Welcome to a new series called Snap Shot Stories (SSS) where I present you with a few of my all time favorite photos, explain the way they were taken, and the story behind them.
For the first episode (is that the correct word for this type of thing? Probably not, but we’re gonna roll with it) of this series, we have The Surfer.
A few months ago, I visited Florida. It was my first trip out of state since the beginning of COVID, so you can imagine my absolute delight in being able to take pictures of something other than long and winding roads. No offence the the Beatles! It’s just that these roads only ever lead to cow farms or the occasional grocery store.
Our hotel room/condo was on the 21st floor facing the ocean, so it made for some pretty amazing views. Every night around 6, you could see the surfers making there way down the beach. The waves are not usually impressive in this area, so it was a rare sight.
One night, as I was waiting for the rest of my family to get ready to go out, I watched a lone surfer slowly make his way down the beach.
Hardly anyone else was near the water, making the ocean looked massive and powerful next to a single human being. It was oddly beautiful. I ran to get my camera and took this shot, just before he disappeared out of sight.
To get this shot, I used my 100-400mm lens. This allowed the ocean to still look massive, while making a nice frame around the individual.
The next day, more surfers came out to ride the waves. I was sitting on the pier reading when one drifted up to shore a few feet from me. This time, I was prepared.
At first, I pretended to take picture of the sunset behind him, embarrassed to admit to a complete stranger that they made for a captivating photo. But as he walked by, I told him the truth and he laughed knowingly. I had been caught regardless!
He was kind and gave me permission to use the shots however I wished.
Through out the week, I would see more surfers coast by as I contemplated whether I would ever be able to connect with the ocean the way they did.
Thanks for Visiting!
I hope you enjoyed the first post to this little series. Do you have any stories about your favorite captures?
Let me know in the comments below!
The Explorer's Notebook 
Very nice Brooke! I like the new format!
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Thank you so much!
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