“Crystal Wall is awarded 1st Place H20 2022 Exhibition at J. Mane Gallery!
It’s been a long time coming. I’ve been working hard and endlessly to pursue my passion in photography and it’s finally seeing the light of day! After numerous attempts in submitting my work into various art galleries, exhibitions, and contests, one of my favorite images, “Crystal Wall” won an award.
I am also a featured artist on the gallery website. So be sure to check it out! You can also view the Online Exhibition and the works of other amazing artists at the link below.
https://www.jmanegallery.com/h2o-2022-award-winners
“Crystal Wall” (1st Place)
The waves at this secret beach break located in windward (east) Oahu usually never gets this nice. It’s mushy on normal days due to blustering on-shore winds mixed with strong, dangerous currents. However, everything just seemed to align this very morning. The winds were slim to none with a dominant northern swell that made each oncoming wave peak high into the sky, curl, and then barrel ever so perfectly. It felt like a dream! The best part about it was how the water was crystal clear and hardly had anyone out other than my 2 close friends and 2 other bodyboarders.
After reviewing the images from this day, only two really stood out to: “Crystalized” and “Crystal Wall”.
You can find out more about “Crystalized” here.
The thing I found most intriguing about this particular image are the transitions between the elements of the water breaking in the ocean. The patterns are fairly calm in the foreground and gradually turn into a patterned wall that looked to me like a huge, blue crystal. As the energy of the water reached its point of breaking, it jumps forward creating a space of where that for many wave rights love to be in. This space of energy which ends up becoming the barrel of the wave, was lit perfectly by the sun, highlighting my most favorite place to be when I’m out in the water catching waves on a board. Despite being a place of emptiness for a fraction of a second, once its walls cave on you, it’s as if you’re being hugged by the entire planet.
Closing Words
I am super thankful and grateful for all the opportunities that I’ve been getting during my journey in this life. Since finally reaching my goal of being awarded 1st place in a prestigious art gallery’s exhibition, I can now call myself an award-winning artist! Thank you to my family, friends and everyone who supported and didn’t support me throughout my life. THIS ONE’S FOR YOU! THANK YOU! and I Love you!
If you’re looking to forward your artistic endeavors, need help, or advice, feel free to email me or send me a DM on instagram! I’m always down to help others and give the support that I wish I had sometimes.
Also, if you need help finding places to submit your artwork check out my other blog posts below:
How to Prepare for a Photography Show or Competition
Submitting your Photography Work to Grow your Audience
Aloha! 🙂