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This month, our Summer Fun section features outdoor adventures such as kayaking, jet skiing, paddle boarding, taking a dolphin cruise and relaxing on the beach. While brainstorming ideas for the cover, we asked, which of these activities would make the most colorful, compelling photograph?
I remembered a photo recently sent to us by a local paddle boarder. He mounted a tiny, waterproof camera on the end of his board and took a wide-angle shot of himself from below and it was very cool.
So we contacted him, Glen Barroncini, and he was excited to promote paddle boarding and to be on the cover.
Scheduling the shoot was tricky because we wanted a brillant blue sky: Would Mother Nature comply? She did! The morning of the shoot was partly cloudy, but the water was calm and the sun provided good light.
Here’s how it went down: We met Glen at the little beach in Harbour Town. Rob Kaufman, the photographer, assembled his equipment and spent the next 45 minutes waist deep in the water (sometimes he was in all the way up to his neck!) Our graphics designer, Jeremy Swartz, also got wet and held the flash for Rob. And Glen’s co-worker, Tim, kept the kayak full of camera equipment steady.
Glen was calm and focused maneuvering on his paddleboard, and Rob caught him in action. When Glen seemed too focused, I provided comic relief from the shore (I fancy myself quite the little jokester.)
After about an hour, we felt like we had some great images. The shoot was a success!
Then Glen asked us if we wanted to try paddle boarding. My first thought was: “It’s one thing to act goofy on purpose, but do I really want to risk public humiliation falling face first into the water? No way.” But it was such a gorgeous day, and I knew I would kick myself later for not doing it, so I gave it a try. And it was awesome.
Tim gave us a basic tutorial, then we paddled out and started out on our knees. Standing up on the board was the tricky part, but it wasn’t too hard. It really does feel like walking on water. It’s good exercise and fun. Dolphins even came to the surface right next to us.
I think the final cover reflects the excitement and beauty of paddle boarding. We hope it inspires you to have your own awesome outdoor Lowcountry experience, all joking aside.
