If most of you follow me on Instagram (@themariamor) you will see that I occasionally showcase my Thursday mornings (2019 will be a little different) at Boca Raton’s Photography and Design Studio. Either Ben has arrived at the crack of dawn or after some quality time with the ocean and his surf board.
We share the studio with Dustin, owner and editor-in-chief of The Atlantic Current. He will more than likely be adding the final touches to the current issue, emailing potential clients, or drinking out of his decked out Hydro flask. Rob, well I am not entirely sure what Rob does. What I do know is that he sells pharmaceuticals, makes really good coffee, has a pink unicorn surf board, and rides his bike to work in a highlighter orange shirt. He stands in the back of office. Honestly, he cracks me up in a good way. Oh, Murphy the studio cat is the sweetest vagabond to roam the streets of Boca Raton.
For the most part everyone is in their own little world, with music blasting in our ears, and behind computer screens. At random there will be some type of talk about waves, bike parts, and surfing. Ben will be making all this ruckus in the shooting area and Rob will be stretching in between call meetings. The mini fridge houses Ben’s endless peanut butter and sad burrito ingredients or Rob’s super healthy power lunches. Sometimes we treat ourselves to Pepe’s burritos and fresh smoothies. The man has a knack for making food look and taste incredible.
Normally, I will sit in the back with my Exacto knife, steady hand, a metal ruler, and lots of “stickies.” Half of the morning is spent hand crafting the fine art prints you all buy and hang on your walls. Something Spanish, Elton John, or Billy Joel will fill the tall ceilings. As you can see, everything is pretty ordinary.
However, there ARE some Thursday mornings that are sprinkled with extra fairy dust, because MAN I love them. They come with a wake-up call at about 6am. Yes, 6am start shooting time. But get this: The location is sunrise at the beach. Wide-eyed emoji ova’ here! WOOT WOOT. If you have ever lived or visited Florida, you can vouch for the fact that any sacrifice on sleep is well worth the morning view in Paradise!!!
I only felt inclined to share with you this epic experience alongside Ben, the turtles, our beach, and of course some of his go-to gadgets!
Since it is all about connections, Ben partners with a variety of turtle researchers and marine biologists from Gumbo Limbo Conservation Center to find the best locations for these little ocean dwellers. David was kind enough to meet us for a little nest touring! The green sea turtles were busy laying eggs and David had to keep track of all the organized natural commotion. I found the whole idea very exciting even if it was nothing more than hammering 3 posts for markings.
As you can tell there are a few gadgets and gear Ben never leaves the studio without:
Their website says it best: “20 years of innovation, millions of miles traveled, 1 trusted brand. PACSAFE, the original in anti-theft carry solutions.” Magnus and Rob, CEOs, have ventured all the crevices of this Earth with the belief of maximizing security to maximize YOUR travel experiences. Their biggest reward is seeing a PacSafe bag on a trotter through a distant land. Maybe a young femme traveling with a tote slung across her shoulder. They like to think that your risks were in part because you knew your gear and belongings were safely housed in one of their bags. I myself own the CAMSAFE V25 Camera Bag and it is golden! Well secured clips, water-resistant cover, and easy to carry. It is a bit small in space for all my gear now, but I love it. Cough cough PacSafe!
These housings are the latest iPhone imagining system designed to protect your device from any type of weather conditions while capturing those epic moments below the surf. Its full touch screen sensitivity allows for instant sharing of all your crisp images or steady videos on the web. While you can shoot with your phone’s regular camera app, the casing allows easy access to all other applications. At a maximum depth of 33 feet (10 meters) you can rest assure that your iPhone is staying dry and functional. Ben always says to carry a camera with you and his phone is number one!
It is a compact powerful flying picture/video taking device with a durable body. As one of DJI’s most sophisticated flying cameras, it can turn any moment into an aerial canvas for your creativity to get lost in. Just a push of your thumb will fire up its 24 high performance computer core, an all-new transmission system with a 4.3 mile range, a 4k camera and a stabilizing 3-axis mechanical gimbal. I have watched Ben shoot sharks, beaches, piers, cities, roofs, turtles, and more with this little, but magnificent gadget. PacSafe has a bag for it too! I do not own one, but had an opportunity of flying it once (while Ben was preoccupied). The feeling, beyond exhilarating.
Canon guy all the way. Ben carries at least one camera everywhere and it most likely his Canon 1DX with the wide 24mm lens. It does not matter what he is doing – vacationing, swimming, parasailing, editing, or lecturing. His favorite lens is the 24mm. He has never actually told me the reason as to why it is his favorite, but I can make an educated guess that it is because of its wide perspective, sharp rendering, and refined focus.
There you have it my friends! A working day in the life of Maria Mor with Ben Hicks. Pretty rad, don’t you think? Leave your comments below of all your favorite gear and adventures. Would love read about them!