Behind the Shot
When photographer Nicole Mason got the call from surfboard shaper Alex Lopez in 2021, she jumped at the opportunity to take photos of his work for his website. The two have been friends for years since they met on a photo shoot in Oregon, and coincidentally both eventually relocated to Southern California.
Alex got his love of surf culture from his father, Gerry Lopez, one of the most influential surfers in the history of the sport. Alex’s surfboards have been referred to as works of art—evident in this photo Nicole took of two twin-fin surfboards that he created. Stepping outside his San Clemente warehouse, they placed the two boards on concrete, and Nicole climbed a ladder to capture the view from above.
“I love the pairing of these two boards,” she says. “They’re similar but they also have subtle differences that you notice if you look a little bit longer.”
This image also speaks to the culture of surfing and shaping, which is prevalent in Orange County. “A lot of boards are shaped in a small, dark room in a warehouse surrounded by a concrete parking lot,” Nicole points out. “The context here shows the juxtaposition of beautiful, clean-lined shapes that are expertly crafted, making their debut in such an industrial setting.”
