About the Image(s)

Maui-what a wonderful place to visit. One day, my friends and I decided to take a drive down a quiet neighborhood road, away from the usual tourist paths. As we wandered along, we discovered a beautiful little cove tucked away from the crowds.

From a hilltop overlooking the water, we could see a few surfers enjoying the small, gentle waves. I watched a female surfer as she paddled out and caught a few waves, so I began taking a series of single shots, hoping to capture a special moment. Then, it happened.

She wiped out.

Fortunately, I was already focused on her, and one of my frames captured the moment perfectly, the surfer, the splash, and her bright yellow board all coming together in a single unexpected image.

I kept the editing simple. Other than cropping the photograph, I worked to bring out the yellow of her surfboard, trying to preserve the color as I remembered seeing it that day.

For the shot, I used my Nikon Z8 with a 400mm lens, shooting at f/7.1 and ISO 400.

Sometimes the best photographs aren't the ones you plan for, they're the unexpected moments you happen to be ready for. I was lucky.