While Manhattan, home to Graphis, thrives on constant motion—the kinetic energy of millions moving through concrete canyons—California operates on a different frequency entirely, one that Patti Judd has learned to read like the native she is. Her Photography 2025 Gold-winning image of Batiquitos Lagoon near Ponto Beach demonstrates this perfectly. After enduring 2024’s marine-layer marathon—May Gray, June Gloom, July No Sky, Foggust, Fogtober—months of meteorological meditation that would send any East Coaster reaching for a flight change, Judd was there when nature finally rewarded her. Purple wildflowers glow in golden light, rich blues fade to sunset oranges, and the result captures exactly why we choose to call this place home.

By: Patti Judd, Founder, Judd Brand Media/Studia

Typically sunny Southern California wasn’t cooperating much last year—from May Gray straight through Fogtober, the marine layer just wouldn’t quit. Walking along Batiquitos Lagoon, I watched the sky clear, finally delivering on its promise. After months of gray, this felt like pure magic—the kind of sunset that reminds you why we’re so lucky to live here.

This lagoon holds layers of stories. It’s a critical sanctuary where least terns migrate each summer, their cries cutting through the coastal quiet. As one of the few remaining tidal wetlands on the Southern California coast, Batiquitos represents something increasingly precious in our developed landscape. In the distance, you can just make out the 1930s trestle railway bridge—a piece of history living on borrowed time as plans move forward to replace it with modern infrastructure for additional rail lines. But today it still stands, witness to decades of least tern seasons and countless adolescent adventures, where you’ll spot kids on e-bikes making the pilgrimage down to fish for halibut and sea bass beneath its weathered beams.

The beauty of iPhone photography is how it removes barriers between inspiration and execution. No heavy gear, no complex settings—just pure focus on composition, exposure, and timing. I worked to balance the exposure for that incredible moment of color transition, those last remnants of blue sky fading into warm sunset oranges, while keeping detail in the foreground wildflowers. The composition flows naturally, drawing the eye from the vibrant purple blooms through the serene water to that distant bridge, creating a visual narrative that captures both the immediate beauty and the deeper story of this place.

For me, photography has become another language for creative expression, a way to push beyond the boundaries of traditional brand work and capture fleeting moments. This image made a standout addition to the more than 60,000 photos I’ve captured with my iPhones through the years. And after months of gray skies, this single evening reminded me—you never know when nature will offer up something extraordinary.

An award-winning creative director, accomplished marketing and film executive, and cofounder of the San Diego International Film Festival, Patti Judd joined Graphis as chief visionary officer. A key initiative was forming the Graphis Industry Advisory Board to promote greater industry insights and connections globally. Patti blends business savvy gained from more than twenty years at her agency with the entertainment acumen garnered from working in music and film. Her studio, Judd Brand Media, champions her passion for creating innovative work and has received more than one hundred awards in design, advertising, and marketing. Her clients include notable global brands such as WME, Disney, Mattel, the Montreux Jazz Festival, Century 21, Aramark, Service America, and Hilton, alongside numerous emerging brands, recording artists, and filmmakers. Her influence extends from helping launch a major live music venue—where she was a key player in its growth into one of the top live jazz venues in the world—to cofounding the San Diego International Film Festival. She holds two executive producer credits: one for a children’s TV series on Nickelodeon and another for a feature film in association with the BBC, which premiered at Sundance and was later acquired by Universal Pictures. Currently, she is in development as executive producer on a new animated children’s series. Patti’s nonprofit work includes serving as a foster youth board member and as past president of an arts and culture board benefiting Balboa Park, the largest urban cultural park in the United States. Recently, she was honored as an Altruist Honoree by Modern Luxury magazine.

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