Carranza Fotografia

This was one of my first sessions back in the water after a heal injury I suffered playing soccer. My advise, never challenge your 10 year old wearing sandals in the mud. After a year of being dry-docked, I was lucky enough to be welcomed by a solid summer south swell that was just reeling sheared perfection. Justin Lahrs, an aspiring nineteen-year-old surf photog, was kind enough to photograph my welcome back session at my home break. He likes to shoot with a fisheye lens and was able to capture some cool angles and barrels. Hopefully this will be the first of many more photography sessions to come. Thanks Justin, I’m totally stoked.

There is always something special when you step out of yourself and give a lending hand. So often we become dissatisfied with our lives that we lose touch of what we really have or need. Our homes seem too small; our cars are not of the latest style and our vacations are not extravagant enough. Somehow we simply overlook the fact that we already have everything we need.

Three months ago my wife Ericka and my thirteen year old daughter Natalia and about 120 volunteers from Journey Covenant Church, South Bay Presbyterian, and another church that came as far as Santa Cruz California, helped build two homes in a small village in the town of Maniadero, just south of Ensenada in Baja Mexico.

Last week my wife and our close friends, the Sonoda’s, loaded up our Toyota Previa and the Sonoda’s large utility van with what seemed like at least 100 large plastic trash bags full of clothes, shoes, toys, food and even a mountain bike for Mr. Gonzalez.

Our donations were not excessive or pretentious, as a matter of fact they were second hand toys, last year's soccer uniforms and shoes that may be one size too large and not of the current fashion, but none of this mattered to the of villagers of Maniadero. To them it was never a concern. Perhaps to them, it was simply a prayer answered.

I hope my images portray the reality of why we should all be so grateful.

Matthew 25:35-37

For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in.