I found myself being boardless for the first time in a long time. When I put my longboard up for sale, I knew there would be a period where I would have to view waves either as a bystander, from land to sea, or as a photographer in the ocean. I took this as an opportunity to fall back in love with shooting surfing. I have been spending so much time photographing models, that I seemed to have forgotten about my passion for adventure and waves.
On the evening of this set of photographs, I found myself journeying to the north coast of Cornwall with the Smith brothers, ready and eager to jump in among the waves and sunsets to see what I could produce. The waves, unfortunately, were distinctly average; this did force me to rethink the way I was going to shoot. It was not going to be particularly attractive to photograph people surfing on crumbly, small waves. So once again I took it as an opportunity to experiment.
This is why I love digital photography in a time when it is fashionable to venture back in time and shoot analogue. I have tried it; shooting thirty-six exposures after swimming out, only to run out of film, paddle frantically back to shore, dry off, grab another film, run back to the sea and swim out again. It is a laborious process, which is a massive waste of time in my opinion (Hipsters and photography purists are probably after my blood for saying this).
Shooting in the sea, was not an accepted form of the art when I was at university, hence my 2:2 result at the end of my degree. Truth be told, it is the most challenging type of photography I have ever done. You have to deal with so much, like shifting swells, waves crashing on you, riptides, undercurrents, surfers, surfboards and cold (especially in winter when it drops below 6 degrees). Yet, as I leap back into the ocean, wetsuit on, camera in my housing and fins to help me negotiate the above perils, I instantly fall back in love with that which was both my love and my pain back in university.
The summer has not produced much in the way of great waves, it has however, provided a plethora of wonderful sunsets. This night was yet another to add to the ones that I have witnessed so far this year. We surfed until the sun started to drop beyond the horizon, and opted for dinner on the Godrevy cliffs. There is no better location on a night like this; I can promise you that. I perused the photographs while chilling with my friends with freshly made tea and soup, a satisfying dinner to end a beautiful day. We ate, we laughed, we scared away ravenous seagulls (I had already been attacked by one on a run a few days ago), and we watched the final rays of sunshine flitter through clouds on the edge of the world.
I urge you to make the most of these opportunities. Get in the sea, even if it is not to surf. Be with friends and loved ones, witness a sunset or a sunrise in these beautiful locations. It is free after all.
Comments