Last month, we caught up with Oahu-based surfer, creator and photographer Alana Spencer during the release of our new limited edition Saltfish Surf Co. Bowery bag. Alana created her blog, Coconut Comradery, to collect her island-inspired photographs and notes on the places she goes and the people she meets. Below, she shares some of her favorite images and more about her design aesthetic, creative influence and goal for 2017.
Name: Alana Spencer
Hometown: Haleiwa, North Shore of Oahu Hawaii
Alana carries the Saltfish Surf Co. Bowery bag.
Describe your aesthetic in five words or less: Up to interpretation.
Go-to gear: Canon 5D Mark IV in my Waterhousings Hawaii waterproof housing, and the Leica MiniZoom point and shoot.
Favorite place to travel to: The European countries I've holidayed have all been incredible.
Biggest creative influence: Beach culture in new places.
Pictured above: The Clifton Backpack in black leather.
Thing you can’t live without: Family and friends.
What motivates you: Staring my favorite images after a shoot.
Time of day are you most creative: Sunset golden hour, in the Pacific.
Biggest challenge: Waking up early.
One piece of advice that stuck with you: Do it right the first time.
Mistake you’ve learned from: Invest in good luggage for your equipment.
Project you are most proud of: Shooting in the water is so special to me. I'm most proud of any time I get to share my hometown and the breaks I grew up surfing, now through a lens.
Most used phrase: I'm hungry.
Earliest memory: Learning how to surf at 2, before I knew how to swim.
Hidden talent: Must still be in hiding...
Dream project: Document a boat trip with my favorite surfers/friends.
Most recent “a-ha” moment: Every morning I wake up in my own bed, in my hometown on the north shore, remembering I have an incredibly amazing lifestyle, and that's when all the possibilities seem endless.
Goal for 2017: Shoot more film.
Lightning round -
Sweet or savory: Sweet.
Childhood celebrity crush: James Franco.
Cats or dogs: Non-shedding dogs.
Favorite album: Speaking In Tongues, Talking Heads or Rumors, Fleetwood Mac.
Favorite book: I'm more of a podcast lover; 'How I Built This' is an epic one. also 'The Surfers Journal' - it's more so a magazine, but one of the two I would loved to be published in.
Biggest fear: Blank rolls of film.
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