spot known as the wedge which is supposed to be a great spot to see surfers. However, the waves, although huge, were holding on and not closing out until right at the shore. Thats a painful issue for them! Anyway, the waves themselves looked pretty cool so I did get some good shots.
