December 10, 2019 Banzai Pipeline. North Shore Oahu.
This was my first trip to the 7 mile miracle. I’ve spent all my time in Hawaii on Kauai. From everyone I talked to I got lucky. Solid surf and great weather for the week I was on the Island.
Board Bag
I only brought 2 boards with me. Super Brand 5′ 11.5″ Burnside shaped for team rider Rafael Teixeira. And a 6′ 2″ C.I. T Low. Not what your typical Hawaii quiver would look like but that’s what I had to work with. To give those boards some credit though; I am not claiming to be a big wave charger. But I had the Burnside out on the east cape of Cabo San Lucas, before hurricane Ivo earlier in the year and it held its own in some ++ surf.
Surf Check
I surfed: Log cabins, V land and on one of the bigger days Haleiwa. Just as I am not claiming to be a big wave charger. I am also not “Mr. International surfer”. Hawaii and Mexico are the only places I have surfed outside of southern California. I have had absolutely zero issues with people surfing anywhere I travel. BUT I am also not a dick, I respect the locals’ water and I respect the locals. I take time to learn the line up and talk to people. Do that AND; don’t paddle out straight to the peak and Don’t blow your waves and you’ll probably be fine.
What I’m shooting on
Man I wish I had a 600mm prime.. I was shooting photos on my nikon D850 using my 70-200 lens with a 2x teleconverter. With that I am stopped down from 2.8 to 5.6 (loss of 2 stops). I underestimated taking pics at Pipeline, I think there are a lot of subtleties that present unique challenges. One that I thought was interesting was; on some of the larger sets so much water is being sucked up sea level drops and you lose vision of the barrel. Another is with corduroy lines rolling in you want to be on a higher point at the beach. While the wave breaks close to shore, you’ll want a big lens. The Haze in these photos was an issue, I think a tack sharp clear photo with this texture and warmth would have been amazing. But the photo at the top of this page with a blending of color focus and silhouetted figures, it almost has a film quality I appreciate. spend $6,000 on a camera to appreciate a film quality haha, that’s art for ya.
Stay in touch, leave a comment below! If you have any photography needs contact me!