Surfers on the North Shore of Oahu

On my road trip around Oahu, Hawaii I made a point of visiting the North Shore. I was specifically interested in the Banzai Pipeline because of it's reputation for large waves and extreme surfers. The entire area is a worldwide surfing hot spot, and that's immediately clear when you see how many professionals talk about this place. 

I got some nice shots from the shore with my telephoto lens, however I missed out on seeing any surfers riding the tube as my visit was fairly brief. Check out the video below to see just how big the waves here can get. It's difficult to describe the sound and how aggressive the swells are, but I saw more than one person get knocked off their feet as the waves rolled in. 

Waikiki Beach and Honolulu are on the south side of the island, so the waves are smaller as the ocean current moves around Oahu. Fittingly, most of the surfers there are tourists. By contrast, I didn't see any novice surfers on the North Shore. It was an impressive scene and a lot of fun to watch. No question, surfing here takes a lot of skill and guts.

Bombay Beach, Salton Sea: Part 1

I returned to Bombay Beach, California in December to compare the location to images I shot 5 years ago. This fascinating locale on the eastern side of the Salton Sea is full of abandoned properties and deteriorating ruins. While the history of the Salton Sea is made up of glory-day stories centered around places like the North Shore Yacht Club, it seems that Bombay Beach is how most people imagine the area to be. That's not exactly the case.

On my return visit I had trouble picking out some of the same locations because they had been completely torn apart. This is more a sign of frequent visitors than it is of the time that's passed. Pop culture, notably Grand Theft Auto 5, has popularized the area and made it even more of a playground for photographers and explorers than it already was. Despite the notion of everything being abandoned, you're never far from other day trippers passing through. 

I was reminded of my first visit with my friend Dave. We were so captivated by the location and trying to understand what had happened. I purchased a copy of Plagues and Pleasures on the Salton Sea at the museum that used to be in Yacht Club, and it ended up only further fueling my interest in the Salton Sea. Bombay Beach still fascinates me today, but it feels like the secret is out. For better or worse, the ruins are falling.   

Dave at the Salton Sea. 2009 meets 2014.

The exposed back of an upright piano.

VHS copy of The Silence of the Lambs. Fittingly creepy.

Trying to find the same locations wasn't as easy as I thought. One of the poles is gone.