Their Sea

 

When the Kovalam Surf Club was born, the tourism police and lifeguards were the biggest problem. The only life these children know is packed with violence and misery, so they acted like products of their society. The kids weren’t welcome on a beach that is reserved for tourists. This was an attempt by locals to keep visitors blind of the dark side of India. The surf groms had to learn to behave in what we call a civilized way, in order not to get kicked out.

The local authorities now know the children who surf and respect them, as long as they behave appropriate, which they have learned to do. Surfing makes them proud and happy because for the first time in their life they get respect and attention for being good at something. All the surfing kids are regulars at the school and therefore will get a better chance in succeeding in life in a more humane way. 

THEIR SEA tells the story of the Kovalam Surf Club.

 

Leisure Time: a short portrait of Dan Daley

One sunny afternoon, I was hanging out at DQM killing time with some friends before we skated downtown Boston. I was just sitting there as the RAW video was being projected on a nearby wall when Dan Daley walked into the shop. I knew the name and the face, but we never really spoke before. He was the 'dude' behind the Biddy’s burger and famous cheese art. I also knew we had a common interest: SKATEBOARDING.

As he strolled in, I noticed him asking an employee if someone had left him any boards. I knew little about what he did with the discarded decks, but had a rough idea. I was curious about the process it takes to make these cruisers, about the skill and time invested into creating each refurbished piece. I wanted to know more! I decided right then and there that I wanted to spend a day or two or three getting to know Dan….and his art.

 

Check out the finished pieces featured in this video & others Dan has created...

https://instagram.com/dandaley84/

Now go do something!

SPRING IS IN THE AIR

ANYONE who lives in the northeast knows that this winter has been hell. Well over a hundred inches of snow in just 2 or 3 months has sucked ALMOST all the life out of me. BUT, yesterday I woke up to the sounds of chirping birds and a pep in my step. I could wear a tee shirt comfortably outside for the first time in months. I even got a little sun burnt. Signs of good things to come I guess LOL. Anyways, I just received a new tripod and thought this was a great time to test it out. Full video coming in the near future. Filming has begun! Let's hit the streets kids!!

KOVALAM + BEYOND

black & white | The Ilford HP5 Super Single Use Camera

color | A7s w/ Metabones Speed Booster

Gymnastycal

Had the opportunity to shoot some really cool stuff with some really cool kids recently. I've always been impressed by gymnastics and the talent that it takes to do the exercises. When I was asked to shoot a short promo video for a startup…I could not say no. These kids have 'nasty' skills and were a pleasure to work with. Shot a lot of high speed stuff with the Fs700, along with the a7s as my B cam. Lighting was difficult, but we got the damn thing done :) 240 fps was tough to expose properly, but happy with the results. Edit coming soon!! Cheers.

INDIA. WOW.

I'm back after a few weeks away from home. This is the first of many pics to come. The HP5 Super Single Use Camera with 27 Exposures from Ilford is a great camera to bring on trips like these. They are super versatile, discrete, and the results are gorgeous. 

This is one of my favorites from the trip. The fishing village. Most boys end up working on the boats and do very little with what potential their future holds. A few decide to take a different path. Surfing provides them with a little hope. It makes them proud and happy because for the first time in their life they get respect and attention for being good at something. 

Verano | Fajardo, Puerto Rico | 2014

a video portrait of my family...

Once again, I had the chance to visit Puerto Rico this past summer. It was a family reunion in a lot of ways. Twenty or so cousins, aunts, uncles and so on piled into a gigantic house filled with bunk beds. The 'Compound' is what we called it. My family rents the property as a camp to local children and churches, so the extra beds were much appreciated. I only brought the 60d out on two separate occasions. This is somewhat of a video portrait of my time spent on the island. Enjoy.

WINNERS

Congrats to this amazing creative bunch! We were successful in this years "CONNECT THE DOTS" video contest….most creative. Can't wait until next year!