Titus Haug

Back in 2015, fresh out of college and full of dreams I found himself working at a coffee shop in downtown San Diego longing for what I would make of myself as an artist. I was living out of my truck and slinging drinks to pay rent while also taking any photography job I could get (which at the time was not much to speak of). One day as I was working through the monotony of the weekday shift, a customer walked in with a water housing in hand. As an avid surfer and water photography hopeful, my interest was peaked.

I introduced myself to the individual and he kindly shared with me a little bit about the housing and how he used it for surf photography. His name was Todd Glaser. I did not know at the time that I was speaking with a modern legend in surf photography. As I shared my desire to begin my own journey as a surf photographer, he suggested that I pick up a Nikonos V film camera—A nifty waterproof film camera from the 80's—which would be a good and affordable camera to get started with. I thanked him for the help, went home and quickly began my search one of these fabled cameras. It took me about a year to finally acquire one and when I did, I found that the learning curve was sharp. My first several attempts were met with discouraging results. I flooded three cameras before my first successful roll. Surmising that the harder it is, the more worth while it must be, I continued in attempts until I finally got a successful roll back from the lab. I started to get the hang of it. I liked it. It became a passion, setting me on a trajectory which would lead to deep friendships and unforgettable days spent documenting the ocean and the way of life that surrounds it around the globe. You never know where a small conversation and a decision to take a step forward can lead you. Here I am, years down the road, still shooting, still stoked. Stylistically I am always seeking to capture the feeling of a moment. Using this as my guide I’ve developed my eye and approach to capture moments and light in a way that tells a story and evokes an emotional connection and response to the image. (that is the goal at least).

I create art because I must. It has always held a passion deep inside of me to create. Whether it be photography, painting or music or the physical expression of surfing I enjoy the act of expression and am always seeking to learn and improve upon the pursuit of beauty and style.