Central Coast residents who grew up with beaches, cliffs, and ocean views sometimes overlook the scenery, and for locals these views seem to have become the background of everyday lives.
The Central Coast has captured the attention of millions from its scenic drives and wonderful coastlines, and some photographers who grew up here recognized that beauty required a shift in perspective.
Photographers from different generations noticed how their use of photography helped them to see the Central Coast in a completely different way.
“I think when I was [a teenager], there were times when [the scenery] felt a little boring,” Daniel Kuras, an AGHS alumnus and Central Coast photographer said. “But I think that feeling wore off a long time ago.”
Kuras was born and raised on the Central Coast and attended the University of Hawai’i in Hilo, HI. He later returned home to California— a place that has always shaped his creative insights.
“I grew up [on the Central Coast],” Kuras said. “All my family was here, so it made sense to come back.”
Kuras works with regional agencies and magazines revolving around the massive food, wine, and tourism industry on the Central Coast. Many of his photos take him on excursions between the coast of Santa Barbara and Big Sur.
“My favorite portraits are the ones where I’m just doing what I love,” Kuras said. “Either surfing or hiking in this area, or hanging with my kids.”
Like Kuras, other photographers on the Central Coast describe a similar realization. The place they grew up in was more visually appealing than they originally thought.
One of those photographers is Luke Tyree, who was born and raised in Grover Beach, CA. While spending time hiking outdoors, Tyree found that his phone in his pocket could not capture the exact moments he wanted it to.
“I would take pictures with my phone and be kind of dissatisfied with the results,” Tyree said. “It would rarely capture what I was actually seeing. So I decided, ‘maybe I should buy a camera.’”
That decision for Tyree became the start of his full-time photography career on the Central Coast. Tyree noticed that photography was not only about capturing what a place looks like, but what kinds of depths lay within each photo he takes.
“It’s not just about taking the perfect technical photo,” Tyree said. “It’s about capturing emotion, moments, and the essence of a place.”
Tyree operates an Instagram photography page , with more than 55,000 followers, along with workshops, gallery work, and brand collaborations all across San Luis Obispo County.
Tyree believes the Central Coast already naturally attracts photographers from all over, because of its wide variety of beaches, dunes, cliffs, rolling hills, and mountains.
“We’ve got the ocean and these beautiful beaches right here, and we’ve got mountains too,” Tyree said. “So many areas around us are so picturesque and photogenic.”
The variety of landscapes attracts people from all over the world specifically to the Central Coast’s beauty.
“I routinely have people ask me for locations, or if I can take them to certain spots,” Tyree said. “[The Central Coast] does seem to have a universal appeal.”
Tyree’s own appreciation for the area developed gradually over the years.
While people like Tyree built careers around learning to recognize the beauty of the Central Coast, students at AGHS are learning this even sooner.
AGHS Student Jaxon Lacey (‘26) has lived in the Central Coast his entire life, and uses photography as a way to notice what is sometimes overlooked.
“[The Central Coast] is my home. This is where I grew up, and this is a place that I like to cherish,” Lacey said. “A photograph is something that can be taken away, but [that] can always be seen forever.”
Lacey’s high school hobby of photography helped him practice his art and become more aware of the hidden beauties embedded in life all around the Central Coast.
“People who live [on the Central Coast] don’t always appreciate how close the beach is and how amazing our weather is,” Lacey said. “When [someone] grows up here [their whole life, [they] take that for granted.”
Different generations of locals note that the beauty of the Central Coast really shines once someone slows down and pays attention to it.
