Monday at Ocean Beach

A photo shoot the other week took me back to Ocean Beach (or “OB” as the locals call it) for the first time in years. When it comes to San Diego beaches, this one probably has the most personality and is the least touristy of the bunch.



You can probably understand why NBC San Diego calls the OB Pier “iconic but beleaguered.”



The face carved into the rock below was probably made when the sculptor attempted to figure out when the Pier replacement project was going to actually begin.



Yes, graffiti abounds…



and the signage spray painted on the beach wall is completely ignored…



yet it is still one of the most quirky and beloved spots in our city.



Artistic touches of branding abound…



and you all know I love a good light fixture!



Shall I take my mother to her local namesake watering hole when she visits next month? What a photo opp that would be.



Not sure what’s inside but this place wins points with me just based on the entry:



Even advertisements are given the local “artistic” touch in OB:



And finally, it’s the perfect place to “dance like nobody is watching.”



See more Ocean Beach photos at my main website.

Diary of a Fiery Photo Shoot

I love a challenge, and when Ryan told me that he was interested in doing a shoot involving fire-breathing, I immediately said "yes!" The sign here says "no smoking"; fortunately, it said nothing about spewing streams of fire.



We both arrived early, and took things easy as we waited for sunset to approach.



People (and animals) were still out enjoying the warm water.



Well, maybe not all that warm.



Ryan showed me some of the ideas and locations he had for shooting out the fire so that I could be prepared. You can't exactly ask someone to "hold that pose" when they are breathing out fire.



Closer to sunset:



Surfers getting the last waves in:



And then it was time.



It is amazing how quickly it gets dark. Ryan's first few breaths allowed me to fiddle around with my settings. There was a lot to coordinate on the camera for something I had never done before.



After a few, I started hitting my groove.



I had to shoot at an ISO that was much higher than I wanted it to be; on the next one, I would definitely begin at least an hour earlier.



The water shots definitely had the most potential for looking cool.



The waves were not exactly what Ryan had hoped for, so it looks like there might be a round two.



Besides, he had run out of 151 for the fire. I'm getting awful flashbacks of Hawaiian Punch and trash cans.

See more Daveland Ocean Beach photos at my main website.