Capturing the perfect landscape photo, Barry Alman says, takes the same instincts he once used to referee basketball: anticipation, positioning, and timing.
Alman, who served as a golf marshal at Omni La Costa Resort in Carlsbad from 2012 through 2018, made his living for decades as a basketball referee across San Diego County, officiating recreational, youth and collegiate games. He also founded BOSS Officials, a referee training and staffing company that he sold in 2004.
In the 1990s, he even refereed an NBA benefit game at Sports Arena that featured stars like Jason Kidd.
“Outdoor photography is like officiating a game,” said Alman during a recent photo outing at Balboa Park. “You’ve got to anticipate the action — clouds shifting, waves crashing, birds flying, people moving — and get into the best position. Just like calling a foul, you have to be ready at the exact right moment. And don’t straight-line; leave space between your subjects to make the shot work.”
Alman, an eccentric septuagenarian, has spent much of his retirement traveling San Diego County — often to Balboa Park, Coronado, the La Jolla tide pools and Del Mar — or, as he puts it, “all days that end in Y,” armed with his Samsung Galaxy A53 in search of the perfect shot.
His main passion is getting his photos featured on local television newscasts, especially during meteorology segments, where his scenic shots often serve as weather backdrops.
“I used to watch one station and they’d always show a ‘picture of the day,’” Alman said. “I’d think, ‘My picture is better than that.’ Then Francella Perez, one of the morning meteorologists, lived in Carlsbad. Since I was working there and took pictures on the beach nearby, she started showing my photos because it was her neighborhood. She used my photos four times a week.”
Since 2018, more than 5,000 of Alman’s photos have appeared on local news broadcasts. He once went 49 straight days with at least one image featured, and his personal record is seven different photos broadcast in a single day.
“I think Barry’s pictures are fun and beautiful works of art,” said Karlene Chavis, chief meteorologist for CBS 8 San Diego, who frequently features his photos during weather segments. “His ability to make the beautiful scenery of our county look even better through his lens is a talent. It’s definitely a challenge choosing which of his photos to showcase during our newscasts because they’re all great.”
Friends now jokingly call Alman “Mr. KUSI,” while Perez has nicknamed him “Mr. Fancy Pants.”
“I love attention,” Alman said with a cackle. “Much of it is for pleasure. But when I go to the beach and catch a sunset, a pelican, or cloud formations, I have a good idea of what the weather people are looking for.”
His passion for photography was ignited in 2012 while working on the green at Omni La Costa, where he began by photographing a flowerbed on the course. His photos were regularly displayed on the two TVs in the employee cafeteria.
“I would come before the sun to lay out signage on each hole for tournaments,” Alman recalled. “I’d pull out my phone and take a picture. After work, I developed a love for capturing wave sprays and sunsets at the beach. I always had a good eye for composition, but I probably thought I was a great photographer in the beginning — when really, my photos sucked pretty bad. The more you do anything, the better you get.”
After sharing his photos on Facebook, Fox 5 meteorologist Aloha Taylor took notice and used one of his shots. From there, Alman began submitting photos to CBS 8, KUSI, ABC 10, Fox 5, and NBC 7—and his presence on local newscasts snowballed.
In 2022, Crown City Magazine in Coronado featured two of Alman’s photos — one of surfboards lined up at a beach entrance on the front cover, and a public art installation called “First Ashore Naked Warrior” on the back. Last August, The Washington Post used one of his photos for a story about La Jolla’s “Bubble Pirate.” In 2024, portraits of senior citizens by Alman were displayed at The Spreckle’s Senior Center in Coronado.
“I’m building social media cash in the bank,” Alman said. “The more I am on [T.V.], the more people know who I am.”
“I’m really more of a plotter than a planner,” Alman added, just before a family of tourists asked him to take their photo at the Lily Pond in front of the Botanical Building.
“You need six to eight inches of space between each other,” Alman directed. “Now put your hands up.”
That’s Barry, walking the line between photographer and referee.
