Looking for something?

Tap outside or press close

InspirationPhotography

Welcome to Huntington Beach: Portrait series highlights the people that make 'Surf City USA' unique

They say that people make a place, and for Anthony Grippa's photography series, Welcome to Huntington Beach, that certainly seems to be true.

Written By:
Surfer with long dreadlocks carrying a surfboard overhead on a beach under overcast skies

"Welcome to Huntington Beach is a series of street portraits I shot over a year while I lived in Huntington Beach, CA", Grippa explains. "I'm originally from the east coast, so as an outsider it was exciting to discover what made 'Surf City USA' so unique.

"There are so many different types of people there. Surfers, hippy stoners, hillbillies, religious evangelicals. It felt like an amalgamation of the entire country in a beach town. The fact that I was living there in 2016, during a turbulent election year, made it all the more interesting.

"How do these people get along? What makes them all want to be in the same place? The weirdness and unpretentiousness of the people in Huntington Beach is what drove me to keep shooting."

Grippa is a filmmaker and photographer based in New York. He earned a BA from Rutgers University and an MFA from the American Film Institute. His feature film credits as a director include Running Funny, starring Tony nominated actor Louis Zorich, and Half Brother, starring Stephen Plunkett and Casey Biggs. You can check out more of his work at anthonygrippa.com and on Instagram.

All images courtesy of Anthony Grippa

Two young people pose together on a concrete barrier with a beach and ocean in the background in black and white
Surfer in a wetsuit holding a surfboard on a beach with waves in the background, black and white photograph
A young man wearing a cardigan and graphic t-shirt stands outside a shop with neon signage visible in the background in this black and white street portrait from Huntington Beach
Man in black and white diamond-patterned jumper stands on a pavement beside parked cars and palm trees in Huntington Beach
Man with long dark hair holding a dog's lead on a beach with volleyball net and lifeguard stand visible in the background
Two young people sit together on a sandy beach in black and white, with buildings visible in the blurred background
Man sitting on a railing holding a BMX bike, with utility poles and buildings visible behind him on a Huntington Beach street
Two people recline together on Huntington Beach sand with palm-lined beachfront buildings visible behind them in this black and white portrait
Woman in dark coat and hat sits on Huntington Beach sand surrounded by shorebirds, with ocean and coastline visible behind her
Share

Further Reading