In Search of Water With Border Kindness

The world is a stunning place full of culture, nature, and really great food. To celebrate our annual travel and adventure issue, we tapped some of our favorite globetrotting photographers to help us experience life through their lenses. To tickle your travel bug we’re heading around the world to buy cheese in a Puglian market, stroll the streets of Osaka, and admire wild donkeys in the Oaxacan mountains. You’re guaranteed to come away longing for your own far-flung adventure. These photos are even sexier and more enticing on the page, so be sure to subscribe to San Diego Magazine for more gorgeous travel photos.

Matt Furman

Lucianna McIntosh

Valerie Durham

Andrew Reiner

“The $105-million overhaul of MCASD, including the new Jacobs Hall, feels more connected to the topography. “It’s a delicate balance in capturing the art and architecture for each space,” says Bazzari of her approach. “Do I highlight the architecture and emphasize the artwork? Will the ocean views be the focal point, or how does the architecture connect with the landscape?”

Maha Bazzari

“I experience art within the space, sit with it, and then digest it.” That’s not the technical part, but it’s absolutely the starting point for Maha Bazzari, an architectural photographer who splits her time between San Diego and Palm Springs. The trained architectural designer and fine artist is an accidental photographer. She started by shooting her own work, then friends, and then global architecture firm Gensler came knocking.

Most recently, she was tapped by MCASD La Jolla to chronicle the quiet minimalism of the $105-million overhaul by Selldorf Architects. The photographer came often: mid-morning as the marine layer lifted. Golden hour. During a rainstorm. “I know every nook, in every light,” she says, perched on a concrete bench in the museum shop.

When she’s not traveling (Berlin, most recently) she frequents local architectural gems from the Salk Institute to Bell Pavilion. Her work has been featured in Dwell, WSJ Magazine and National Geographic. “Expressive images require an understanding of the artist’s concepts. And being selective.” Bazzari often collaborates with local artist Yomar Augusto, and there’s a fluency that develops between them. “To capture Yomar’s work is to follow the flow of lines and strong colors.”

“Bazzari maximized the rare stormy day to capture this dramatic image of architect Annabelle Selldorf and MCASD director Kathryn Kanjo. “With the use of strobe lighting and image bracketing I was able to uncover the rainy views, bring them to the foreground, and show the expansive lines of the architecture.”

Maha Bazzari

“Bazzari maximized the rare stormy day to capture this dramatic image of architect Annabelle Selldorf and MCASD director Kathryn Kanjo. “With the use of strobe lighting and image bracketing I was able to uncover the rainy views, bring them to the foreground, and show the expansive lines of the architecture.”

Maha Bazzari

“The size of the exhibit space dictates the photography style. For the smaller exhibitions, the art must be at the right scale to the architecture so they complement each other. For larger gallery spaces, I don’t want the art to get lost or capture too much information.” 

Maha Bazzari

“My love for the visual arts goes beyond a still image. I dabble in painting and explore different materials. This is a detail of Gravitational Attraction. I used acrylic paint, graphite, spray paint, and iron filings that were manipulated by the use of magnets to create this shape. Concept: The force of attraction is inescapable, especially the connections between people and their souls through interaction, sharing of ideas, stories, and experiences.”

Maha Bazzari

Macro-micro is a common theme throughout Bazzari’s photos, as shown with these two shots of a piece by San Diego artist Melissa Walters. Of All Things was a site-specific installation made of 2,600 paper tetrahedrons. “The amount of detail that went into this piece is mind-boggling,” Bazzari says. “I had to consider the physical space in relation to the theoretical Omniverse that contains it.”

Maha Bazzari

“I photographed this beautifully dramatic artwork for Yomar’s solo show at Point Loma Nazarene University. Although the mural was the main piece in the exhibition, the pieces came together through the narration of graphics throughout the gallery space.”

Maha Bazzari

For this mural, commissioned by San Diego Made Factory, Bazzari added scale with pedestrians and trolley tracks. “I wanted to underscore the urban setting of the East Village.”

Maha Bazzari

This abstract and colorful geometric calligraphy painting was commissioned for a residence in Mission Hills. “We wanted to highlight the colorful streaks and textures by enhancing the contrast, especially on the dark canvas.”

Maha Bazzari

This light fabrication is by Tecture in collaboration with Gensler San Diego. “I captured the curvilinear sculptural elements made from independent layers of milled extruded PVC with suspended lighting in between.”

Maha Bazzari

“This historic preservation of a mid-century modern house in San Diego [by architect Kristi Byers] is one of those projects that I photograph and admire all the work and consideration that went into it.”

Maha Bazzari

“We arrived before sunrise to make sure we captured the best light on the small chapel at Point Loma Nazarene University. It took us five hours to photograph the saturated colors, clean lines, and thoughtful materials.” The Lyle and Grace Prescott Memorial Prayer Chapel is a collaboration between architects Carrier Johnson and Tecture.

Maha Bazzari

On The Salk Institute by Louis Kahn: “I can spend all day capturing this monumental architecture with its details, observing the light moving across all the surfaces.”

Maha Bazzari

There are many approaches to shooting a door, especially this one designed and built by Tecture for a San Diego beachfront home. “It is a large pivot door with four operable windows, and a wheel operated gear system. So, we played around. Opening, closing and passing through it.”

Maha Bazzari

A symphony of concrete was required to show off the muscularity of this chair designed and fabricated by Tecture. “We connected this piece to its surroundings—the concrete chair to the concrete floor and walls. Aligning textures and materials was the goal.”

Maha Bazzari

“I took a ‘selfie’ looking out at the ocean, from the first housing built there, called Condo One. Note the steeply raked rooflines to deflect the wind. My camera here is in the courtyard of the building, which was also designed to provide outdoor space sheltered from the wind and weather.”

Darren Bradley

Darren Bradley’s camera can turn concrete and cedar shingles into symbols of romance. If a structure has charisma, he lures it out. With light. Through angles.

“Architects are always telling stories and making statements through their work,” he says. “I generally try to zero in on that story or statement, and find the best possible way to photograph the building to ensure that the message is conveyed properly.”

“Weather can be unpredictable at Sea Ranch. The development occupies 5,000 acres of rocky coastline. The architecture was meant to blend in with the surroundings, while also deflecting the wind and protecting its inhabitants from the often- unpredictable weather. Sea Ranch is about 100 miles north of San Francisco but feels a world away.”

Darren Bradley

Architectural photography has developed into its own art form, and it might be as important as the built work itself. A good image can give the viewer a feeling of the atmosphere and design intention without actually being in the place. Bradley does this.

Sea Ranch, 4

Darren Bradley

His Instagram profile, @modarchitecture, which has 117,000 followers, is packed with eye-catching buildings from around the world and those closer to home, including the Salk Institute for Biological Studies and the Geisel Library at UC San Diego. Born in Hawai‘i, raised in San Diego, and having studied history at the Sorbonne in Paris, he mostly focuses on modernist architecture from the 1950s through today. On his profile, he shares history, humorous field notes, and insight on his editing methodology.

For the Sea Ranch, he captured the discreet beauty of this secluded, forward-thinking residential enclave set on 53 rugged acres of Northern California coastline about halfway between Bodega Bay and Mendocino. At the time it was built in the 1960s, the vernacular architecture and ecological sensitivity were radical.

“My wife walking down the path towards the cliffs, under the lodge. The ram’s horns are the logo of Sea Ranch, and evoke a time when the area was a sheep ranch. They were designed by local artist Barbara Stauffacher.”

Darren Bradley

A dream team of Bay Area architects—including Charles W. Moore, Donlyn Lyndon, Joseph Esherick, William Turnbull, and landscape architect Lawrence Halprin—evolved a concept of dynamic conservation of “living lightly on the land.” They created a tapestry of 2,200 private homes, clustered by cypress hedgerows, undeveloped lots, undulating meadows, rolling hills, redwood and Douglas fir forests, nature trails, and ocean views. All this on a former sheep ranch.

Last year, The Sea Ranch Lodge reopened after a detailed remodel; it includes a refreshed restaurant, The Bar + Lounge, a new café, and a general store, as well as a roster of cultural events.

“There’s even a San Diego connection to Sea Ranch! Local artist and architect James Hubbell designed this chapel.”

Darren Bradley

“This is the Ohlson Recreation Center. The structure on the right is meant to also serve as a screen to deflect the often-high winds coming in off the cliffs.”

Darren Bradley

Usually, Bradley’s photo assignments are commissions from architects and publishers the likes of Phaidon, for whom he has photographed two midcentury- modern travel books. But Sea Ranch was a family affair, framing his wife, Elise, and daughter, Ava, amid the organic architecture. “I am often alone when I travel to photograph architecture,” says Bradley. “Being able to share that experience with my family was a rare treat and a memorable one. Sea Ranch is an iconic modernist architectural vision that has remained unspoiled by time.”

“Sea Ranch has always been a haven for creative types. Graphic designer and artist Barbara Stauffacher created the ‘Supergraphics’ that are used throughout the development, including in this changing room at one of the site’s several public swimming pools. This pool is known as the Moonraker Pool… yes, like James Bond!”

Darren Bradley

“A view of the Sea Ranch Lodge perched on the steep cliffs overlooking the ocean.”

Darren Bradley

“My daughter enjoying the view at our condo. Okay, I may have asked her to pose there! This complex includes several condos and was the first structure to be built at Sea Ranch. Designed by architects Richard Whitaker, Donlyn Lyndon, Charles Moore, and William Turnbull in the early 1960s.”

Darren Bradley

“View of the lounge area of the Sea Ranch Lodge. I enjoyed sitting here with a cup of coffee with a book while watching the weather and the waves.”

Darren Bradley

“The steep, slanted rooflines are meant to deflect the wind. There are no windows high up on the structures because of the difficulty of keeping them clean.”

Darren Bradley

“On our way up to Sea Ranch, we stopped at the former Russian colony at Fort Ross. In the early 1800s, this fort housed soldiers and fur traders. This Russian Orthodox chapel at the fort also served as inspiration for the architects who designed Sea Ranch.”

Darren Bradley

“Here’s the interior of the chapel designed by San Diego artist and architect James Hubbell.”

Darren Bradley

“The Sea Ranch Lodge also serves 9. as the area’s only restaurant and community post office. It was designed by Joseph Esherick in 1964 and modeled after an old-fashioned country store. The sculpture is by artist Robert Holmes.”

Darren Bradley

My 15-year-old daughter tried to steal our car this week, so I’m ready to become a NASCAR dad. It would be appropriate discipline. We just relocated to a very nice suburb within walking distance of her high school. The suburbs are like living in a Tesla commercial. I am pretty far from the wealthiest dad in this neighborhood (I am, in fact, the least wealthy dad in this ’hood), more than a few engineering degrees short of being in the running.

I’m fairly certain watching NASCAR is a violation of our HOA and a violation of my daughter’s emotional HOA. But NASCAR hits San Diego this weekend and I have a fever I’ve never felt before. I want to watch 111 drivers do dangerous things in cars and trucks on an active military base in the ocean. Since my lifelong exposure to NASCAR is limited to Talladega Nights and every single iteration of the movie Cars, I can only base my plan of attack on oafish stereotypes.

So while other neighbor dads are sizing bubble jackets for their golf simulators, I’m gonna grow a Ricky Bobby, run the extension cord for the TV out into the carport we share with six other condos, fill a cooler with a proper 80-20 split of Hamm’s and Mountain Dew, treat a lawn chair like an ADU, and spend a few hours yelling ohsheeeit as if it’s a single, nine-syllable word.

The quality parents in our neighborhood seem to be able to sense anytime a vehicle breaches the 6 MPH threshold, so I should gather a crowd pretty fast. They may come over with strongly worded emails in their hearts, but one glimpse of  Shane van Gisbergen and hometown hero Jimmy Johnson guzzling the last remaining drops of gasoline on the planet in a dazzling display of carmanship—they’ll join my NASCAR pop-up party.

By the time my daughter brings her friends over, we’ll have a real welcoming committee. I’ll set a special lawn chair out for the nice young boy who bought her flowers on her birthday. Have a Dew and talk to me about yourself and please list out your morals alphabetically, kid, I’ll say.

June 10, 2026

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Because, like I said, my daughter tried to steal my car.

She wasn’t going to Mexico. But while Claire and I were off doing businessy stuff to afford the teen’s skincare rituals, she and a friend decided to teach themselves stick shift.  She’s never driven a stick before. I’m not saying she has, but if she has driven a vehicle at all—it would have been done in a remote, abandoned parking lot where the only possible thing she could destroy was the concept of driving itself.

But a couple TikTok videos later, she and her friends felt a certain level of mastery had been achieved, and they gave it a go. They backed our VW Bug out of the garage with a series of stalls and transmission seizures, and managed to get it into the carport, attempting to do “donuts.” That’s when I got a call from a resident, who had taken an active interest in this experiment.

Which got me wondering about the power and might of vehicles. Turns out, even at carport speeds there exists a bit of potential fireworks. A garage door could become not a garage door anymore. At 145 MPH on Naval Base Coronado this weekend (don’t worry, they slow down to 100 MPH for turns), NASCAR drivers are essentially doorbell ditching gods. I didn’t register the temperature after my daughter’s trial run, but the track at NASCAR races usually hits a cool 130-150 degrees, enough to lightly sear some Nikes (the tires themselves hover in the 200 degree range).

And that is at least part of our fascination with NASCAR (the other fascination is the legendary pit parties, which either set humanity back a few evolutionary links, or advance it by the same amount of links). These drivers take something us adults do every day in a very efficient, boring way and take it to its extreme impulse. Grace and precision at the thunderous edge of shit going terribly wrong. Most of us have, upon seeing the price of California gas, wanted to pile our worldly possessions into a Honda Pilot and see how fast we could make it to our new home in Vegas. So NASCAR drivers are acting on our own wildest impulse.

June 11, 2026

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Music drifts across the fairway. Someone’s in flip flops. The Pacific flashes in the distance. Sun peeks onto shoulders through the palm trees. It’s spring, technically, but the air reads suspiciously like summer. At the par-3 course at Liberty Station, the longest hole barely stretches past 120 yards, and no one looks particularly interested in becoming the next PGA legend.

This is where Sunday Golf was born.

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“I got dragged to a par-3 course in 2019 —The Loma Club—and it was way more my jam,” says Ronan Galvin, CEO and co-founder of Sunday Golf, a company that makes lightweight golf bags for players who’d rather carry less and laugh more. “It was a lot different than the stereotypical ideas you have about golf where it’s kind of long, uptight, and exclusive.”

Galvin spent over a decade in the golf industry working in product development, sourcing and manufacturing. But he didn’t grow up swinging clubs. Basketball and football were more his speed. What clicked for him was a simpler, more relaxed kind of play: shorter rounds and weekend games built for fun rather than formality. The kind of golf that resonated for him felt accessible, effortless, and surprisingly his lifestyle.

He noticed something else, too.

On a course where five clubs do the job, players were still lugging 14. So Galvin built something smaller. Lighter. A bag designed specifically for par-3 rounds, the Loma Bag is sleek, functional, and refreshingly unfussy. It’s practical minimalism in a sport known for excess.

Sunday Golf was slated to launch in January 2020. Then, COVID hit. Shipments stalled; lost at sea. The future felt shaky. But the series of catastrophes for the young company turned out to be anything but: By the time inventory arrived that August, golf had become one of the few activities people could safely do.

“It introduced and brought so many people back to the game,” Galvin says. “It created a habit for a lot of people, which is a big reason golf is on its growth trajectory.” 

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It turns out Americans can’t get enough of golf. Forty-eight million of them swung clubs last year, a 41 percent jump since 2019, and the National Golf Foundation says the total could top 50 million by the end of 2026.

The brand rode this unlikely momentum. Since 2021, Sunday Golf has expanded into larger lightweight bags and continues evolving from there. A major reason for the company’s success is its approachability, a value so central that it’s literally written on the office walls in the form of the company’s guiding mission: “Get 500,000 golfers having more fun by 2027.” This goal is measured, fittingly, by golf bags sold. 

Sunday Golf has already passed 300,000 bags sold.

But the numbers aren’t the point.

“To remind the world that life is meant to be enjoyed,” Galvin says of the brand’s why. In an era dominated by screens, golf offers something analog. “People are outside, touching grass with their friends. A golf bag is a golf bag, but our products are vehicles to help support that.”

Unlike legacy golf giants promising proximity to Rory McIlroy-level greatness, Sunday Golf leans into what Galvin jokingly calls “diet golf” or “golf light”—weekend rounds, driving range sessions, company scrambles. The bags are built for the casual golfer, and the fit feels obvious.

That philosophy resonates across Southern California, where year-round sunshine means golf courses never really hibernate for winter. As Galvin puts it, “the laid-back lifestyle of San Diego kind of seeps into everyone’s veins.”

Sometimes the validation arrives via email: a 76-year-old customer is able to walk the course again because their golf bag is lighter. Parents are able to take their children out with Sunday Golf’s kids line.

For Galvin, that’s the real win. Not perfection. Not prestige. Just more people outside, enjoying themselves. In San Diego, that might be the most natural mission of all.