Go behind the scenes with photographer Alex Nye as he crafts his award-winning “Scrippsehenge Surfer” image

Last year, three of Alex Nye’s images were recognized by the judges of our 2022 APA Awards:

• Honorable Mention: Photo of the Year, “Scrippshenge Surfer”
• Editor’s Choice: Project of the Year, NAS Lemoore F-35 Hangar & Airfield for Cass Sowatsky Consulting Architects
• Short List: Early Career and Emerging Talent

Alex is a filmmaker and architectural photographer based in San Diego, California, where he captured one of his most stunning images, “Scrippshenge Surfer”. Twice a year, the sun sets in perfect alignment with UCSD’s Scripps Pier attracting surfers and photographers alike. Backlit by the setting sun, surfers risk their lives surfing down a narrow hallway of concrete pylons. Photographers wait patiently on the shore to capture this natural phenomenon known as Scrippshenge. 

In this video, Alex takes us behind the scenes of crafting this gorgeous image and demonstrates his commitment to his art: staking out a prime spot amongst a sea of photographers, patiently waiting for the sun to set, learning the ins and outs of his gear and trusting that it won’t fail him in these crucial moments, and that’s just half of it. The journey continues at home in the post-production process where he edits the image to perfection.

One of the reasons we love this community and continue to host the awards is because of your passion and love for this art form. Alex created this video unsolicitedly and offered to share it with us to promote the 2023 APA Awards before it closes on January 31st, 2024. We can’t wait to see your entries. If you haven’t entered yet, click here to learn more about the contest and the various categories and subcategories you can enter your images. We are giving away 14 prizes including cash and trophies.

If you’d like to brush up on your post-production skills, Alex is selling an hour-long version of the video above: Photography Editing Tutorial | “Scrippshenge Surfer” where he’ll take you through editing the “Scrippshenge Surfer” image from start to finish for just $35, which is a bargain especially if it helps you create an award wining image. Make sure you follow Alex on YouTube where he is constantly creating and sharing free tutorials and demos.