Three spots, two minutes apart, some of the most powerful California winter waves you'll find. Often large with offshore winds and beautiful, reflective morning and afternoon light.
Start at Carmel River State Beach and work north!!
what's really fun is experimenting with a variety of shutter speeds, obviously from very short to completely freeze action (1/500s - 1/2000s) to a range between 1/10s & 1/40s to create very pleasing action blurring.
most were shot with the Canon 400mm f/4L.
both spots have very unique geographical orientation that allow a perspective (perpendicular to the waves movement) that to some extent simulates a 'water' shot with a housing. looking into the tube as it were gives an
amazing feeling of power, size and the very cylindrical nature of waves that range from 8' - 20' on the faces.
shooting is exciting because the action is close, always keeping an eye on powerful shorebreak washing toward you from your periphery. on the largest of winter swells you can literally feel the beach vibrating!!!
way too old to surf 'em anymore, it gets those old juices really flowing!!!
1981 - Puerto Escondido (The Mexican Pipeline), Oaxaca, Mexico
D. von Briesen wrote:
Three spots, two minutes apart, some of the most powerful California winter waves you'll find. Often large with offshore winds and beautiful, reflective morning and afternoon light.
Start at Carmel River State Beach and work north!!
Excellent shots. I have driven by there from Santa Cruz going to San Fran but never stopped. Next trip to Santa Cruz I need to check out that location. So hard on the East Coast to get shots down the line into the curl. Thanks for the shots and the tip.
part of the first wave of californians trekking to what has now become one of the most iconic big wave spots in the world.
just hop on direct flight there now, but back then, either three planes (mexico city, oaxaca city, sketchy DC3 over the mountains) or a jet to acapulco & a 10 hr bus ride!!
tiny town, insane freshly caught fish, very few surfers, and really cheap!!
plus it was just starting to come on the radar of euro adventure travelers, meaning a lot of . . .
Was struggling to pick a fav Love the #3 with the rise of the surfers and the exploding anticipation of that wave breaking over!
#6 is the winner for me, love it
Love the #3 with the rise of the surfers and the exploding anticipation of that wave breaking over!