Category Archives: surfing

Ocean Waves

Posted on March 12, 2013 by John Durant

In 1937 Ansel Adams said: a great photograph is one that fully expresses what one feels, in the deepest sense, about what is being photographed. Continue reading →

Posted in American Photographic Artists, Baja California, California, Color negative film, color transparencies, Film, Fuji RDP3, Fujichrome, Mission Beach, ocean waves, Photography, San Diego, Santa Monica, Southwest, surfboards, surfing, Torrey Pines | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Lance Carson, Malibu California

Posted on February 7, 2013 by John Durant

                      Lance Carson in the shaping room – January 21st, 2013 The outline of a hand-shaped surfboard is drawn directly on the foam using a rigid template as a guide … Continue reading →

Posted in 6:19 Format, B&W negative film, California, color negatives, color transparencies, Donald Takayama, Jacobs Surfboards, John Durant Photography, Kodak P3200, Kodak Plus-X, Kodak T-Max, Lance Carson, Los Angeles, Malibu, Skip Frye, surfboard shapers, surfboards, surfing | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

California Noir

Posted on October 5, 2012 by John Durant

Chris – Pacific Beach, California. 6:30PM, October 5th 2012 Surfing is a discipline. Like any serious pursuit it involves sacrifices that are not for the faint of heart. Forget about a regular job. The idea of family can be pretty … Continue reading →

Posted in 6:19 Format, B&W negative film, California, color negatives, color transparencies, Hells Angels, Mabile Surfboards, Noir, ocean waves, Panorama, Rusty Surfboards, San Diego, Skip Frye, surfboards, surfing, Uncategorized | 1 Comment

Jamie Sterling’s 10’6″ Balsa Gun

Posted on November 22, 2011 by John Durant

Balsa wood has a lighter density than cork and it grows all over the place from Brazil to Mexico. It’s straight, buoyant and is used to make beautiful surfboards – but that’s just the beginning. To make a balsa surfboard … Continue reading →

Posted in B&W negative film, Blue Cheer Surfboards, California, Hoy Runnels, Mabile Surfboards, ocean waves, Photography, Rusty Surfboards, San Diego, Skip Frye, surfboard shapers, surfboards, surfing | 2 Comments

Plus-X and Other Antiques

Posted on October 17, 2011 by John Durant

In April of 1975 I was finishing up my photography studies at the University of California San Diego with a series of 1099 projects – photo essays. I was shooting these with a Canon F-1 on B&W film. I had … Continue reading →

Posted in B&W negative film, California, Canon F-1, Kodak Plus-X, Photography, San Diego, Skip Frye, surfboards, surfing, University of California San Diego | 2 Comments

The Deal With Ocean Waves

Posted on July 6, 2011 by John Durant

Water, as it turns out, is a pretty efficient conductor of energy and you don’t have go far for a good example – walk to the end of my street on any given day and have a look at the … Continue reading →

Posted in color transparencies, Fuji RDP3, Fujichrome, Indonesia, Mentawai Islands, ocean waves, San Diego, Skip Frye, Sumatra, surfboards, surfing, Third World Exotic, Treasure Island | Leave a comment

What is it About Surfboards?

Posted on June 17, 2011 by John Durant

I grew up surfing in Santa Monica in the 1960s. My first surfboards were nine-foot plus, second-hand relics that I could barely get my arm around – like my aunt’s 9’2″ Dave Sweet round pin (with a three inch balsa … Continue reading →

Posted in Blue Cheer Surfboards, California, Hoy Runnels, Mabile Surfboards, Mike Perry, Rusty Surfboards, Skip Frye, surfboard shapers, surfboards, surfing, Third World Exotic | 3 Comments

In The Shaping Room, 2011

Posted on March 28, 2011 by John Durant

I’ve had half a dozen Skip Frye pin-tails but the first one was the absolute best. Ron Mackey gave me the two halves of his broken  8’6″ G&S Frye and I put it back together behind the ski shop where … Continue reading →

Posted in B&W negative film, California, Ilford FP4, Panorama, Portrait, San Diego, Skip Frye, surfboards, surfing | Leave a comment

In The Shaping Room, 1977

Posted on March 28, 2011 by John Durant

By 1977 I’d graduated from college and was shooting for anybody that would pay. I was officially over the hill. I’d joined the world. I distinctly recall looking back with a little bit of regret on this day: I felt … Continue reading →

Posted in California, Ilford FP4, San Diego, Skip Frye, surfboards, surfing | Leave a comment

In The Shaping Room

Posted on March 21, 2011 by John Durant

Inland – far from the bright, sunny beaches where everybody surfs – is another world where surfboards are made. Surfboards are beautiful, clean sculptural objects. Surfboard factories are not. A surfboard factory usually has a small front office with battered … Continue reading →

Posted in California, Mabile Surfboards, Panorama, Portrait, San Diego, surfboards, surfing, Third World Exotic | Leave a comment