Beach Shoot San Diego, La Jolla

Photographer Daniel Woods can hold his breath for 3.5 minutes, which comes in handy when he has to grab an underwater shot. An avid outdoorsman whose accomplishments include a 22-mile kayaking excursion to Catalina Island, Daniel found his way to photography through the continual inspiration he drew from wild landscapes, particularly ocean coasts. And then he wondered: why should these landscapes be limited to models and athletes posing for magazines? With that, Daniel launched Beach Shoot to make these wild backdrops accessible to anyone seeking an adventurous photo.

His shoots—which he calls “personal ad campaigns”—venture to locations where beaches, sea cliffs, and trails abound. During these shoots, he paddles along with his subjects to snap portraits and action shots while they're kayaking, standup paddleboarding, or belly-flopping on the exact spot where Venus was born. He posts sample shots to his online portfolio, organized into categories such as adventure kayaking, wildlife encounters, and portraiture. He also uses these dramatic backdrops to frame marriage-proposal shoots.