I’ve wanted to publish a book of my photography for a long time now. As a professional photographer, I’ve had the opportunity to travel all over the world in search of inspiration but sometimes the strongest inspiration is waiting back at home.
A year ago, a friend told me about City Surf Project, a San Francisco non-profit that connects underrepresented Bay Area youth to surfing and the ocean – two things that have given me so much in my life. I decided to attend their next session and shoot some photos of the kids learning to surf.
What I saw at the beach that day was a diverse community of surfers coming from all corners of the city to introduce these kids to the ocean. There were teachers, firefighters, tech workers, carpenters, men and women of all ages. I also saw kids from different neighborhoods and backgrounds overcoming their initial fears to try surfing for the first time. I saw them build confidence, and I saw them falling in love with the ocean the same way I had. This was a story I needed to tell.
Learn more about photographer Nate Lawrence’s work with City Surf Project on Instagram and on City Surf – The Book’s Kickstarter page. Check in for more as Nate takes over our Instagram account to share some of the stories from City Surf’s work with San Francisco’s Youth.
