On a beautiful morning in Hanalei, I headed out for dawn patrol with my camera, hoping to capture the quiet energy of the ocean and the surfers waiting for their next wave.
As I watched the lineup, I noticed Chance sitting patiently, studying the ocean and waiting for the right opening. I raised my Sony a7 IV just as a good-sized wave began to build behind him. With only seconds of battery left—and, unbeknownst to me, this being the last time I would use this camera—I pressed the shutter.
In that single frame, Chance was completely focused on the ocean, moments before paddling into the wave. The wave rose behind him and broke into a burst of whitewater and salt spray, freezing a fleeting moment of excitement and anticipation.
Sometimes the photographs that stay with you the longest are the ones you almost didn't get.
This was one of them.
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