Open Mind...

Good to Be Back...

2011-10-10T20:51:00.000-07:00

Good evening my friends! It has been a couple of months since my last post, this has been due to a few reasons... Mostly a Family issue which required my constant focus and ultimately the lack of good waves,

Fall is upon us and Mother Nature did not disappoint. A nice combo swell paid a visit to the shores of California and it finally mixed with perfect conditions and not the gloomy marine layer we have come to know and loathe. The trek south was full of hope as there was not a cloud in the sky and the flags were reaching out towards the ocean, always a good thing. The air was crisp and mixed with the offshore wind made my choice of a 4/3 a bit of an overkill as the water is still fairly warm.

The waves were an inconsistent 3'-5' with a few sneaky overhead sets coming in. It felt so good to be shooting water again, I had just received my freshly repaired waterhousing in the mail from Del Mar Housing Projects the day before and felt like a grom running down the beach.

There are a few promising swells lining up over the next week. I hope you all find your little nook and cranny to make you wash the stress away. Hopefully you all scored some waves this weekend and are having a great start to the work week. See you all out there!!!

Aloha - JMP

On-Shore Madness...

2011-08-02T18:10:00.000-07:00

So very frustrated with these non-stop summer flat spells and on-shore winds... It has been 5 weeks since I have surfed. Now, that is not to say there has not been surfable waves in 5 weeks, there have been, I have just been out of the water for Family reasons.

That being said, it has been no bigger than shoulder high the whole time with persistent on-shore winds, so the temptation has not been there one bit. Not one bit at all. I have in my surfing hiatus, decided to focus more on the stand up variety of wave riding. Bodyboarding is my sport, but it takes a certain type of wave to really be functional in, and well, there is not a single one of those anywhere around here right now.

I went into my hard drive and pulled up what I was shooting at this time last year... Guess what? It was crappy last summer too!!! This image was taken last August in Newport Beach. Gray skies, on-shore winds and small waves... Just like right now. I was motivated by the fact that my September 2010 file was filled with glassy barrels from right down the street.

A Hurricane is churning up some swell in the Eastern Pacific right now... They say head high + from this one, we shall see. Hopefully come Saturday my entry will be smiles and exclamation points with photo's of perfect southern perfection, or better yet, just a text entry because I surfed all day!

I hope everyone had a great weekend and a good Monday... Go out and get a couple if Eugene decides to be a giving Storm.

Aloha - JP

Style is Everything...

2011-07-26T09:31:00.000-07:00

Style is everything... In my humble opinion, of course. It's what people see before you do your pop shove it/ fohawk/reverse invert nosh doggie rat grab air. It's what you are known for or not for, for that matter.

The new generation of groms rip, don't get me wrong. It just seems as though they are pushed out there onto a board and told to bust airs like a 10 year old basketball player being told to learn to dunk before he can dribble.

Gerry Lopez, Ronnie Burns, Rob Machado, Joel Tudor, Shane Dorian, Donavon, Mike Stewart, Spencer Skipper, Aka Lyman... Mick Fanning is another current top player with top notch style. There is hope for the new generation in the style department, Jon Florence is a good example of learning the art before the glitz. I know this topic has been discussed over and over again, but watching a couple recent contests I noticed some people doing 360's like it was an 80's bodyboarding event. What happen to carving turns and good old fashioned ripping? I love the new school approach like the next person, but just because there is a camera and a chop, doesn't mean you have to try your hardest to launch for the cover.

Oh well, that's the beauty of surfing... It is what you make it. I guess it just shows my distance from the new generation when I would rather watch Rob Machado soul arching at some indo left than Kolohe Andino do 2 360 slob airs on the same wave and beat a guy who did 3 solid carves and a legitimate floater. This is an equal opportunity point of view too, I cannot even watch bodyboarding contests anymore... Haven't we got past the El-Floppo by now? Really? Maybe it is just the photographer in me grumbling... Because otherwise, I have no room to speak on the matter and I understand that. Style makes for nice images. With Machado and Tudor, you could shoot any part of their waves and get a good shot. With some of the new guys, you have to wait until a section pops up and hope they reach for the stars, because you know a soul arching carve is out of the question.

The reports are calling for waves on Friday. Along with... Wait for it... South winds. Ah, Summertime in Southern California. Just a couple more months until Fall is here. Cheee-Huuu.

Have a great day everyone. Aloha!!!

- JP

Still No Waves...

2011-07-24T18:24:00.000-07:00

Still no waves out there for Southern California... Took a long walk along the local stretch and not a single ride-able wave was seen the entire time, plus it was blown out (as seen in image to the left from last night).

It is looking like the next chance is MAYBE this coming Friday. We will see, I am note expecting much as they are barely calling for 2'-3' surf anyways.

The eardrum seems to be healed, I will know more after a visit to my Doctor. I think custom earplugs are in order. I have never worn them in 20+ years of surfing, but think I will do so now. I just do not have the slightest clue which brand is best. Good thing for Google!

Hope everyone had a great weekend... Hopefully a nice big Hurricane will form again in the Eastern Pacific and, while staying away from land and people, just sit in our swell window and churn up some solid summertime waves.

At this point, I am ready to paddle out on the next 1'-2' day just to get wet... Which I guess is the reason why we all started in the first place. To get away from it all, enjoy nature and have fun.

Aloha everyone, have a great workweek...

- JP

Sunny Day Appreciation...

2011-07-23T10:43:00.000-07:00

Another sunny summer day with no waves, and the forecasts show gloomy weather when the new small swell comes in next week... Textbook. I cannot wait for Fall. Crisp clear mornings and barrels.

Today is the kind of day you need to get out there and enjoy the Earth... Take a picture of something, support a local artist or take a hike, or go to a Border's Books and try and save them (even though they are done).. What a shame that is. How will new generations ever know the concept of libraries or bookstores? The smell of books? Lame.

No matter where you are in this World, there is beauty hiding in plain sight... A street sign with graffiti, an old building at sundown, the artist playing guitar or painting by the beach.

If there is one thing all this stress has shown me is appreciation... Take a moment with Family and Friends, or even by yourself and get out there in the World and enjoy the little things. Grab your camera and take some photo's, even if you are not a photographer it is quite amazing what you can come up with. It is quite refreshing to preserve moments in time. Try it... You will not be disappointed.

Good times to be had, all you have to do is look... Everyone have a great weekend, I appreciate the visits and support.

Today is Wife day here... Never forget to show those who love you how much you appreciate them. I really cannot express that enough.

Hopefully we will get some real swell here soon, Hurricane Dora did what most hurricanes do and petered out before hitting our swell window... I have been thinking of some new spots to shoot water and cannot wait for some new swell to hit those empty spots I know are out there. I will post new images as they become available. As always, you can visit my site, jeremyphillipsphotography.com, if you want to see more photographs or want to purchase a print. Many thanks!!!

Aloha all, see you out there...

- JP

Restlessness...

2011-07-22T23:54:00.000-07:00

What a day... Today consisted of being with my Wife as she endured yet another 7 hour chemotherapy treatment. She is ok and resting. Only a few more to go and several more months before things get back to "normal."

I am ready to make some significant changes in my life. There are so many more important things in this world than what it has become. Seeing my Wife go through the changes with such strength has put so many things into perspective.

After getting back home and winding down this evening, I turned on the Billabong Pro at J Bay and watched a few heats... It got me thinking, it has been years since I have been on a legitimate surf trip or any trip for that matter. I am ready for change. My Wife and I both love to travel, yet have not been anywhere other than Hawaii in the past 5 years. It seems life's responsibilities have kind of prevented enjoying the World around us.

Sorry for the rant, I am restless at midnight and needed to write. Thank you for stopping by. Still no waves in California. Maybe next week?

Have a great weekend and enjoy life's pleasures... Whatever you love to do, take some time this weekend and do it.

Aloha - JP

Fingers Crossed for Dora...

2011-07-21T16:09:00.000-07:00

Courtesy of NASA’s GOES Project

"Hurricane Dora swirled northward in the Pacific on Thursday as a powerful Category 4 storm with winds of 150 mph (240 kph) that kept nearby coastal areas on alert." (Courtesy of The Associated Press). This is the headline I read after waking up today...

In my opinion hurricane swells are one of the few perks of Southern California summers. Many people find the summers here to be the best. They love warm(er) weather and water, along with the south swells that turn on certain heavy hitting spots. Personally I like Fall and Winter best. I find summers in Southern California to be inconsistent and crowded, plus the sun's angle of rise in the winter's make for phenomenal morning sessions.

The one thing since moving to California I have always looked forward to in regards to summertime is hurricanes in the Eastern Pacific. The intensity and direction of these swells is unmatched when all things fall into the same basket. In the past 10 years I can really only think of two really solid performers in this department. Every other system seemed to be like a old movie star throwing the first pitch at a baseball game, veering to the left or right, not quite hitting the mark or just not showing up at all.


Maybe we can get a few of these next week?

I am by no means a surf forecaster, I follow solspot for my day to day surf forecasting needs... Check here for the best in surf forecasting, lead by Adam Wright. From what the forecast is saying it sounds like Dora will head towards our swell window and diminish in strength just before crossing into the perfect position. With a hope and a beer, the storm will be strong enough to cross over the patch of cold water and still travel enough to slingshot some waves our way.

I am drooling with the thought of all of the surf spots that love hurricane swell... I will not say names, but I will be driving south from Los Angeles if things come to together this weekend with Dora and swell starts to light up our shore. Here's to hoping and waking up Monday-Tuesday to some corduroy hurricane south lines at your favorite spot.

Have a great day everyone, give a family member or good friend a call and show them you are thinking about them... Smile and appreciate everything around you.

Aloha - JP

Good Night. or Good Day (depending on where you are in this crazy world).

2011-07-20T19:01:00.000-07:00

This writing thing has really grabbed a hold of me... With all that is going on in my life right now, I am finding it to be quite therapeutic to sit down, play some music and look through photo's, all while expressing myself on what is a relative new medium to me.

I am in the process of putting together a second blog. This one will be more of a writing platform, but I will still incorporate my images depending on the topic. this blog will still be active and I will keep it updated daily. As new sessions come in, so will images from the days take. Hopefully I can maintain your presence in this cyper audience we have grown so accustomed to in our day to day lives.

Have a great night if you are in the USA and a beautiful day to those of you outside of this Country... I appreciate every one of you who open up my little tiny book in this great library called the internet.

Aloha to All of You - JP

Photography Rules...

2011-07-20T11:10:00.000-07:00

It happens. Pre-beatdown self portrait.

I love photography. I love surfing. I love the ocean. After a repetitive cycle of injuries bodyboarding, I saved up some cash and purchased my first water housing from Del Mar Housing Projects and combined all three and never looked back.

I wrote that little introduction for one reason... To motivate you if you are on the fence about getting a waterhousing. Just get one. It takes time to learn positioning and settings, but if you are a surfer already, you know wave mechanics and will be one up on some of the guys/gals out there.

You know when you pull into a big, glassy barrel and you know the memory will last a lifetime? Well, now you get to be in the elements creating art documenting the event. I love to shoot photo's on the beach also, don't get me wrong... But there really is no better feeling then hovering on the inside as the sets start to stack up on the outside. You want to start swimming out to make it under before the thing explodes and gives you a proper beating. Until you see a friend paddling for the set of the day. You know you are in the right spot, yet you know the lip is 3' from your head.

You swim a bit more into position and raise your waterhousing out of the water and fire off a couple shutter clicks and have the best view in the house as well... You think you got a solid one, a keeper if you will, and are just as stoked as if you were riding the wave. You hoot for your friend and both are full of the "Only a Surfer knows the Feeling" kind of vibration.

Photo Courtesy of Jeff Yusa @ liquidplayground.blogspot.com

There really is not many other forms of photography where you can be actually involved in the action. Unless you sit in the middle of the cobblestone Spanish street as the bulls rush by you. I think I'll take surf photography mo' bettah.

The Veterans of water photography had it rough... I remember watching artists like Don King swim out at second reef Pipe, shoot for about 30 minutes or so, no doubt getting images we all dream we could get, only to have to swim back in. He would have to dry off the best he could, take apart his housing and change film, swim back out and do it again.

The respect for the original craft is not lost with me... I am a digital user now with a memory card that can hold upwards of 400 RAW images on it. I have so much respect and give so much praise to the veterans like Brian Beilmann, Hank, Scott Winer, Mr. King, Scott Aichner and so many others from the generation I grew up in. You all were my icons. I always wanted to start shooting water, just never could afford a proper set up. I started shooting film film first thankfully so I understand how hard the process can be and appreciate the time sacrifice the legends gave back then.

So, if you are interested give it a try... Don't expect to score right away. There will be many lost sessions due to bad settings, water drops, positioning issues. Heck, on any given day, at any given spot there are a ton of water shooters now. With the advent of the digital camera and Go-Pro, the craft is more accessible than ever before.

Just be respectful of the pioneers who made the industry what it was, buy some of their prints, visit their sites and shows. They paid their dues and earned it. Whenever I go back to Hawaii, I actually watch the water shooters just as much as I do the surfers. So much skill in those who know the craft well. Respect. That is just my two cents. Respect and support the legends. Easy as that.

In closing, get out there and enjoy nature. Create your own art. If you have the drive, you know it and have it inside of you to help preserve nature on one of the best mediums known to man. Also, if you have some extra cash, buy a film camera and film from your local camera shop. We truly need to keep that form of photography readily available to all generations.

Have a great day and enjoy life. Aloha everyone and thank you for the continued support. I promise new sessions when we get some waves and I get my waterhousing back from Del Mar. She is getting an overhaul and will be good as new. Thank you Erik. Check here for Del Mar's line up. See you out there soon my friends.

- JP

Surfing vs Everything Else... Just love the feeling.

2011-07-19T16:29:00.000-07:00

Ben Frazier is a master of the most natural form of waveriding...

The year was 1989, in Imperial Beach, California... I was 13 years old and was faced with a decision, what form of waveriding did I want to choose as my sport? My Dad was a stand up surfer, so there was a couple of classic 70's sticks at our house including an old Lightning Bolt single fin (man, I wish I still had that thing). I even moved one of the boards into my GI JOE filled bedroom as a motivating tool. I also looked into kneeboarding after seeing the pictures in surf magazines of guys burning bottom turns on massive wedges. I played around bodysurfing at IB as a kid, played around being the key word, but still hadn't made a decision.


Max Bollinger has the best kneeboarding style since Romonowsky...

Being a grommet in Imperial Beach, I started to notice more and more "boogieboards" in the line up... Guys like Manny Vargas, Jackie Fisher and friends were owning the Northside of the pier on these small little pieces of foam. Drop Knee, prone, stand up... Spins and El Rollo's. The options were limitless. I ultimately chose bodyboarding and painted an entire house for my first board, a $75 Morey Boogie Mach 7-7. Not being a spoiled kid, I actually slept with the thing the first night after unwrapping it. Of course, I stuck 5 major surf company stickers on it and I think I even drew a Quiksilver logo on the deck. I moved to Hawaii soon after and remain a bodyboarder to this day. There really is no better place to be a bodyboarder than Hawaii.


RJ Duernberger doing what a bodyboard is made for...

I've added a little bit of my history to this for one simple reason... What has changed over the years to make people dislike each other based off of what they choose to ride a wave with? As a kid, I was so happy just to be in the water riding waves, which I am sure every surfer felt at the beginning of the waveriding journey they love so much. How this basic excitement changed into ultimately what could only be described as oceanic discrimination, we'll never know. Stand up's against bodyboarders (and just about everyone else for that matter)... Bodyboarder's against bodysurfers and stand up's, everyone against longboarders and now SUP's. How kneeboarding got the biggest shaft is a mystery to me... Have you ever watched kneeboarders at 15' Wedge? Inspiring acts.


Bobby Kithcart is a master of drop knee... Seems like a pretty useful way to enjoy nature to me.

There are many theories out there as to why bodyboarding is considered a lower form of wavriding... Surfing Magazine was the parent company of Bodyboarding Magazine and shut it down in the late 90's to "steal away ad's" and kill the sport. That seems a bit far fetched as bodyboarding probably only generated about 2% of these companies income in the first place. Then there was the fact the big surf companies started sponsoring the best riders in the late 80's and early 90's (remember Roach with the Quiksilver gear?) and eventually pulled out of the sport. Australia is an exception to this even to this day with many top level riders sponsored by some high level SURF companies. This is because bodyboarding generates cash there. Solid waves, ballsy riders and contests in solid conditions. Not that the US does not have this, it's just bodyboarding was handled differently here.

Ultimately, bodyboarding became like any business venture which fails to produce revenue and disappeared into the underground. This caused the growing generations of groms to primarily see stand up surf heroes on TV and magazines, which in turn creates a superior kind of feeling with the new generations. Remember Mike Stewart getting a poster in a major surf mag in the 90's? You think that could happen now? Couple that with bodyboarding contests in America being held in 1 foot slop on a regular basis making the sport look more like an episode of Baywatch than a professional sport and you have a complete generational overshadowing of a sport. The new bodyboarding tour is fixing that issue and having contests at some solid venues, but the damage is done. At least for USA bodyboarding it is.


Longboarding is graceful and fluid... What's not to like?

It's now 2011 and stand up surfing is King of the corporate world. I do not think this will ever change and will most likely only get bigger with the new Dream Tour making everyone's fantasy surf trip glands drip and Hollywood popping out big budget surf flicks every couple of years. Bodyboarding had a few glorious years in the spotlight and has since drifted back into the shadowy underground with all other forms of waveriding. Even with all of this, all versions of the unique sport of riding nature thrive... I have remained a bodyboarder, long knowing the chance of stardom in the sport vanished in 2001. if not before.

Everywhere you go, every spot you check there are people enjoying natures gifts just as they did the very first time paddling into the inside shorebreak closeout or small reef mushburger. We all need to go back to that place in our hearts and minds. Accept each other regardless of what they ride. There are jerks and novices in every branch of the surfing community. Just because a guy/girl is carrying a bodyboard, kneeboard or a pair of speedo's and some fins does not make them less of a person or not knowledgeable in the Ocean. Respect each other regardless of their stress relief of choice.

The money making craft doing what it does... Enjoy what's underneath the board. That's why we started.

I too am guilty of being in an empty line up and seeing a (insert vehicle carrier here) walk down the sand towards "MY" peak and say to myself "what's this clown doing paddling out here?" Only to find out they are nice and rip harder than I ever could. We are people enjoying nature's gifts. We are all family. Since focusing more on photography in the past few years, I have learned to appreciate all forms of surfing. This is why I posted these few images of each respective sport. In each photo, the rider is enjoying what Nature has provided us and looking good doing it.

Aloha all, thank you for reading through my rant... I hope you enjoyed it. See you out there soon on whatever you ride. Please feel free to comment on this post.

- JP

Local Ripper Respect... (In Order of Appearance in Hard Drive Only)

2011-07-18T10:48:00.000-07:00

Grom Nick Borgens has grown in both skill and personality since this photo was taken... DK, Prone, Stand up. All good.

DK Master Bobby Kithcart. Known him since he was 13. Humble, Good Guy. Rips.

John Kithcart... Rips both prone and on the drums.

Sal from rightspotattherighttime.blogspot.com throwing it down... Best vibes award. Awesome guy.

Undercover Boogie Nick in the spot...

Phil Muller... Good friend, skills on both the boog and stand up.

Canadian transplant Zach... Miss ya Bud.

Local Talent.

Alessandro from alessgobig,blogspot.com on the stand up...

Mr. Joe Olaya. DK addict. Dedicated South Bay'r.

Honorary mention Mike Dippel. Lives in OC now, but South Bay'r at heart.

All around ripper Ian Nichols... Disneyland award for happiest guy on earth.

Eric. I know you stand up now, but this wave shows who you really are : )

Joe V. Laid up with an injury right now. Get better Bud.

Braddah Jeff Yusa. Liquidplayground.blogspot.com head and amazing photographer.

Local Hero Alex Gray. Glad I could grab a shot from the 100 other shooters out there.

Chris Wells. What can I say. Energy, skill and the Mr Roger's award for nicest guy.

Austin Hall.

Legend Steve Howe.

Big Daddy Casey McLure. OG DK man. Skills.

Conor Beatty.

Matt Kitchen. Ambassador Award for friendliness and being able to talk to anyone. Skills too.

Good morning all!!! Since the images took up like 6 pages, I will make this sweet and tasty... The South Bay has a ton of talent and good people. I apologize if I left some people out, my drifter self goes out of town to shoot a lot, so I probably do not have any images of the other rippers the South Bay has to offer or cannot find them in my hard drive. This is just a shout out to friends and rippers in the area. Respect to you all!!!

Aloha All. Have a great day and smile. Smiling is good. Healing vibrations.

- JP

South Bay Pride...

2011-07-17T11:51:00.000-07:00

A certain stretch in the South Bay her her glory moments every winter...

Southside Manhattan, while not always the best, has some sneaker sandbars at times...

As the above caption read... The Southside gets good ONCE in awhile.

The Northside bars and crowds have changed over the years, but she still produces some goodness.


Southside empty from a couple of winters ago...

Since moving to Southern California from Hawaii in 2001 I have lived in the South Bay of Los Angeles... This includes Hermosa Beach, Redondo, Torrance and Manhattan Beach, along with El Segundo. This was essentially my first introduction to California as an adult. Sure, I took trips here during the summers as a grom, but these trips were primarily in San Diego and Orange County.

Over the years, I have had my moments of irritation with the South Bay. Too many people started to show up to the Northside of Manhattan, lots of closeouts, inconsistent winters with barely there summers. I would drive 50 miles to Salt Creek or 100 miles to San Diego just to get good waves. Many friends asked why I don't just move down to the OC or SD. I could never answer the question. The only thing I could say is "it's home."

The truth is, I love the South Bay and do not plan on ever moving away... The communities here are like no other. Friendly, quiet and like the old beach towns California is famous for. You can still walk two streets down and find an empty sandbar on most days. I have some of the best and most loyal friends here. Friends that you only get living in a small surfing community. Even a few of my Hawaiian friends enjoy surfing the sandbars here in the winter. Now that I am primarily a photographer, I absolutely love the options in Los Angeles. Great lighting and a ton of talent.

Over the years, the South Bay has become more crowded and developed... I used to live in a studio down the street from Hermosa Pier for $600 a month. Times have changed and that place is now in the astronomical range now. Thankfully, the surfing environment has not been altered too badly. There are many nooks and crannies offering up solid beachbreak experiences from Torrance to Playa Del Ray. I won't get to detailed in this post as there are still a FEW secrets out there.

While the summer here can get good, with south swells sneaking in if they are just the right angle, this is truly a wintertime community. Every winter the local bars light up. Those who know, know precisely where to hit at the exact time. I rarely venture away from the South Bay during winter, unless it is down to the reefs in San Diego. There have been more than a few occasions where the South Bay is firing while Orange County and San Diego are blown out and nasty. One reason for this... The South Bay loves windswell and the unloved south winds.

So, if you catch yourself looking at the home break hacked to shreds and nasty, don't rule out venturing up to the South Bay. You may just find yourself falling in love. Check here for a more in depth show if you don't believe me. Link is courtesy of Surfline and local hero Alex Gray.

Have a great Sunday.

Aloha - JP

Mike Dippel on one of the best waves I've seen and photographed in L.A.

Jetty roper...

Longtime Hawaiian Friend Kyle Sumida in town and ripping...

Local Heroes Bryce Lowe White and Alex Gray teaming up...

My favorite beachbreak offering up her early morning goods on one of the best days last winter... See you out there!!! Aloha - JP

Everyone's Favorite Sandblaster...

2011-07-16T11:05:00.000-07:00

Woke up this morning to beautiful sunny skies... and no waves. This has kind of been the constant this summer so far and ALL of last summer. So in honor of it being sunny, I am posting a few of the cloudy day sessions over the past year. Just so you all don't miss the eddy conditions too much. Here's to the weather and surf deciding to party on the same day at some point this summer. Maybe August??? I am jonesing for the sunrise Cylinder's sessions or walking down to Trestles as the sun roasts your face and the morning offshore wind cools you down.

Thank you all for the continued support on here... I am happy to be back on blogger to share my stoke with everyone. As always, if you happen to see any image you want as a print or just want to see more of my work, please visit my website www.jeremyphillipsphotography.com.

Aloha all, have a great weekend...

- JP

Longboard Envy...

2011-07-15T13:20:00.000-07:00

Nothing beats longboarding's grace...

Waikiki sunset dancer...

There is no place like home...

Who else could make a 6" wave look fun?

Good Morning Friends,

First off, I appreciate everyone who took the time to read my post yesterday. It was something I needed to do and the fact it was received well was very appreciated by me. I am less stressed today without a doubt, not to say the issues have disappeared, it is just they are being overshadowed by good thoughts and positive vibrations.

Today, I have chosen to highlight my love of the art of longboarding... For how much I love the craft, I really should have more images available to post. The truth is, it is hard to find good subjects around Los Angeles. Sure there is El Porto and Malibu along with a couple other spots, but generally they are so over run with people, it is hard to get a solid shot without others in the frame. This is not to say the riders here are not talented, they are. They are just overrun with a 1000 other people. That is why Orange County and Hawaii have been good to me. I have promised myself to venture to spots more geared towards longboarding on a regular basis for new images. I just love the graceful and natural flow of the style and am drawn to it.

It looks as though the waves will be small this next week, so spend time with Family and Friends if you can... Always enjoy the company of those you love. There really is nothing better. The weather looks to be phenomenal (finally) just in time for the swell to drop (of course)... After looking at these recent images out of Fiji, I am determined to travel as soon as my Wife is recovered and ready to jump on a plane. Seriously, if you have not seen the photo's of Slater and gang at Tavarua, check them out. Beauty personified.

Major kudos to Brian Bielmann and Scott Winer for getting some of the best surfing images I have seen in a long long time from this past week in Fiji. These images have driven my own motivation to unexplained heights. These two amazing veteran photographers are major influences to me and thanks to sites like facebook and Transworld Surf's website, the sneak peaks are insane. I will be buying some prints for sure if they become available.

Aloha all, have a good weekend... If you live in Southern California, enjoy the lame newscasts of "carmeggedon." For those of you lucky enough to not be in Southern California and not aware, they are shutting down one freeway for two days and the news is treating it like a zombie invasion. Ah, to live in California... Skewed views of what is important.

- JP

King Tyler in his Castle...

An Actual Blogging Moment...

2011-07-14T10:47:00.000-07:00


Peaceful exploration...

I woke up this morning in a very contemplative mood... I have been out of the water for 3 weeks now, which is my usual way of purging life's weight. I think it is the high level of stress that makes the human mind drift and focus on better things. Maybe it is a sanity life saver so to speak.

I am not going to ramble on too bad, but this is a blog and kind of what it is used for. My Wife, Miya, has been battling cancer for the better part of 4 months. She has gone through the surgery, which effectively removed the cancer from her body, as well as the subsequent recovery to let her body heal from the extremely invasive procedure she endured for 8 hours. She recovered quickly and with a smile on her face throughout most of the process.

This surgery has been followed by 5 of the 8 chemotherapy treatments so far... I have watched my Wife battle depression, sickness and the emotional toll. This was not only caused by her knowledge of having cancer, but the changes to her body she is experiencing. Hair loss, mastectomy scars, weight loss... These all take a toll on the human mind. Throughout all of this she has remained positive and in good spirits, sure there have been down days, but overall she is pretty much a super hero. With the remaining chemotherapy treatments and second surgery, along with the radiation needed, Miya is half way to being in full recovery.

Watching someone you love battle such a terrible disease with such a positive outlook has made me change my life and how I live it. I am new at this supporter tag I have been given and really do not ever speak of what is going through my mind, as it seems as though my stresses are minor compared to those my Wife and other people in her position are going through.

When I was growing up in Hawaii, my outlook on others and how I lived was very hippie-like, and I mean that in a good way... After leaving Hawaii at 20 years old and moving to the mainland, I found people treated each other differently here. More anger and stress and selfish behavior. In time, these traits started to rub off on me. Add my career exposing me to the true evil people do to one another on a daily basis and it was a no brainer I had become a changed person. I guess as you get older with more life experiences, you tend to turn on a protective shield and change your views.

Growing up in Hawaii, people waved at Cops, left their doors unlocked and truly cared about each other. True story, I lived in a house on the North Shore where we did not have keys to the front door. No joke. No keys, and yes we were the legal residents! We never had any problems because neighbors were neighbors. Friends were friends. This view on life changed as I became older. Heck, even Hawaii has become a more dangerous place since I left. I go back to visit Family and Friends and do not even recognize some of the people and places I once cherished. The North Shore has become a playground for rich people and a shopping cart for thieves.

I want to get back to the hippie Jeremy I once was... Purge this 2011 state of mind. Full of distrust and stress. There are so many more important things in this life than what it has become; a stress filled world full of financial stress and distrust for fellow humans. Now I understand there is certain cause for distrust in certain circumstances... That is called self preservation. I am not going to go to the local 'hood with all my camera equipment and ask to take portraits of the nice fellow smoking a cigarette in the dark alley with a bulge in his waistband because he looks cool. Pretty sure that would turn out badly.

It is hard to fight bad habits... It is what I intend to do. There is a much bigger calling than mailing off 10 checks a month to pay off bills for things you don't even know what they are for anymore. Only to realize the 80 hours you worked this week was to pay off the 80 hours before and so on and so on. I think it's time to travel and focus on helping others. This situation has made me realize humans are generally good creatures. We are all dealt a different deck. If we combine all of our cards, we can create a Royal Flush and thrive. Love one another people help out those less fortunate.

I thank you if you indeed did read this or even made it to the second paragraph... I promise there will be more photographs and images up later. I just wanted to share my feelings. Something I have not done in a long, long time. Thank you again for your time. If you want to comment, please do.. I will get back to you as soon as I can.

Aloha - JP

Inside Out...

2011-07-13T10:04:00.000-07:00

The South Bay gets good... When you can get it in the middle of winter, on a sunny day with no one around, it is that much better.

That is Matt Vaughn looking in on a decent size day at the Wedge... This was a few weeks ago and I can still feel the beating that came soon after this photo was taken. I got caught inside on what I will call "a big set" for fear of sounding as though I am embellishing. After the beating, it threw me onto the sand with a broken waterhousing and a smile.

Early season Wedge, sun and no one around... It can happen.

My favorite spot in all of Los Angeles... This was about a month after getting my first waterhousing and I was so stoked to be shooting water on a solid day, I disregarded myself and even though I am happy with the outcome of this image, the beating was angry.

My favorite spot again... I swam out about 45 minutes before the sun came up, by myself in known sharky waters. Yeah, probably not gonna do that again.


Southside Manhattan Beach. My buddy Jeff Yusa and I were jonesing for some waves early last season and found this bar just reeling on the Southside. Good times. Yusa has his shots from this day on his blog liquidplayground.blogspot.com.

Good morning my friends... In honor of my waterhousing, which is being completely overhauled by the great team at Del Mar Housing Projects, I am posting a few of my favorite types of images. The inside out. It's truly a view only a surfer knows the feeling of. This is why people grab their waveriding vehicle of choice, be it a surfboard, bodyboard, kneeboard or their own body, and go out for a surf. To get barreled. Ask any waverider and they will say the same thing... The barrel is the place to be. Even today's generation of learning airs before anything else, love the barrel.

Hopefully these images bring a smile to your face and a good outlook on the day. Southern California has been plagued by grumpy south winds everyday and it has just completely hacked these recent set of swells. They say August is looking better condition wise. Let's hope we have a couple days of classic California summer conditions before Fall comes. Which actually is an amazing time for California too.

I am happy to be back on blogger with my friends... I must say it was seeing the daily reports by my friends Lee and Sal at their dedicated blogs, teamstoked.blogspot.com and rightplaceattherighttime.blogspot.com, that motivated me to jump back into the game. Thanks guys for your dedication.

Aloha my friends for your support and continuing to return to check out my images and ramblings... Smile and be good to each other. Family and Friends make the World go 'round, everything else is secondary. Care for those around you regardless of who they are.

- JP

Boogie Love...

2011-07-12T10:36:00.000-07:00

Hawaiian Jacob Romero busting it down last season at Wedge... Classy cool guy with one of the most positive vibes I have ever seen.

Shaun Sansom in the place to be on a nice little Wedge drainer...

Mr. Wright on a nice open shoulder... This was used in an Alternative Surf advertisement and has been seen by many eyes, but I like the view from here and wanted to post it on this blog.

Unknown rider on one of the sets of the day at Wedge... I have tried to get his name with no luck. If you know him, please pass on his name. The next couple of frames are smile worthy.

Adam Dumas from last season at Wedge... This is one of my personal favorites. Crisp DK style and a nice morning sunrise in the background.

My boy, Jeff Yusa on a rare Hermosa Beach nugget... Jeff is an extremely talented photographer and great friend. Check out his work on liquidplayground.blogspot.com.

Cali to Kauai transplant Sean English at my favorite spot in Los Angeles... This was a rare barrel this day and his local knowledge paid off.

Good morning everyone... I found out late this morning that J.O.B. was out at Manhattan Pier. For those of you who are unaware, J.O.B. is an explosive stand up surfer from Oahu. I live 3 miles from the pier and stayed home. I know there will be some photo's popping up later to add to the burning. It's all good though, Family first and the lighting was junk today too.

So, since I missed shooting photo's of one of the best stand up surfers this morning, I am choosing to post some of my favorite bodyboarding images from the past year. Makes no sense I know, but it makes me happy. I have been a bodyboarder for almost 20 years now and will always love the sport.

I hope everyone is enjoying the new blog set up and photo's... If there is any pointers any of you can give me please do. As I said before, I am just posting images from the past year or so. As new session become available they will take priority.

Aloha everyone, have a great day and hope you scored some waves these past couple of days... Looks like next week is setting up to be smaller.

Cheers - JP

2011-07-11T09:42:00.000-07:00

On the beach backwash flare... You have to love it. It makes for beautiful photographs and unique forms not usually seen.

I took this shot on a beautiful early summer day... It was only about 3' - 5', but there was no one around and I had it all to myself. These are the days I love to cherish, because they do not happen all that often.

More and more people are stand up surfing out at the Wedge... To some it is a cause of irritation, be it just because now there are more people out or just the danger of having a fiberglass missile flying through the line up. Either way you look at it, it is not an easy feat. This is South Bay local Conor Beatty navigating the drop on a solid one.

This spot craves respect.... As if the 2 foot deep sandbar is not bad enough, throw in the occasional 4' backwash and you have an awe inspiring kind of situation.

So far this summer has seen it's fair share of swell... Even though it seems as though every time a decent swell shows up, so does the Catalina eddy. This makes for gloomy conditions and the need for black and white photo's, which is not always a bad thing.

I have so many photographs from the past year and a half. I will update this site daily and share with you some of the images a few at a time. I don't want to bore you with a thousand photo's at once, I learned that from facebook. Post all of your shots in one sitting and leave nothing else for people to enjoy the next day.

Thank you for visiting my blog, I hope I can continue to share my love of photography with you and make your day just a bit brighter. As new sessions happen, I will post more current photo's on here. So if I see you on the beach or in the water and you are charging, check back on here... As always, you can check my website jeremyphillipsphotography.com for more photo's for your viewing or purchasing pleasure.

Aloha- JP

2011-07-10T21:12:00.000-07:00

Readers... Followers... It has been nearly a year and a half since my last confess... scratch that. It has been nearly a year and a half since my last blog entry. To those of you who have remained on here, I greatly appreciate it. To be quite honest, I stopped posting on here for one simple reason. The security of my images was weak at best. I became like a stingy child when I began to find some of my photographs being posted on other sites, at times with my watermark removed. This is something that has bothered me for quite some time. I have come to the decision to start back up the blog to share photo's of this World we live in and the friends around me for one simple reason... I never intended on becoming a millionaire from this photography thing, I truly enjoy sharing images of things which they may not otherwise experience. That may seem kind of far fetched, yet I think of how widespread this crazy on-line world is and think, if some kid in Kentucky looks at a shot of a wave from an angle he has never seen and smiles, then job one is complete. When I first started shooting photo's, I would give away photo's to people just to make them happy. I want to get back to that place. Happy.

In the past year, there have been several events which have changed my outlook on life. None of which is bigger than my Wife being diagnosed with cancer. Cancer. Just the sound of the word brings fear into people. When someone you love is battling this evil disease, your view on the insignificant things you once held as high concerns are now put into perspective. Family and friends are the only thing that matter. The car you drive, job you have, money in the bank... These are all material items. Love. Life. Happiness... These are what matter.

I have, since my last entry, started my own website (www.jeremyphillipsphotography.com) and really focused on my photography. If for nothing else, it makes me happy. I will maintain this blog as a way to further share my view of this crazy World we live in. I hope you enjoy reading my rants and seeing things through my eyes even if just for a moment.

Aloha all. See you regularly on here hopefully. Feel free to contact me through my website. There are many more photo's on there for you to view and purchase if you like. I will update this site with new photo's daily as I am able to.

Peace and Love- Jeremy P

2010-02-16T17:55:00.000-08:00

Erik from Del Mar Housing Projects delivered a new port for my water housing yesterday... I was so excited to test it out I kidnapped Jeff Yusa this morning and we went to Salt Creek for a quick session. I am so happy with the perspective change and possibilities of my new set-up and cannot wait to use it in Hawaii next month.

The waves were about head high when the inconsistent sets would come through, but as the last days have also proven to show, the conditions were flawless. I really hope you all scored something somewhere, this swell was real hit or miss up here in the South Bay. I heard a certain happy place of mine went off at about 11 this morning, I may have to head there tomorrow just to make sure, as I watched it for almost 45 minutes this morning and it was junk.

I will be handling my images differently from here on out... I will still post them, however, I will not be posting as many as I used to. I have found my images floating all around the abyss we all know as the internet, sometimes with my watermark removed. I will be posting future sessions on Eppicsurf.com. My URL is Eppicsurf.com/jphillips if you care to look.

Aloha all... Always smile and be appreciative, see you out there- JP

2010-02-08T19:03:00.000-08:00

Now that is a sandbar... Jeremy Wright charging.
JW on a bomber...
Just so those of you who know, will know...
Unknown Stoked...
JW speedlining...
Sandbar nug throwing up...
Charging...
JW
I was airborne when I took this... Stoked!!!
Fly By...
Frothy goodness...
JY from liquidplayground.blogspot.com getting shacked with the Go-Pro...
You should see the next couple of frames...
Moody Blues...
The next couple frames are stoke worthy...
JY #1
JY #2... So happy to stoke out such a cool guy who has stoked you out at some point I'm sure.
JY stoked with his boog's...

We scored today... Hooked up with Jeff Yusa and Jeremy Wright on a quiet lonely sandbar and was treated to some shallow sandbar goodness. So happy too because I work the next 7 days to make some extra $$$ for my trip to Hawaii in March. Hope everyone got a piece today, the weather looks questionable for the rest of the week. One thing I can say is... My new 5-4-3 hooded Body Glove Vapor is an awesome investment. So warm and cozy. Check out Dive and Surf's yard sale and see if you can pick one up for yourself. No better suit for water shooters. Aloha all, stay stoked and always smile- JP

2010-01-26T19:01:00.000-08:00

Kyle on a nugget... Stoked he scored out here before going back to Hawaii...
Ian Nichols came out to play today and was charging...
Ian on a clean cherry...
Mike Dippel enjoyed a solo sesh before we paddled out...
Tyler. Respect. Style.
Tyler again charging...
Just because...
You should see the whole sequence of this... Tyler slotted.
Kyle Style...
Empty...
Kyle Smack Attack...
Tyler doing his thing at his spot...

We pulled up to the spot today and watched for about 45 minutes before deciding to paddle out... The winds were shifty and the conditions were kind of funky at times, but in between were serious moments of glory. I have been trying to get my friend Kyle out here before going back to Oahu and today was the day.

There were moments of discomfort out here as wash through sets were starting to come in towards the end of the session and caught everyone off guard. All in all it was an amazing session. Tyler of Tyler Surfboards paddled out and was straight charging. I was so stoked to be able to capture him in action.

Hope everyone was able to get some before the conditions changed... Tomorrow is looking good too so it's on like Donkey Kong in the A.M. Aloha all. always stay stoked and smile- JP

2010-01-24T15:07:00.000-08:00

Kyle Sumida in town ripping...

Ian Nichols slotted...
KS frothy bottom turn...
KS snap...
KS freefall, he landed it... I was out of position.
One of the only empties from today...
Ian busting out an 80's Morey Boogie ad...
Ian slotted... Again.
And a 1...
2
3
Open shoulder bound...

The waves were a bit smaller today, but with the better conditions I'll dare to say it was actually better then yesterday in some ways... Thankfully, the hour and a half I spent buffing out the scuffs on my waterhousing seemed to have worked. I do see a new dome order being made here real soon, just in case. Hope you all scored this swell, it's supposed to be smaller tomorrow with rain on Tuesday. We'll see. Aloha all- JP

2010-01-23T17:26:00.000-08:00

Sorry about the processing on this... Read below for details. This was too solid of a barrel to delete.
Phil Muller on a frothy left... Damn housing scuffs.
Kyle Sumida from Oahu, shacked and frozen...
Ian Nichols on his own sandbar... Owning it.
Eric happy as a... Well he's happy.
Ian on his sandbar again... Next time come over and play with the crowd Ian and there will be more pics!!!
Eric getting pitted. My waterhousing damage made for some actual groovy effects on this one.
Eric on the set of the day... Solid with a hefty dose of SPIT at the end...
Phil as happy as a boog who's a stand up who's on a boog again...
Sandbar nugget...
Phil not too long before he was sidelined by a ruptured eardrum... Get better my friend.
Those of you who know... Know just how big this is.
Maybe tomorrow my sandbar will let me play...
Wonder what would happen if I tried to swim out here?

I'm going to make this brief as I have some urgent repairs to do on my waterhousing... Within 10 minutes of first swimming out, I was completely destroyed by a set. At some point during my over the falls and back again beating, my housing hit the bottom hard, so hard in fact I thought it may have cracked. Thankfully that did not happen, what did happen was the dome was scuffed pretty badly just left of center. This caused a lot of my photo's to be ruined or in need of too much post-processing, which I'm not a fan of. Hopefully I can buff it out tonight!!!

The waves were solid. The South Bay was the biggest it has been since I've been in California, which is about 9 years now. Basically, the only spot working was a certain stretch of lovely coastline we all know and love. Tomorrow is slated to be better than today, with better winds and more manageable size. Hopefully you scored some thing today, if not, get on it tomorrow!!!

A special get well to my good friend Phil Muller who unfortunately ruptured his eardrum today after taking a solid drop a bit too hard. The one thing that has come of this is that the majority of Phil's surfing crew, including me, was within 100 feet of him and had no idea he was in trouble. After busting his eardrum he nearly drowned in the shorebreak due to his equlibrium being thrown off. All of us knew he was planning to go in and go home, so when he didn't paddle back out after catching the set we thought nothing of it. So if at all possible, pay attention to everyone in the line-up, friends and unknowns... You just never know when something may happen. Phil will be sidelined for a couple of weeks, so get better Homie!!!

Aloha all... Always smile and stay stoked- JP

2010-01-17T16:11:00.000-08:00

Stoked at my new favorite sandbar... All by myself.
First set of the morning...
Kind of what I was going for swimming out before the sun came up.
Block long closeouts and only me to play with them...
Reflections...
Reflections #2...

I swam out to my new favorite sandbar about 15 minutes before the sun came up with the intent of getting some nice sunrise shots... The waves were head high on average and block long closeouts were the norm. I think if the waves were a bit more lined up it would have been easier to snap a few cherry inside outers, but as it stands I was very stoked to be out there with no one around and learned some new tricks with my camera settings...

Even though my imagination made for some interesting thoughts of what was swimming beneath me before the sun came up, I can't wait to try some more pre-dawn barrel hunting expeditions. Hope you all scored a few today, this coming week could possibly be a bit soggy with a bomber of a swell by the end of the week... Hope for good conditions!!! Aloha all, always smile and stay stoked- JP