I've been into surfing and the ocean most of my life. I got my first stoke at the age of 7 when I took a surf lesson at Waikiki Beach. Two years later I was surfing as much as possible in my hometown of Santa Barbara. I was lucky that my mother thought surfing was a wholesome activity because she is the one who always drove me and a friend to the beach. She would drop us off at the entrance to the university and we would haul our beat up, 12-foot Yater long boards about a mile to Campus Point. I was a skinny kid and my board almost weighed more than I did, so carrying it that far really helped build those paddling muscles. It was also the 1960's, so being in the water was more mellow than it is in most places today. The guys at the beach were always helpful and patient; but they still teased me quite a bit, probably because I was a kook, but mostly because I was one of a very few girls in the water. They called me a "flat bottom riding a flat bottom" but I didn't care - I was hooked! Nothing could be better - the sun, the surf, and hanging out at the beach all day!

Campus Point was my home break until high school when my friend Carol got a car. We spent all our free time surfing up and down the Southern California coast. Some of our favorite hangouts were Jalama, El Capitan, and Rincon. Those were the days - we had a blast!

After high school, I spent some time on the North Shore of Oahu. I never rode big waves and I'm almost positive I never "ripped" but I loved the ocean, and the lifestyle suited me perfectly. Then I moved to Santa Cruz in the mid 1970's and got my first "real" job, gluing wetsuits for O'Neill's. But even with a warm wetsuit, I still found the water too cold and the crowds a bit too much, and eventually lost some of my interest for being in the water. That's when I discovered surf photography. It was a natural transition, and I am a better photographer than I ever was a surfer. Now I've come almost full circle, moved back to Santa Barbara in 2004, and started surfing again! So I'm stoked to be back in the water.

Over the years I have traveled to Costa Rica, Puerto Rico, New Zealand, Australia, Fiji, the Cook Islands, Samoa, and back to Hawaii several times. During those travels, I have always taken photos of everything near the water and surf shots of just about anyone in the water. I have thousands of images on slides and love the depth and color of slide film. To keep up with technology and provide a different level of service, I moved into the digital world about three years ago. My equipment now consists of a Canon 10D digital camera, a 500 mm lens, and a Dell Inspiron 8200 laptop that goes just about everywhere with me. The digital format eliminates film expenses and the laptop makes it easy to show photos right on the spot, and then burn CDs from the best shots. I also have a Canon A2 film camera that takes the most amazing photos.

I love surfing and surf photography and I think it's awesome to be able to capture and share surfing moments. If you're one of the hundreds of surfers who don't have a single shot of yourself surfing and you'd like me to photograph your next session or want more information about my services, you can email me at fluidblue@att.net or call me at:
(805)567-5204 or (831)588-2030.