Ryan Valasek shot California Gold in 2018, on a quick two-day trip up the California coast.
He was the photographer on a small clothing shoot — two cars, a handful of friends, no real itinerary beyond surfing during the day and finding somewhere to camp for the night. The Bronco in the frame was theirs. The three figures are Case Anderson, Christian Ramirez, and Russell Holiday. His buddy Ryan Hill was shooting alongside him.
They spent the day surfing and driving, and as the light started to turn, they began looking for somewhere to post up for camp.
Most people who know that stretch of coast will know where it is. A lot of people won't. He prefers to keep it that way.
"It's always our job as photographers and storytellers to document places in a way that's beautiful — but also doesn't give everyone the exact directions."
He started shooting close to the car, lifestyle stuff, but it wasn't giving him the separation he wanted. So he and Ryan Hill grabbed a walkie-talkie and hiked up a little higher, calling down to the guys to reposition the Bronco — a little to the left, a little further over — until the rig sat where it sat.
Then they got out and did what people do when they get to camp.
Case dropped the tailgate. Russell ended up on the hood, probably with a beer. Christian was off to the right with a film camera in his hand, head down, about to take his own photo.
There was no direction beyond that. Ryan shot the scene with a 70–200, somewhere past 100mm, pulling everything flat against the haze.
He took a lot of frames that night — wider ones with the car small in the foreground, others with trees in front. This is the one that stuck.
What he remembers most isn't the shoot. It's the feeling of being up there. He's been back many times, and it's always the same — that quiet surprise that places like this still exist in California, and that you can still get to them.
For now.
California Gold is available as a Framed Fine Art Print and Metal Print.
About The Artist
Based in San Diego, Ryan has over a decade of experience in both the commercial and documentary space. He has a passion for storytelling and capturing the in-between moments in life. Whether Ryan's on a month long expedition or a multi-day commercial shoot, it's his goal to create images that inspire human connection and that feel authentic.
