Editor’s Note: “Spot Snapshot” is a series that highlights an image and explains what you’d never know by simply looking at it. As the cliché goes, “a picture is worth 1000 words.” Here, a featured photographer brings you both.
Ocean Beach. Photo: Alex Aragon
Before I picked up a camera, I had always been a big fan of Chris Burkard and his work, particularly his shots of Morro Bay. I had studied him and watched as much video I could about him talking about his photography. What struck me about him is that he studied drawing and composition. His photos tell a story on their own.
This photo was taken on November 11th at Ocean Beach. The waves were good all day. One thing about winter here is the sunsets sometimes drop this crazy color that just lights up the sky. Before I go out shooting, I try and think of what I want to shoot and what I need to shoot. All day it was in the back of my mind that I wanted that shot similar to those I have seen from Chris Burkard. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, and it helps you find your own style in the long run. It didn’t make it to the magazines, but I did get what I wanted: an overall landscape shot summarizing the day.
See more from Alex on his website and follow him on Instagram.
