Twelve Months with Kyla

There is no way to say this in simpler terms other than to just spill it. JettyGirl simply would never had gotten off the ground without the help of Kyla Langen. I can still remember my phone call to her when the idea of JettyGirl came to me. I knew Kyla had done some writing for other publications so I nervously called her with the general concept and asked if she'd be willing to do some work to help get it going.

By the time the first twelve months had passed we had conducted a dozen lengthy interviews, spent numerous hours of late-night transcribing, organized good and bad photo sessions, went through a bit of controversy, and finished off the year with empty pockets but great memories.

As I reflect back to the beginning, I know in the deepest part of my heart that without the soulful, curious, surf-stoked Kyla Langen, JettyGirl wouldn't be where it is today.

About this photo...

This image was taken during the San Diego fires of October 2007. Two days earlier our family had packed away a small amount of treasures and documents for a quick escape from the flames which were two hillsides from our home. In the end, the winds shifted and smoke and ash rained down on us instead of burning embers. Sadly, hundreds of families in San Diego were not so lucky during this firestorm.

As often happens in life, there are two sides to every coin. In this case, the same fires that wrecked people's lives resulted in atmospheric conditions that were a pleasure to shoot photos in. As the smoke subsided a bit I met up with Carlsbad's Kyla Langen to shoot an evening session. The surf was marginal so we didn't get any great surfing photos but Kyla saved the day with a quick flip of her hair.