Website: https://kalschultz.com/home
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kal.schultz/
Most photographers spend their careers searching for the perfect place to create beautiful images.
For Kal Schultz, the North Shore of Oʻahu became something much greater than that.
It became home.
Known by most as "Beach Bum with a Camera," and affectionately called Braddah Kai by friends on the North Shore, Kal doesn't separate photography from the life that inspires it.
Photography isn't simply what he does. It's how he shares a place that forever changed who he is with the world.
Spend a few minutes talking story with him and you'll quickly realize the conversation rarely begins with cameras. It'll probably start with surf forecasts, Hōkūleʻa, Hawaiian history, ʻIwa birds soaring above the coastline, or why the North Shore sand feels different beneath your feet than anywhere else in the world. The camera eventually finds its way into the conversation, but only because it has become what he uses to preserve the experiences, friendships, and moments that have shaped his life.
Originally from Wisconsin, Kal followed a lifelong fascination with Hawaiʻi to the North Shore, where that fascination grew into something far deeper than photography. Through humility, curiosity, hard work, and a genuine love for the islands, he earned the trust and friendship of people he deeply respects, including becoming a crew member aboard the legendary Polynesian voyaging canoe Hōkūleʻa, an honor he considers one of the greatest privileges of his life. Those experiences weren't milestones to collect. They became part of the foundation upon which his life, values, and photography continue to grow.
His images are bold, dramatic, and full of energy, yet they never lose sight of the respect the ocean demands. Whether photographing Pipeline during a big swell, documenting the intensity of The Eddie Aikau Big Wave Invitational, or standing alone on a moonless night beneath a sky full of stars looking toward Kaʻena Point, Kal creates photographs that invite viewers to imagine what it is like to stand exactly where he stood when the shutter was pressed.
You'll always find a Bluetooth speaker sitting on the beach towel beside him, softly playing his favorite Hawaiian music while he photographs. To Kal, the music complements the ocean itself. Both have rhythm. Both tell stories. Both effortlessly pull you away from the noise of the outside world without ever asking permission.
That philosophy extends into the way his work is presented. His gallery-quality HD Acrylic prints aren't intended to simply decorate a wall. They own the room they're placed in. Bold, dramatic, and impossible to ignore, they're the pieces people stop mid-stride in front of before saying, "Whoa... tell me the story behind that one." That's exactly what Kal hopes happens. Because for him, the story behind the photograph has always been just as important as the photograph itself.
Ask him what he does for a living and he'll smile before answering, "I'm a Beach Bum with a Camera."
Most people laugh.
Then they spend a few minutes talking story with him...
...and realize he wasn't joking.
You describe yourself as a “Beach Bum with a camera,” which feels like it says a lot about both your personality and your photography. What does that phrase mean to you, and how does it show up in the way you shoot?
That’s a great question, I was once asked “what do you do for a living?”, and me being my humorous self simply replied “I’m a Beach Bum with a camera” partly because I always try to make people laugh and see things from a different perspective than the norm, but it does fit my personality way better than just saying “I’m a photographer”.
Beach Bum with a camera is who I am, “photography” is simply what I do”. From that point forward I fully embraced it… In all honesty, I really am a beach person at heart, with or without the camera! I just figured out a way to combine my passion into a form of work and to incorporate the beach as my “office”. It truly goes way deeper than that though, I’ve been drawn to the ocean since I was a kid, but growing up in Wisconsin I never in a million years imagined that I would be a Surf photographer much less one on the North Shore of O’ahu the epicenter of surfing and the most beautiful beaches on the planet.
Plus, Hawaii being 4200 miles away from Wisconsin seemed like it may as well have been mars. It just seemed so distant, exotic and unlike anything I knew. When I see the keiki who are growing up on the North Shore I think to myself “man, these keiki have no idea how fortunate they are, but that has nothing to do with financial status or anything like that…. It just simply means that wherever we grow up we may not see things the same way(or we take them for granted) things that other people who have never been there before see, smell, touch, taste, etc. because it’s all we know and has always been there.
Something as simple as the salt air on your face, the beautiful trade winds to keep the temperatures perfect in the summer months, the best sunsets on the planet, the feel of genuine North Shore sand (instead of the hardware store grade sand which you feel on many other beaches in different parts of the world. Etc etc etc…..
And let’s be real…. Hawaii is a bucket list thing for most people, so being able to call it home, is better than winning da lottery (well, maybe it’s actually the same thing)!!!! So I guess, I try to take in all of the senses and when someone who has been to the North Shore (and loves it) sees any of my images they experience sensory overload and “feel” all of it simultaneously, not just see the picture… the ‘Ehukai, the sand, countless rainbows, the warm winter sunshine (if they are from a cold weather state, this is something you never forget)the smells, the ‘Iwa birds flying past the shoreline at sunset.
In the simplest way to answer how does it show up in my images, I guess it’s because of the passion and love I have for everything North Shore, and I think when you truly love something you exude it…..
Your work is rooted in the North Shore and the ocean. How has living and shooting there shaped the way you understand waves, light, timing, and the energy of a scene?
The North Shore is truly fascinating to me…
Regarding to the waves specifically, there is so much science that goes into understanding how, why, when and where the waves happen, and because I’m a very scientific guy who wants to understand everything about anything that I am interested in, I’m like a sponge and try to absorb everything I possibly can, I jokingly tell everyone that living on the NS and being in the surfing world you could literally be a meteorologist and surf forecaster.
During Big Wave season we are constantly paying attention to Surfline, buoy readings, tide charts, wind charts, and sooooo much more. Those of us who take it seriously schedule our lives around surf season. We don’t make doctor or dentist appointments from November to April (I have actually cancelled dentist appointments, and dropping the car off at the body shop for repair because of surf forecasts (yeah Braddah, it be like dat!)
As far as light, I would usually wake up between 5-5:30 am to start getting ready, eat breakfast, make my lunch, pack my camera gear, etc. and get out on da sand for dawn patrol to see what spots were firing… fortunately I could stand on the point in front of the house and look at Pipeline, Off The Wall, Sunset etc thru the binoculars to see what spot looked best, and then I would take a ride down to each on my bike along the bike path….
Sometimes you would spend a ridiculous amount of time trying to make the right call, and looks can be deceiving as sometimes pipe would look great, you get down there and set up, and then Rockies would look like it was going off, so you’d pack up and head there… It’s like a game of whack a mole sometimes…. But fortunately the sun peaks over the mountain around 8:30 am on da NS, and lights up the inside of the wave perfectly making the wave beautiful and the surfer perfectly illuminated until about 11 ish and then you start getting shadows on the faces etc… a lot of the seasoned photographers go in during the mid day times, and come back out around 3-4 pm …. The light is on the back side of the waves from then until sunset giving us beautiful backlit waves……
I honestly believe pipeline is the most beautiful wave on the planet, and while it looks different depending what direction the light is hitting it, it is amazingly beautiful regardless of time of day….. if it’s firing I will stay out mid day to get good shots to make into black and whites…. That’s a cool different perspective as well, with the surfer being a silhouette.
Speaking of timing…. Here’s a “cheat code” I would always find it absolutely fascinating every time it would happen (but it was literally just science) I’d be sitting in my spot at pipe, and there would be a long lull, a lot of other photographers would already have been packed up and gone, then all of a sudden you’d see Jamie O’Brien or any/all of the Florence brothers come out onto the beach ready to paddle out, and you would just think to yourself “what TF are they paddling out now for, there hasn’t been any action for an hour” I swear every single time within minutes of them getting out into position the waves would turn on like someone flipped a switch in Jamie’s house and Pipeline now was a huge wave pool!
But like I said it’s all science, they pay attention to the buoy readings and know once the swell hits Kauai, it’s X number of minutes before it hits the NS! The energy on the NS (especially whenever there are big waves is unmistakable, intense and electric) While not everyone will notice the energy, if it’s In you it will find you and make the hair on the back of your neck and arms stand up and give you a tingly feeling. I would meet tons of tourists while shooting (one of the entrances to pipe is near where I would shoot from, and people would always ask questions once they got onto the beach…. you can see that some of them are just like “this is pipeline? That’s cool, look at that wave….. is it time to get lunch yet?” but occasionally you see someone step onto the sand for the first time, they’d see someone drop in on a 25’ pipe wave and be in total awe. Then they’d ask “what is it like living here” and trying to figure out what their profession pays in Hawaii, and what housing costs are.
While the North Shore has a very unique and friendly vibe, it also does not have any HR Department…. And FAFO is strictly enforced!!! If you burn someone in the lineup and drop in on them, you should fully expect to catch smacks (in the water and again on da beach, I jokingly refer to it as “surf lessons”) what most people don’t understand is that while obviously pipe is very beautiful, it’s even more dangerous and while the surfers make it look “safe” because everyone sitting in the line up is an “expert” level surfer or above (by my own estimations the people who charge pipe on any given big day are the top 1% of surfers on the planet, and it reminds me of something Laird Hamilton said “people will fight you over a 3’-4’ wave, but will give you a 20’ wave!”)
But most importantly people die at pipe and respect for the spot needs to be your top priority otherwise best case scenario you are sure to see what the inside of the ambulance looks like (there’s a sign with the names of those who lost their lives there at at one of the public accesses to honor them) on a big day at pipe there may be 100 surfers sitting in position (all the locals will be there, and there will be a lot of non locals hoping to get the wave of their life, so sometimes adrenaline takes over and people don’t think properly) then you have half a dozen + surf photographers in the impact zone hoping to get that once in a lifetime shot and land a pro surf photographer job, you’ll have body boarders, body surfers, OG surfers like Michael Ho who is still crushing it at 68 years old!
You have Wahine and Keiki trying to get waves as well. You will also have several jet skis (Ocean safety/Hawaiian water patrol) being in position as first responders if someone is in need of a lifeguard (yes, seconds make a huge difference)… then most importantly under the very shallow water is the reef that is unforgiving and will break you into a thousand pieces if you hit it. So if you drop in on anyone you are 100% putting their life in danger, and you will be dealt with accordingly. It’s not like you just turned in front of someone when it wasn’t your turn at the 4 way traffic stop and everyone’s life just goes on as if it didn’t happen.
One of the coolest things about big wave surfing is that you earn your place in the line up, you put your time in, you prove your skills (and that you’re not wasting a wave if you take it) you earn respect and priority, and it doesn’t matter how young/old you are or where you pee from, you’re all cut from the same cloth!
Surf photography often requires patience, instinct, and being in the right place at exactly the right moment. When you’re shooting in the water or from shore, what are you watching for before you press the shutter?
That all just comes from experience, and understanding what is all happening, reading the ocean, seeing the rollers on the horizon coming in, knowing which one, when and where the wave is going to form, who is in position to catch it, anticipating their every move prior to it happening, if it’s going to be a pipe or backdoor wave, etc etc… and then add in the camera… you have to have the ability to track the surfer and keep focus point on them without flailing around with your camera.
I was a wakeboarder for many years prior to being a surf photographer, so I naturally understood the physics of surfing and just needed to transfer that into photography. I shoot with a 500 mm lens, so it’s not like a wide angle where you just have to point the camera in the general direction of the surfer. Because Pipe breaks close to shore it can be easy to lose the subject until you’re used to that narrow angle of view…. It was like learning how to ride a bike all over again when I first got into surf photography and went from being used to shooting landscape and sunsets with a 14mm lens, and then tried shooting surf at 200mm, it was like what the hell is going on here and what’s wrong with me.
Sunset and Waimea break further out so you have more leeway, but you still need to pay attention so you frame the shot properly, I do a lot of wave sequence videos, so framing and tracking are critical, otherwise your final product will look like Ōpala.
You mentioned that the story behind the shot is just as important as the image itself. Is there a surf or ocean image that has a story people would never know just by looking at the finished photo?
Yeah…… “They Lived!”
While there are a lot of surf/ocean photographers and each has their own style, some showcase the beauty of the ocean and maybe pastel cotton candy colors, some specialize in the technical aspects of whatever the surfer is doing, and while the North Shore certainly has all of that, It’s a Wild place, and the Deadliest wave on the planet lives there!
I choose to capture The Raw power that Mother Nature has unleashed from thousands of miles away and the North Shore just does it’s thing and says “Let’s do something that’ll make Duke proud, but if you in da wrong spot that’s not my fault or problem”.
The truest and deepest thing about my images is the connection between the beauty, the power, the danger of Mother Earth, and the connection between it and the humans who are truly “Prioritizing Living” in the most basic way possible.
Yes we all have to pay bills and eat etc. but to a big wave surfer this is tied to and controls their entire existence.... It’s a drive that can’t be satiated.
Your shots from The Eddie are something we’d love to highlight! What is it like photographing an event with that much history, intensity, and cultural significance?
Please do!
While words can not begin to describe what that is like (especially to me) for those who don’t know what “The Eddie” is or who "Eddie Aikau” was please do some research on him. He was and still is an absolute legend!
“The Eddie” is the most prestigious event in surfing bar none! And it’s in honor of the greatest waterman Hawaii has ever known. For the longest time the North Shore was considered too dangerous to be staffed with lifeguards……until somehow Eddie convinced them that it was safer with him there than without. Originally he was the only lifeguard on the North Shore, He would patrol the entire 7 mile miracle with his car, eventually his brother Clyde became a lifeguard as well, and between the two of them they are credited with over 500 rescues (meaning they pulled 500+ people who were unconscious from the water to safety, and NOBODY died on his watch! We’re not talking Waikiki baby kine waves… the fury of full fledged NS waves!
Eddie was the youngest crew member on Hokule’a and as Nainoa Thompson says, “Eddie was the most important crew member on Hokule’a, because he was the next generation… He was to carry the torch when the older crew could no longer continue voyaging.
In 1978 there was a tragedy at sea and Hokule’a capsized in the worst storm to hit Hawaiian waters to that point. He begged the Captain to let him paddle his surfboard to safety and get help (keep in mind this was in the gale, and you couldn’t see your hand in front of your face, there were 12’-15’ seas…. And Eddie had bad eyesight!
Finally at dawn Eddie asked a third time and the captain let him go with his surfboard, a life jacket and a bag of oranges… the capsized canoe had drifted off course and was not going to be found…. He disappeared never to be found again…. Somehow there was a Hawaiian Airlines flight that just happened to notice the capsized canoe with crew clinging on for dear life, and radioed for help… Ironically the crew thought that Eddie would survive and they wouldn’t. It was an extreme act of heroism, but Eddie didn’t do it to be a hero…. Saving people was what he did no matter the conditions… and that is where the phrase “Eddie Would Go” came from.
Most people think it was from not being afraid of dropping into any huge wave, but it has a much more powerful meaning. The event first ran in 1985 and has only run 11 times because of the very strict requirements to run the contest, mainly that there must be at least 40’ Plus waves throughout the contest.
Just being invited to participate in the contest as an alternate is the highlight of just about any surfers career, even if the contest DOESN’T run! Shortly after I got into surfing, I learned about Eddie Aikau, and once I learned about him I learned about Hokule’a, I was absolutely blown away by the idea that a group of people decided to build a voyaging canoe (Wa’a) to sail to Tahiti and back to prove that’s how Hawaii was inhabited (unlike how history has portrayed it) only using traditional navigation (the stars), the wind, and nature… no motor just in case, no gps just in case, no radio just in case, the Wa’a doesn’t even have modern fasteners holding it together, just rope! Exactly the way their ancient Polynesian ancestors did, the more I learned the more I was fascinated and wanted to learn.
I wanted to get pictures of Hokule’a (not to sell, just for myself) and a great friend of mine knew someone who helped at dry dock he arranged for me to come meet a bunch of the crew and get pictures of the canoe… it was such a chicken skin moment (Mama Hōkū has an energy you feel whenever you get close to her), I told the woman who I had met that manages the crew and goings on with everything that If they ever needed any help I would be honored to volunteer, and that in addition to being a photographer I’m a welder, and can fabricate and build things etc etc… so I was invited to come back the following Saturday and help out.
From that point forward it’s been a pinch myself moment to see if this is really happening, and one of the things I am most proud of in life is to be a crew member on Hokule’a. I absolutely love my Wa’a O’hana and 100% trust them with my life! At the beginning of every big wave season there’s always chatter “Do you think the Eddie will run this year?”
Everyone speculating based on predicted weather patterns, cycles, El Niño patterns, what someone’s Unko told them based on which way da Honu was swimming dat morning, what color da Mahina was the night before…. Etc etc etc…. Literally everything is an excuse to talk story about “The Eddie”.
I have been extremely fortunate to be able to shoot two Eddies! It’s without a doubt the highlight of my surf photography…. When the forecasts are favorable for the Eddie to run there are different levels of forecast… and with each the anticipation grows, once the call is made there are crews that set up the entire judging booth structure, the stadium lighting, the sound system, porta potties, some vendor things like food, sponsor booths, merch tables, etc. everything in less than 24 hours!
It’s absolutely amazing to see how they transform Waimea Bay Beach Park into a full blown Surf contest Set up so quickly! The past Eddie was held Sunday, 12/22/2024, I selected our spot and set up our ez-up the prior Thursday afternoon and camped out until the contest started to make sure we had the best location and an unobstructed view, free of people walking in front of my camera and all thru our spot. I was only relieved for very short periods of time to go shower…
My friend and neighbor Unko Butch Is a NS OG, and is one of the original “Waimea Boys” to first surf Big Waimea, he was also friends (and surfed) with Duke, Tiger, and Eddie himself! He came to clear the brush in front of our spot so we had the best seats in the house! Talk about Chicken Skin, and intensity!! Then dawn came, the call was made, and the contest started!!! It was go time!!! Anytime I shoot surf I am Hyper Focused, and in the zone…. but this was that times 100. If I missed something or looked away for a second there was no do overs! These are no room for error moments! At least with wedding photography if you mess up (statistically) most of the time there’ll be a second or third one you can get the moment next time for them LMFAO!
I look at photographing The Eddie as it’s not just for me (while I would basically trade a kidney to be there otherwise), or for making money from selling prints…. It’s about the absolute Honor it is just to be there and capturing this AMAZING event, and sharing it with the world, as most people won’t ever see an Eddie in person…… and I capture it In a different way than a lot of the other photographers do, so It’s a different and unique perspective of the event.
Thank god it’s broadcast it on YouTube for everyone to see! The contest starts at 8 am and ends at 4 pm, but then there’s packing all of your stuff up, traffic, walking home, getting a much needed shower, and then the REAL work starts…. Going thru the 5200 images, and selecting the best ones to edit and post! It’s an absolutely grueling week, and you thank god that your equipment didn’t fail or have any issues. The friendships you make with your “Eddie neighbors” is amazing as well… the past Eddie, the people who were set up next to us brought a ton of food, one of them was a gourmet chef. Like every 15 minutes mid afternoon we were being handed plates of ribs, brisket, pulled pork, you name it they were handing it to us…. Plus I was able to share our space with great friends, one of which has since passed away (but that will be the last and best memory I have with him, and another couple who has REALLY helped thru an extremely tough time recently).
It really is indescribable to experience an Eddie, and while there are thousands upon thousands of people packed along that coastline it’s like one giant family, there are no drunk altercations, people being jerks, just Aloha, and Respect for what the Eddie is and represents. I am still in awe at the images when I look at them and keep thinking to myself “WOW, I can’t believe this is my image”…. It takes a lot to impress me when it comes to big wave images, but the Eddie is just otherworldly.
Your images are bold and dramatic, and you want people to feel like they are actually in your shots. What do you do creatively or technically to create that feeling of presence?
Well when I say that, I want to clarify that to me it means that I want people to imagine themselves right there from my vantage point, and not think “I wonder what this shot would look like from over there etc.
There are a few different things depending on the style of the image I am capturing. With my beach sunset shots, I get something in the foreground like the lava rocks and or sand, then obviously the ocean, probably a palm tree or nice/famous house the colors of the sunset, surfers exiting the water, birds flying past, maybe a whale breeching, maybe a seal or turtle, and with my wide angle lens the clouds really look like they are coming at you, almost in a 3D kine way.. There is just a lot of things happening, but they all look like they are in the correct place at the correct time.
With the surf photography, it makes you feel like you are right there watching sometimes from in the water, sometimes from on da beach, and with the surf stuff I always want the image in someway to show the beauty obviously, as well as the power/force/energy it takes to create that, and the potential life threatening danger of everything if something goes wrong. Even if that is subliminal or shown subtly…. It’s always there.
You photograph surf, sunsets, ocean, landscapes, and astro scenes, but they all seem tied to place and feeling. What makes a moment feel worth preserving as a print?
Well, I tell people that the North Shore is a photographers heaven, because with a few exceptions everywhere you look looks like a postcard. Everything is beautiful, it’s not like the most beautiful wave on the planet is located next to Detroit….
There is a million things that make the North Shore beautiful, not just a single thing…
So when you’re looking for beauty it shows up everywhere, if all you want to see is one aspect it is there as well, but I think the thing that ties everything together and the feeling in the images is the human connection with God, spiritual, nature, culture, and the universe.
One thing that I would do when there were huge waves at night (preferably if it’s a moonless night) is go out on da beach and just look down the shoreline and out towards Ka’ena Point, because there is very little light pollution along that coastline and I’d think to myself this is what it used to look like to the ancient Hawaiians hundreds and thousands of years ago, it’s a very spiritual experience for me….
Also the fact that a big wave could surge up the beach and suck me back out over the sharp Lava rocks and nobody would even know always reminded me of the danger that is always lurking within the majestic beauty….
What advice would you give to future photographers/artists?
Figure out whatever you are most passionate about and only do that… be very careful and do not do a different style of photography just to chase the money, it will burn out your creativity and passion as well as your desire to shoot what you love…
I have been asked to do weddings by people who are great friends and who I respect, but told them I wouldn’t. First and foremost because I am not a wedding photographer and do not wish to become one (I would do a simple fun destination beach wedding, because the beach and beach lifestyle are my gig, church weddings, nope) but most importantly whatever you’re passionate or not passionate about shooting it’s going to come thru in your images. It shows in every mini session image that I see someone post. While chasing your dreams may lead you down many paths along the way (and rightfully so it should) please always be conscious of which way you’re heading and that it aligns with your goal…
I would rather see someone who is passionate about one type of photography no matter what that is get a job doing something not related to photography at all instead of getting a photography job shooting something they absolutely hate just because they want to make money with photography, until what they are most passionate about shooting gives them the option to walk away from their job.
One of my business mentors said “once you compromise your morals and beliefs… suddenly it can be done”, and that is a very dangerous position to put yourself into….
Biggest thing is learn whatever you can about what you don’t know that you know that you need to know, AND then go out and implement it. Come back look at your images, one of the business terms I use that applies to photography as well is MMAC, measure, monitor, adjust and control.
See what you did differently, know why you changed it, figure out if it helped or not, and try to do better next time. If you think you know everything there is to know about a certain type of photography, then go try a different type (for fun and experience/knowledge) and you will see that every style of photography requires a different skillset to do it, even if the basics apply (like the exposure triangle).
Another business mentor told me one time, “Whatever you are, be the best one at it”. Apply that to yourself, BUT not for egotistical purposes, or to be one arrogant donkey, but to be the best you can be for yourself. That’s the only thing that matters. The quickest way to learn how to do anything is by doing…. Don’t try to impress people by how few shutter actions your camera has. There’s an abundance of stuff in the world, you will never run out of things to photograph.
One thing that someone said when I first started shooting was “once you take 10,000 images you’ll be a good photographer” but that doesn’t mean to put your camera on continuous high and just jump and spin around like someone getting attacked by a swarm of bees… it means consistent concentrated effort…..know the exposure triangle like you know your phone number, know your camera menu and how to adjust your settings so you can change them on the fly without taking the camera away from your face, know your lighting, and/if it will change as well as how, and how to compensate for whatever happens, anticipate what will happen with whatever you are shooting (if it will move, etc) shadows and how to use them, weather, having a safe escape plan if something goes wonky, potential weather changes, etc, there is a million things to learn/know… always know your environment and surroundings.
Be a professional about your photography…. Meaning if you’re going somewhere to shoot, know the area, know the lighting, know the angles, know everything about that location and how to maximize it to your advantage to create the best possible images. Print your work!!!! It will absolutely change you!!!
I’m sure you have taken “the best image of your life” and it looks dope AF on your laptop, FB/IG, but have it printed big and it comes alive and is a totally different image!!! You will be amazed and think “OMG!!! This is my image!!!” That is the kind of thing that satisfies your soul!
Probably most importantly I would figure out how best to leverage myself…. This doesn’t mean running around doing free sessions for everyone…. Here’s da Magic, Being a photographer can grant you access….. if there’s something happening that would be very impressive for you to have your name attached to or if there will be people there that you would never come in contact with otherwise, reach out to the oregininazation/venue, whoever you need to get ahold of to to offer your services……. everyone is focused on “building my portfolio” focus on building your network as well, that is way more important!
Develop “your style” don’t try to be like everyone else…. Pretty much any great photographer has an immediately recognizable style, where you know it’s their image even before you see their name attached to it! Lastly…. Back your images up on the cloud…. Have one hard drive fail and you will understand why!!
What's your favorite print medium/finish for their images?
My Favorite medium to print on is HD Acrylic (I use white paper on a lot of images, but the metallic has a very special place on some of the images I print, it just depends on what the image is and what I feel is going to look best, Julia turned me on to the metallic paper).
I originally was set on Metal prints, because I saw them in multiple locations and was like WOW! Those are sooooo amazing, but my gf at the time mentioned that “they’re overdone and everyone has metal prints”, When we visited Artbeat, Julia was like “your prints belong on Acrylic, and explained why it would make them REALLY stand out from anything anyone else has seen or has (aside from the images having that effect on their own…. Why not match the image to the medium)
However I do offer matted paper prints, and metal prints, but one thing that I am very strict on is that some of my images are only available on HD Acrylic, and the smallest print I would offer in paper is 11” x 17” and 16” x 24” on metal. Simply because I want to retain the scale and WOW factor of the image, and that just doesn’t happen on a 8” x 10” on anything….
All of my images are shot and intended to be viewed BIG, there’s just a different feeling when you’re looking at a 24” x 36” than there is looking at an 11” x 17” of the same image…. In my mind 40” x 60” should be the smallest image I offer….. I’m extremely grateful that Julia educated me on the power of Acrylics! I wouldn’t have it any other way now.
When you see my displays set up it looks like they came straight out of the highest end gallery you’ve ever seen. Metal and paper just doesn’t have the same effect…
Why did you choose to partner with Artbeat?
My plan from the beginning of getting into photography when we moved to the NS was to do photography as a business and sell prints. Once I had a good amount of images to select from I tried getting some metal prints from the print shop on island (it was very important to me to try and keep everything regarding my work from Hawaii) but the color match just wasn’t there (of course I was the only one who they have ever had an issue with printing).
After trying to work thru it with no acceptable results(and they were really amazing at trying to help figure it out), I tried several other off island companies who were supposed to be “the best” I didn’t have money to keep ordering prints from everyone, and with one company I tried working thru the issues on the phone with them and when I asked them “what color calibrator do you use” because I was prepared to get the same one just to make everything the same I was told “oh, we don’t calibrate our monitors, we have an amazing color team and our prints always come out great” that’s not the answer a scientific minded guy like me wants to hear….
So after that I was at my wits end, I literally spent countless hours on the phone with Dell, Adobe, Mac, and Datacolor trying to figure out where the problem was and how to get it resolved, I bought 2 new computers, a new monitor, a new color calibrator, etc, and the responses I kept getting was “well, that’s something that’s happening on adobe’s end”, that is something that is related to using a PC/Mac, you need a different monitor, etc etc etc.. everyone was quick to point the finger at the other and not take any responsibility thinking it may have something to do with their product/service…..
I was so depressed and discouraged because I was ready to accept that printing just wasn’t for me, it was so bad that I was seriously ready to quit shooting, and everyone who I spoke with that printed their images had zero issues ever with printing their stuff…. I thought wtf good is it to just have a million images on my computer and I can’t have the business I wanted without selling prints…. So I saw an ad for artbeat and said, “Ok, one last try….let me give Artbeat a shot.
We were going to be in SoCal anyways (I’ve had a long time connection and love for SoCal), also there is a strong connection between Hawaii and California in the surfing world, so it was the logical next best thing!
Luckily I was able to set up a time to come in meet Julia (and see the shop) I was extremely impressed with everything, everyone, and one of the coolest things was to see all of the amazing prints hanging on the walls! I still wasn’t convinced anything was going to be different, because of all of the “troubleshooting” I went through with the other companies, the things we tried, and I couldn’t get any straight answers, but she was certain that everything would be fine, so I put my trust in her, and to be honest she is an absolute saint, and helped me as if I was the only customer that existed.
The first order I placed was for planning to be part of a future art night event that I wasn’t sure which date I would be part of, and there was a 30% off sale going on so I ordered Twelve 24” x 36” HD Acrylics….OMG, I was so nervous (and ridiculous, I included calibration numbers in the notes for the order, etc.. trying to ensure everything was going to work out, as Twelve 24” x 36” prints was a HUGE risky order for me! She was super cool about it and knew my anxiety over printing…. I’m guessing that there’s probably stories that get told abut me and that order occasionally, but it’s cool, the prints were perfect and I’m happy!)
A few days after I placed the order I was asked to participate in the next event which was just a few short weeks away…. OMG!!!! My okole puckered!
I had never ordered a print from Artbeat, the HD Acrylics were supposed to arrive just days before the event! Would they be right, would I look like an idiot, i didn't even have any displays figured out yet!
I was so nervous opening each one up thinking “this is going to be the one that the colors don’t match as they should, and I’ll be damned if they all didn’t look absolutely AMAZING and right on.
The bottom line, and what will keep me as a loyal customer of Artbeat is that the company has Aloha! That’s not just a nice Hawaiian way of saying they have good customer service.
In a world where similar products are everywhere, it’s how you treat people that makes all the difference in the world.
Artbeat saved my photography career bottom line, and I will never forget that!!
