Spectacular Surf Photos
Renowned local photographer Randy Johnson's work on display
Surfing has spawned a huge subculture in Southern California
but riding the ocean's breakers still holds many mysteries. For those of
us who've never been on a longboard or felt the energy of a wave lifting
us, hard-core surfing and the people dedicated to it can inspire awe and
wonder. That's how I felt when I walked into Perry's Pizza on Balboa
Peninsula near the Newport Beach pier, and gazed at 100 powerful photos of
waves and surfers that cover the restaurant walls. All are by veteran
photographer, Randy Johnson. The color photos portray sand, sea and sky - and surfers. They were taken at the Wedge - just north of where Newport Bay empties into the Pacific - and at other Peninsula locations. Some of the larger pictures - 2-by-3 feet - are of 20-foot plus swells, shot on a limited number of days each summer. There are sequential displays of huge breakers hitting the shore, photos of riders slicing into waves and of body boarders doing acrobatics.
Johnson has traveled the world - including Hawaii, Australia, and the South Pacific - taking pictures of many famous surfers and surfing locales. His photos have graced the pages and covers of Surfing magazine, among others. "
As a water photographer, I'm continuously challenged," he explains. "I'm often locked into a swirling tube with sand, froth and other surfers while I commit myself to a shot."
With an
inventory of hundreds of thousands of images, Johnson approached the owner
of Perry's Pizza, suggesting that he blanket the restaurant walls with his
photos. Owner Jess Bingaman was excited to have the pictures, requesting
they be entirely from the Peninsula. The restaurant is an excellent place
for the photos, as several portray Blackey's - just 100 yards north -
another favorite surfing spot. Johnson, grew up on the Peninsula, in what he calls the surfing culture.
"At 13, I picked up a camera," he says, "and began taking pictures of the ocean and of surfers who appreciate the sea's power and unpredictability.
"Over the next four years, I often wondered where my skills would lead me. But many of my hopes came to a screeching halt while riding a wave on a stormy morning at blackies, I hit my head on the ocean floor. The impact was so great that I ruptured an artery in my neck.
"Having a stroke gave me great determination. During the next two years, I worked very hard to recover, regaining my strength and swimming ability. Then on a sunny day, two years later, I felt the pull of the ocean, picked up a board and paddled into the surf. In a moment, my two-year hiatus from riding the breakers seemed to vanish."
Had he not sustained limitations from the accident, Johnson might have pursued
a more
conventional profession. But with first-rate swimming and photography
skills, and wave knowledge (where the waves break, the time between sets,
what direction they are peeling), he became a surf photographer.
Johnson's photos reveal an artisan who brings focus and intensity to his work. These qualities were born in part from seeing his hopes almost dashed among the breakers - then regaining his skills to pursue a career he seemed destined to follow. His pictures evoke the legacy of surfing at its best, its mystery, danger and beauty.
Perry's Pizza at 2108 3/4 West Ocean Blvd., near the Newport Pier, is open to photo fans and pizza lovers every day, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.