My husband, Kenji Croman is professional wave photographer that is living his dream… chasing waves.
He wakes up before dawn every morning and searches for the perfect wave to shoot on the island, which is usually at Sandy’s.
He takes about 500 shots in his session and only gets about 1 great shot {using a non-flash camera}. It may look easy, but it’s actually very difficult and dangerous. The water housing with camera itself weighs about 10lbs and you need to be able to hold it out to shoot in the barrel of the wave. Not only that, you are holding the water housing, treading water and making sure you don’t get slammed from the wave at the same time.
For those of you who are unaware of Sandy’s, it’s one of the most dangerous breaks in the world and people call it “the beach of broken necks” for a reason. If you’re not highly experienced in bodysurfing or bodyboarding, it’s highly recommended that you don’t go in. I went in once years ago and thought I literally was going to die. Rule #1- NEVER TURN YOUR BACK ON A WAVE!
After 6 years of constant practice and determination, he continues to capture and create wave photos in a artistic way.
I see young kids who follow him on Instagram, come up to him at the beach all the time with their GoPro asking for his advice. He has such a passion for it that he will spend amounts of time with them and share his tips and tricks with them. I always joke that he should have been a teacher, because he loves to teach and is so patient.
He said that when he was first starting out as a wave photographer, nobody wanted to teach him anything, nor share what they knew. It was almost like a secret society. He learned everything on his own and from his experience, he said that if anyone were to ask him for guidance, he was going to help and encourage them.
He recently launched a Kickstarter campaign that will allow him to travel to South America to shoot waves at some of the best beaches in the world. It is a pledge that you make and return you receive a photo of your choice. So far, he is at 86% of his goal with 4 more days to go!
Just the other day, Ashton Kutcher promoted him on his Facebook and Twitter with his 13 million followers on both social media platforms. Gotta love social media + Ashton Kutcher!
If you love wave photos or you would like to see how it’s done in action, click here to learn more about this amazing project by my husband. He is a true inspiration to me and many others.
Aloha X-
Kathy {his proud wifey}
