By Neal Wong

On Friday, Heavy Water Collective – which is made of a group of photographers who all shoot at Ocean Beach – will open its largest exhibition yet at the Harvey Milk Photo Center. The show, which includes 74 images from 25 photographers, will open with a reception from 5 to 8 p.m. on Nov. 6 and remains on view through Dec. 5.

Will Laine is one of the show’s main organizers, a member of the Harvey Milk Photo Center, and his work will be part of the exhibition.

“The point of this is to celebrate something we love and get everyone together in the same room,” Laine said. “We see each other out in the water, but we’re all wearing wetsuits and it’s hard to tell who’s who.”

The show, titled “Heavy Water Collective Presents: Ocean Beach” builds on an exhibit and slideshow in April 2025 at Mollusk Surf Shop in the Outer Sunset. Laine said that event helped form the collective, whose members have met since to talk about photography and plan events.

Laine said the collective keeps its membership loose.

“Pretty much any photographer that is trying to capture Ocean Beach and has a special connection to it is welcome to be part of the Heavy Water Collective,” Laine said. “It’s really a mixed group of people.”

Liam O’Donnell, another photographer and organizer, exhibited at Mollusk and recalled the community support.

“People were just overflowing onto the sidewalk,” O’Donnell said. “The energy was just noticeable, and I wanted to see if we could capture that and continue with it and use that as momentum to do something even bigger.”

Planning began last spring. Initially, the Harvey Milk Photo Center didn’t have an opening until spring 2027, but a slot starting in November became available. O’Donnell said Laine suggested the partnership because of his membership at the center.

“It seemed like a great pairing because Harvey Milk’s very San Francisco-centric and a community organization,” O’Donnell said. “We’re all part of this community and wanted to create a space for people, especially in the Sunset and around Ocean Beach, to just share the energy of the water.”

Each photographer submitted 10 images, and organizers chose three per person, except for one person with two. O’Donnell coordinated printing for some photographers, while others made their own prints.

Laine said about a third or more of the photographers shot from the water. The rest used long lenses from the dunes and houses, and some flew drones for aerial views.

“Some are more action-oriented, with a huge wave,” Laine said. “Some are just playing with the landscape and the juxtaposition of the ocean with the cityscape.”

Iris Robert, a photographer in the show, said the collective grew through word of mouth. Members first gathered at surfer/photographer Sachi Cunningham’s house to brainstorm events and shows, and to work on a book that will be released.

“The community is so small at Ocean Beach that a lot of us already know each other,” Robert said.

Robert shoots from land but admired the abilities of the photographers who shoot from the water.

“It’s a physical feat to be able to do something like that, and it’s really impressive,” Robert said. “I’m just really honored to be in a group of so many different types of photographers.”

Sue-Jean Sung, a Sunset Beacon contributor who helped organize the Mollusk show with Cunningham, is among the exhibitors.

“It’s an honor to be presented alongside some of these incredible, talented photographers,” Sung said. “Some of whom have been documenting Ocean Beach for many, many decades, before I even lived in San Francisco.”

The exhibit is free. The Harvey Milk Photo Center is at 50 Scott St. along the N-Judah line. Gallery hours are 11 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday to Thursday and 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.