With the advent of digital photography’s amazingly well appointed, super affordable “pro-sumer” point and shoot type type cameras for the masses, its just not that damn hard to snap a totally sick surf shot anymore. But, to have the vision and creativity to actually make a beautiful, soul stirring photo, well, that is a horse of a different color picture altogether and why The Outer Banks of North Carolina’s Daniel Pullen has long been one of our favorite east coast surf photographers ever. Living in Buxton in the shadow of the Caper Hatteras lighthouse, Daniel lives in a totally unique biosphere well known to and loved by many of us. It is that intimate local perspective of being so tightly woven into the fabric of the community coupled with being so closely hewn to the land that gives Daniels images their uniqueness and soul like nobody before him. Something all the point and shoot snapshot cameras in world simply can’t do as the following portfolio of Pullen’s work clearly shows. – Mez –
Highway 12 looking north after Hurricane Isaias skirted off the coast. We were spared this year during Hurricane Season.
This is Santa With A Shotgun taking part in celebrating Old Christmas, a tradition that is honored in the Tri Villages (Salvo, Waves, Rodanthe), here on Hatteras Island that dates back over 100 years. This is how my photographic year started …
This is the first time in over 15 years I had to find work outside of photography to make ends meet this winter. I helped a friend with tree work here on Hatteras, it was good ol fashion hard manual labor. This is my friend Jon Kelmer doing his thing.
Empty and Cold. Hatteras Village in the Winter.
These two…Brett Barley and Jeffrey O’Neil…If they ain’t filming they are fishing.
Kinnakeet Village…No Caption Needed. I think this is right when Dare County shut access to folks.
Wolfgang Blackwood, son of legendary 70’s-80’s local surf photog Russel Blackwood, trying to call a few of his friends to come surf with him on his banana phone before paddling out.
My Friend Christian Van Vliet making that long walk back up the beach after a Monster Drift Session.
This is one of the Road Blocks that were setup due to COVID as you came into Dare County. If you didn’t get that thumbs up…you weren’t getting in.
The Drum bite was good this spring during the “Lock Down” If you were a Drum and you were lucky enough, you got a kiss before you were released.
This is Carol Busbey, part owner of Natural Art Surf Shop, Surfer and Seamstress. She was making masks by hand to sell in the shop.
I think I only swam out to shoot from the water 3 or 4 times this year. This is one of those times. This is my friend Jamie McClellan on his craft. Dude Rips the raft!
Hurricane Teddy stayed offshore of Hatteras but its affects were felt all up and down Hatteras Island. This photo made the top 100 photos of 2020 in TIME Magazine.
Lucas Rogers boosting at the Avon Pier this fall. One of the few surf photos I took this year.
Summertime at the First Jetty…Need I say more.
Brett Barley in his Kinnakeet Wedding Slippers looking all Deliverance as he traverses a mosquito ditch on his way to surf. Guarantee he donated some blood on this walk.
When you mix Politics and Surf Culture…2020.
Skater, Surfer, Artist, Chef, Comedian, All Around Great Dude, Jake Throne, showing off some of this Art.
Winter in Hatteras. Cold, Windy, Desolate…Incredible Light. Wouldn’t have it any other way.
And speaking of portfolios- check out Daniels soon to be released photo book and support a local photographer and buy one. This inside look of life on the Outer banks is truly one of a kind and a worthwhile tome for the coffee table. To order “Mommicked” click and check out Daniels photo filled website click here https://www.danielpullenphotography.com and give him a follow on Instagram at @danielpullen.