It's Called... Passion.

I was out shooting the other morning and a guy told me, "I've been surfing for 13 years and I've never got a water photo before." I found it hard to believe. Maybe it's the fact that I've been fortunate enough to have a water photographer to travel the globe with since 1991! Or maybe it's the fact that it's so easy nowadays for someone to drop four G's and get an unreal water camera set up. Then again, if anyone could drop four G's why would it be on that?

So I came to the conclusion that this is my niche; my calling; my... passion. My wife has been training for a triathlon that's going down in March 2011. And she sometimes gets down on herself for missing an exercise session. And then there's the feeling she gets after a good bike ride, good run or good swim. She loves it. That's passion.

Water photography is my passion. If you can't see that through the photos I've me uploading like a madman since early this year, then you are missing the fact that I love this sh!t. I get stoked when I get a great shot of someone that is killing it. I get stoked when I get a shot of someone that has never gotten a water photo before.

So I leave you with this... be sure to see my passion shine through some of today's unreal photo sessions. I'll have them uploaded by Thursday September 30.

One last thing. Answer me this... what's your passion? Leave me a comment. I'd love to see your responses.

Without my passion of taking photos, I would have never of know about this cool ass kid named Patrick and this insane surfing dog named Ricochet. Patrick is a quadriplegic that has a passion for riding waves. Ricochet is the infamous surfing dog that, well... rips! Both were very inspiring to watch in the water. Great meeting you two!

First Time For Everything

Finally! I've been shooting for the past four years or so and I'm loving every minute. With some of the top surfers in the area as my friends, it was just a matter of time before I get a photo in a surfing mag. I've gotten published in a bunch of bodyboarding magazines all around the world but I really wanted to get a shot in a surf mag. Not only will I get paid but it's also to prove that I can do this at a professional level.

I've been fortunate to travel and watch one of the surfing world's top photographers, Jeff Flindt. Seeing how regime the entire process can be, including the post processing part, I have to say... learning from the best helps. Flindty wasn't the only one that I've seen in action. As a professional bodyboarder from 1990-1998, I've had to the pleasure to shoot with some of the legends: Aaron Chang, Chris Van Lennop, Hank, Aaron Lloyd, Bielmann... the list goes on.

I give all these photographers 110% props. All these guys, not only paddled out in heavy surf, but after every 36 photos, they had to paddle back in and reload the camera with a fresh roll of film. Then they paddled back out for more. Unreal. I hope the new up and comers understand that having the numbers 999 show up in the photos remaining display is a pleasure that we all should appreciate. I know I sure the hell do.

So, I did it. I made it into a surf mag. Sure it's a small ad pic but it's all good. Check it, here's a mock up of the ad that Sean Fowler's sponsor SRH used in a recent Transworld Magazine advertisement. I have yet to get my hands on a real copy but I'm sure it's the same ad. Good times.

PS: I just got word that SUP Journal will be running a photo of Sean Poynter that I took. Amped! I'll get that posted as soon as I get my hands on that issue that's due out in October, I believe. Plus, that'll help me out with my new FFATtrips.com trip... SUP Mex.

SRH. Sean Fowler. I shot the photo that's highlighted. Hellz yeah!

Submit Your Photo

What up people? Okay, so we've got a few entries for the Photo Of The Month. Keep 'em coming! All you have to do is:

1. Follow my blog and;

2. Send your photo (jpegs no more than 300kb) to mannyvphoto@gmail.com. Easy.

This month I have a large and 2XL exclusive Cabo Freak Fest t-shirts, a Cabo travel handbook and a Jiggy_Jig trucker hat. Solid package!

I choose a winner at the end of each month. Get on it and send away!

Manny

My Wish List

Yeah, my Canon 7D is insane and I love it. But sometimes I don't want to lug that thing around when I'm going to cruise with the boys at a BBQ or chillin' at the beach. Well, here's what I'd like to take with me in it's only little pouch, the Canon Powershot SD4500 IS (image stabilization). This point and shoot camera is pretty legit with some amazing features. Unfortunately, they don't have a water casing for it yet. No worries, that's what my 7D is for, eh? Oright, check the list of features:

-10x Optical Zoom with lens-shift type image stabilizer
-New HS System with reduces image noise
-10 Megapixel High Sensitivity CMOS image sensor
-DIGIC 4 Digital Image Processor
-8 Frames a second burst mode!
-Full HD Video Shooting
The list goes on!

CLICK HERE and see the full specs of this new must have point and shoot camera. Unreal! And if you have a Canon point and shoot camera, CHECK HERE to see if they make a water casing for it and join me in the water!

The Itch

Yesterday was the day I got the itch. I've been back from Cabo San Lucas for the past week and a half. It was paradise, I might add. Warm blue water, south swell pounding and riders charging hard in front of my camera. So when I get back home here in San Diego, I've been waking up to the marine layer chomping away at the coast all the way to my house in North Park. That's about eight miles inland! So you can see, the motivation factor is tough to get going.

After checking Surfline's Scripps cam and looking out to the grey skies, the itch to just go out and take photos wiped all that away. I grabbed my camera bag, organized everything I needed to shoot water and rolled out around 9am or so.

I roll up to La Jolla shores with the parking lot nearly full (Labor Day) and head straight to the front row in hopes of getting a parking spot. At the end of the first row, boom... a parking spot! Stoked.

Surfline was right, windy and small. But what I saw in the water was reminiscent to Waikiki. There were tons of people out there catching waves. Some just learning and some ripping. I just wanted to shoot photos of people and here it is. I get the housing and camera ready and low and behold, I see Edwin. Things keep getting better! Edwin is a local San Diego ripper who's mellow but will destroy any wave!

After an hour and a half of swimming around and avoiding new surfers and their boards, I walked away with some solid photos. All I wanted to do is swim and get a few photos but what I got were tons of cool photos and met a few cool people at the same time. Love itch that doesn't affect my sex life. Bring it on.

Ed... full force.

Just Added ::: SUP Mex Weekenders

As some of you may know, my wife and I have been putting together trips to Cabo San Lucas, Costa Rica and Indonesia for the past seven years. Starting today, we've added SUP Mex Weekender trips. That's right... Manny is going to offer up his 22  years of Baja experience to those that want to join him for a weekend of empty line-ups, great food and great times! Who's in?

Head on over to www.SUPmex.com for more info. Ariba!!!