Surf Art for a Coastal Cafe or Surf Shop
A cafe or surf shop lives and dies on atmosphere. People walk in, glance around, and decide within seconds whether the place feels like somewhere they want to stay. The art on the walls does a lot of that work. If you run a coastal cafe, a surf shop, or any small business with a beach sensibility, this guide covers how I would choose surf art, with The Stairwell as my example.
This print comes from Santa Cruz, CA during the string of summer swells in 2026. I noticed the wave aligning with the stairwell while scouting a place to surf. At the time, nobody was surfing the wave, but I decided to head back to my van for the camera.
I waited for almost an hour in the stairwell for a surfer and wave to align.
Thankfully, I stuck out the wait as I love this image.
Additional Information:
Please allow 5-10 days for printing and shipping.
I have the ability to print custom sizes and material (like wood, gatorboard, etc.). If this interests you, please reach out to dj@dalton-johnson.com for a free quote with the size and material you desire.
What follows is practical advice based on how the image looks and how the materials behave.
Start with the picture. A surfer rides a glassy green wave in the distance, seen through a concrete stairwell. A sunlit brick wall glows gold on the left, a shadowed wall fills the right, and blurred leaves sit in the top corner. I shot it from land in Santa Cruz, California, in early summer 2026. It has a lot to look at, but it is not loud, which matters in a room where people are talking, eating, and working on laptops.
Think about viewing distance. In a shop, people see art from across the room first, then up close. The strong blocks of green, gold, and blue read well from far away, and the details reward anyone who steps closer. The horizontal shape suits the wall behind a counter, above a row of booths, or over a bench near the door.
Size should match the wall. A cafe wall usually wants something substantial, so 20x30 or 24x36 will hold its own. For a shorter wall or a cluster of pieces, 12x18 and 16x24 are easier to place. The print is available from 8x10 to 24x36, and if you need something unusual, you can ask for a custom size by free quote.
Material is the big decision for a commercial space. Metal is the most durable option and has high UV resistance, which helps in a sunny storefront. It is also the most expensive, and it has a lot of glare, so avoid hanging it across from a front window or a bright light. Paper is the cheapest once framed, but it is more delicate, and a spill or splash can do damage. Canvas has little glare and a softer, textured look, but larger canvas costs more and can fade in strong direct sun. For this image, I would lean toward metal if the wall has gentle light.
If your space is near the ocean, keep in mind that humidity and salt air are hard on many materials. I do not have data on how prints hold up in those conditions, so I cannot promise results. As general advice, keep prints out of direct spray and strong sun.
A final thought on character. A real photograph from Santa Cruz gives a room a sense of place that generic seascapes do not. It tells customers that someone cared about the details.
Lighting deserves one more mention. Many cafes use warm bulbs, and gold tones in a print can pick that up nicely. Spotlights aimed at glossy surfaces create hot spots, so angle any lighting from the side or above and test it before you commit. A quick walk around the room at different times of day will tell you more than any rule I could give you.
The Stairwell is an open edition, a human made photograph, and starts at $26.95. I try to sign each print, though I cannot guarantee it.
Go check out all the prints by Dalton Johnson.
About the Author
Dalton Johnson is a photographer, writer, and filmmaker who tells stories about real people pushing themselves in the outdoors, from the High Sierra to the far reaches of every continent. He has shot and written for brands, tourism boards, and editorial outlets, including Nike, Patagonia, Four Seasons, PBS, GoPro, and Ford, with more than 160 campaigns and hundreds of published articles to his name. Off assignment, he bikepacks, trail runs, swims open water, chases big waves, and rock climbs.
