Inside a Moody North Shore Winter in Black and White (Photos)

When you think of Hawaii, colors come to mind. The deep blue sea, the lush green of the winter rains, the rainbows that come after the rain, and the regular psychedelic sunsets and sunrises that grace the islands. 

So, from a photographic perspective, black and white isn’t likely your first choice but nevertheless I was stoked to demo the Leica M11 Monochrome over two weeks on Oahu’s North Shore. This February wasn’t exactly a good month for surf with strong NE winds and lots of rain.

The Leica M series isn’t really what you’d use to shoot surfing from the beach, you’d want something you could attach a long lens—like 400mm or more—to post up and snipe shots of the action. Given that there wasn’t much surf to shoot anyways, the M11 Monochrom felt like a great companion for the moody rainy days and downtime around the island. I used a 28mm f/2 Summicron which allowed me to be close to the action and still capture a lot in the frame.

As it happens when you’re having fun (and enjoying a new camera) the time flew by quickly but not before I could capture an array of moments that revolve around the surf-centric lifestyle of the North Shore. In my opinion, board building lends itself greatly to black and white images. Shaping rooms provide unique lighting and angles of subjects who are candidly consumed with their craft. 

The shaping room at the Center of Radical Education (CORE) plays host to a rotating bevy of world-class shapers who get to mow foam in the hallowed ground of Dick Brewer’s old shaping bay. In the past year the room has hosted shapers such as Josh Peterson, Ashton Pickle, Barrett Miller, Ryan Lovelace, and Jim Yarborough.

CORE also doubles as a creative studio and event space with the past month hosting “Friday Night Films”, organized by legendary lensman Eric Ippel to bring out the best photographers and filmmakers who are on the North Shore. 

Leica M3

While the M11 is Leica's latest in the famed M-series, the M3 is another camera I put to use around the North Shore. Shooting film, although expensive, provides another medium to experiment with capturing light and composing images.

Made from 1954-1966 it's an absolute classic and works amazingly even 60 years later.