I grabbed my board and my camera and headed to the beach. I was there to work on a commission for a local collector, to capture what he (and most of us who spend time in the water), want to be reminded of when we are out of the water. The sun was low in the sky, and there was a haze so common for the Southern California climate, which slightly obscured the brilliant sun in the sky, making all of the colors on the horizon take on a faintly bruised appearance. It was summer, the water was warm, and for some reason the crowd was small. The water was particularly glassy that afternoon, like a moving mirror. I remember turning to the surfer next to me, and saying, “Look at these colors! Amazing!” He gave me a look of complete understanding, smiled, and paddled off to catch the next wave. Sometimes there is no need for words, we are just on the same wavelength.