Monday, August 25, 2014

A year of my California Vision project

Exactly one year ago, at this moment I was in California doing my "California Vision project"
After too many years of procrastination, I finally decided to visit California with my good friend Megan. As a Mexican, I’ve always tried to explore faraway places and very different cultures, and California used to be a very well known cliché for me.

We headed north for 2000km in a rental car. We saw many beaches, and I surfed a lot of them, including the famous Trestles. We ate the good Mexican just like home, we attended the premiere of the surf movie Compassing in Encinitas, and we ate tacos at Cyrus Sutton’s party. I ate the best burger of my life in Ocean Beach, and I learned the one hundred options on how to get a coffee in America.

And despite all the madness, the massive cars, and the overdose of patriotism, California still preserves that romantic, laid back air from its golden years. You just have to know how to search for it behind the big McDonald’s billboard. That’s what I wanted to capture in this project all in B&W. I hope you felt that romantic moment too exploring the pictures.
You can see the whole gallery at the dedicated tumblr I made for the project here: http://californiavision.tumblr.com/ or at my Facebook fan page: https://www.facebook.com/fromwhereyoudratherbe
Choppers couple. Highway 101
A perfect picture. Santa Barbara 
Fireman. Oceanbeach, San Diego
The legendary golden gate and its eternal fog. San Francisco 
Jim Moriarty. Surfrider HQ, San Clemente
Palm trees party. Coronado
Skaters. Venice Beach
Sunset surfer. Oceanbeach, San Diego
View Alcatraz. San Franciso
Woman reading. Carmel by the Sea

Saturday, August 23, 2014

One day at the Swatch Girls Pro France

We went the other day to Hossegor, France with my friends of Surfer Rule mag to check out the competition and to see all this fabulous girls. The waves were pretty small, but sometimes in these kind of conditions is where you see what a real surfer can do.
These girls were getting the best of every tiny wave. I was specially surprised by Tatiana Weston. She's such a strong girl with incredible maneuvers. Check out at the pics I took her, we can appreciate all the water splashing around, so difficult in waves like this.

All the weekend the contest has been on stand by, and finally today the Junior comp was celebrated and won by Keely Andrew. Such a shame not having enough waves to see this girls ripping as they should. Let's see about the Pro contest tomorrow.

Such a shame I couldn't go to the final, as Monday I'm going to the Pantin Classic Pro, where I work at the Press. I hope we'll have better conditions and I could get you some nice pictures.

Hope you like these of the Swatch Girls! Happy weekend

More pictures of the day at my Facebook fan page: https://www.facebook.com/fromwhereyoudratherbe

Hello, catch ya!
Tatiana Weston
Nikki Van Dijk was such a sweetheart with everybody wanting a picture!
This guy was veeery nervous
Tatiana Weston's powerful turn
Keely Andrew, flying in a tiny wave. No wonder why she won the Junior comp!



Mahina Maeda 




Laura Enever, going to her heat. Everybody was already waiting for her

Lee- Ann Curren. Nice floater with the right look
Laura Enever
Laura in B&W
Maud Le Car
Lee-Ann and Laura all smiles after their heat
Don't remember her name, but she was such a cuttie


Laura speaking with her fans
Not sure if this is Bianca Buidentag
The other girls enjoying the comp! ;)

Tuesday, August 19, 2014

San Sebastian great summer scene!

Hello guys!
I've been having a summer very busy with different projects! I've told you already I'm working at the surf event, the Pantin Classic Pro, also been doing a few photoshoots for some clients, collaborations, and others.
July is a sweet month here in San Sebastian with a great agenda of concerts, expos and other cultural events.

We had at the Patagonia store the concert of my very good friend Johny Card. We used to work together at McCann Erickson and our passion for the ocean brought us together again.

My other good friend Mikel Casal had a very nice expo of his work at the Providence Ghètary gallery. He's a talented illustrator born and raised in San Sebastian. He draws most of the time on wood and he gets his inspiration from the ocean and his friends.

Jorge Hunt had his photographies at a sweet exposition at the Pukas Store also in July organized by Raen Optics. He not only takes rad pictures, but also has a band with his partner Margarita called "Dante place". We had such an awesome night, and to finish also that great weekend, we went to the Heineken Jazz Festival.
We attended some great concerts, but my favorite was "Vintage Trouble". All the band had great energy and they really made us vibrate!

Here are some of the pics I took in those events, I hope you like them. See more pics of these events at my Facebook fan page!

Johny Card's concert:

Patagonia store and Board swap
Johny Card



Gaizka, part of the team of the Patagonia store

Mikel Casal expo:


Mikel Casal, illustrator.
Great Illustrations!
Katja's great dress
These shirts!!
Providence Ghètary gallery
Finishing the expo and this view

Jorge Hunt expo and concert:

Margarita
Jorge

The expo
Jorge and waves 

Beauty at the expo


Heineken Jazz Festival:

David and Kursaal in the background
The concerts at the beach


Vintage trouble, pure energy!

Vintage Trouble signing some autographs