Ocean Wave Image Of The Week: South Laguna Beach

There is a force to backwash at coves and beaches in Laguna Beach that define how dangerous shore breaks can get.  Water leaving a sloping beach returns to the ocean in a wave that meets incoming waves with enough impact to twist, bend, and throw waves every which direction you could imagine.  The result is what you see here.  What appears to most to be a beautiful wave is a tale of caution for wave riders who have experienced its force.  Scotty Carter knows the waves of Laguna Beach as well as anyone and the power found in the some of the world’s most distinguished coves and beaches is remarkable.

While we would agree this image is beautiful it also serves as a reminder about the dangers of waves.  This particular day would not have been for the inexperienced for even to them it represents a perilous situation.  Enter the ocean at your own risk on a day like this.  The best advice someone could give the inexperienced is to stay out of the water when it is like this.  Even the most advanced swimmers and wave riders have been hurt on days like this.  The beaches of Southern California are wonderful.  The beaches along the coastline of Laguna are liquid wonderland!

Hawyland Styles Takes On Wave Images By Scotty Carter

Ocean Wave Images a blog of Scotty Carter Fine Art, Scotty Carter Dot Com and Scotty Carter Photography is pleased to announce a special collaboration with Hawyland Styles E-Commerce Site and Gallery in Honolulu Hawaii operated by Brian Wyland the son and nephew of the Bill Wyland and Artist Wyland, the proprietors of Wyland Galleries and Wyland Foundation.  We expect an incredible partnership ad a bright future with Brian who is poised to take all that he has learned from the family business of fine art and apply it to a business of his own.  We are honored to be a part of this new and exciting venture!

Sunset With The House Of Mirrors

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The sun is setting in the west and hits a particular house casting reflections and color on to waves before it bids adieu until sunrise the next day.  The reflections created by one of the houses fronting the beach makes for quite a display.  It’s kind of fun to call it the House Of Mirrors!

If You Love Aliso Beach This May Be A Cherished Memory!

Wow!  Has it been that long?  As a body boarder I remember so fondly all of the really good days at Aliso Pier.  Battered into submission, the pier was roughed up by large waves in in the late 90’s that made it a potential danger to the public. The cost of repairing the pier was rumored to be prohibitively expensive and perhaps made substantially more difficult to accomplish due to some rumored defects in the craftsmanship.  I don’t know if that is 100% true but I do know that I have heard that from someone I believe is credible.  Either way, the Aliso Pier is in the history books and this Scotty Carter Photo provides a glimpse into the past that conjures up good memories for so many people that have frequently showed up at this quaint little beach and amazing shore break.

The Birds

On high tide when the waves are big the waves pretty much detonate on the sand.  This is one of those days.  The cloud cover brings a dark and ominous look and feel to this wave and it looks to have scattered a bunch of California Gulls that are trying to avoid becoming unintentional victims of a massive explosion of water.  

The dark side of this photo reminds me of a terrifying movie I saw as a child.  Alfred Hitchcock’s “The Birds”!  

The Birds

On high tide when the waves are big the waves pretty much detonate on the sand.  This is one of those days.  The cloud cover brings a dark and ominous look and feel to this wave and it looks to have scattered a bunch of California Gulls that are trying to avoid becoming unintentional victims of a massive explosion of water.  

The dark side of this photo reminds me of a terrifying movie I saw as a child.  Alfred Hitchcock’s “The Birds”!  

Nature Does All The Heavy Lifting!

One of the most amazing qualities of photography is that Mother Nature does the painting.  Photographers have to time and position their cameras in a way that best captures the incredible landscapes that are planet has to offer.  Scotty Carter is extremely observant and self-aware as he shoots a beach scenic in Cabo San Lucas with a sun angle that casts his shadow on the beach as he shoots.  Amazing!

Article By: Rob Brack

Mark Gabriel Cleared For Takeoff

Though it is not his preference in terms of the photography that he does, Scotty Carter on occasion connects with the incredible surfing talents in South Laguna Beach.  Looking at the picture of Mark the slogan from Southwest Airlines comes to mind so Mark you are free to move about the country!  Sorry had to provide myself a comedic moment!

Scotty has known Mark Gabriel since they were young men and the two have maintained a strong friendship since.  Today Mark has a fine art gallery called The Mint that features some of the amazing talents in the wave art field.  Mark is a great guy and he has a vision for the future of beach lifestyle clothing, accessories and art that holds great promise.  He is holding a grand opening party at the location in North San Clemente and you can obtain details and directions by going to http://www.themintlifestyle.com.  The amazing wave images of Scotty Carter will be there showing off pieces from his coastal hydrodynamic collection as well as his 2012 reef science collection as a part of the Celebration of Water, Light and Energy.  

Article By: Rob Brack

Salt Creek Beach

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Salt Creek Beach is a gorgeous stretch of coastline and beach in South Laguna along the Laguna Niguel and Dana Point border.  Unlike many of the beaches in South Laguna there is a large metered parking lot, a snack bar, a paid cart ride up and down the hill, a basketball half court, a bike and running path, barbeque pits, picnic area and a large grassy noll.  Few places in Laguna Beach have these kinds of amenities but therein lies the charm of Laguna Beach.  It is less commercialized and closer to its natural state than most areas of the coast in Southern California.

The beach has one of the best waves in Southern California.  The water is an often see through blue-green that is incredibly inviting and aesthetically pleasing.  This spot is a favorite of body surfers, tray surfers, body boarders and surfers.  Because of the direction the beach faces it is open to waves from both the north, west and south which makes it a very consistent break.  I met Scotty Carter there in 1986.  It is incredible to think that much time has gone by.

Above is another example of how good Mother Nature is to Salt Creek.  The place is beautiful!

 

Article By: Rob Brack

 

When Side Waves, Backwash And Energy Collide

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Under the influence of an extreme sloped beach and a side wave bouncing off the reef on the south end of Aliso Beach, there is a violent collision that twists, rips and throws water every which way you can imagine.  Our best advice is to get out of the way of a wave that looks like this!  The consequences for having to duck this wave after it implodes is getting seriously rag dolled!  Enjoy this Scotty Carter wave image from South Laguna.

Article By: Rob Brack