Where We Drift

Where We Drift

Preface

Ocean Beach, OB, is a quirky little beach town that many, including myself, call home. Locals have built a lively and welcoming culture, driven by the Wednesday farmers' markets and the surfers and skaters who give OB its vibe. This is a place where anyone can be who they want to be, without judgment, a place where spiritual freedom is encouraged rather than suppressed.

Through these images, I aim to capture some of the people, places, and moments that embody these values. I want to show a small piece of what this town is and what it means to be the people who live here day in and day out. I plan to do this through a series of documentary and street-style black-and-white photographs. The images will be gritty to capture the community's roughness. They will contrast calm, quiet days with loud, lively nights. These scenes aren't staged or polished; they're fragments of daily life that, together, tell a story of a community that refuses to be simplified.

Some creative influences for this project include photographers Danny Lyon and Robert Frank, both of whom found beauty in overlooked corners of American life. I want to bring out the tones and textures of OB, highlighting the elements that make the atmosphere feel real. What makes this project feel special is the equal emphasis on people and place. OB isn't just a setting; it's a living character with history, spirit, and contradictions. My aim is for the viewer to feel connected, whether they've been to OB or not.

In the end, this book is about community, individuality, and the fleeting beauty of everyday life. It's about noticing the extraordinary and what's often dismissed as ordinary, and understanding that, in places like OB, the ordinary is what makes it magical.

Henry Holt
2025

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