I have been into wave, beach and surf photography for the last two years after moving to Cornwall with my wife and two boys in 2012. We wanted a change from living in the South East and we wanted to raise our boys in a beautiful part of the country, to live an active, outdoor lifestyle. And my wife and I wanted to get back in the water and introduce our boys to surfing too.
The Interview
I knew the West Country well as I used to come here a lot for surf weekends with my friends when we were in our late teens and twenties. Those weekends, they were some of the best times of my life and I remember them with great fondness. There really is nothing quite like being out in the line up with your best buddies, catching waves, having a laugh and then reminiscing in the pub over a few ales in the evening. Magical times. I was a sponger while most of my mates were surfers so there was plenty of banter but that never mattered to me. It was all about catching waves, experiencing the buzz and sharing it with friends. To me, that is what surfing and waves are all about.
I have been lucky enough to visit some amazing surf spots around the world and this instilled in me a great passion for waves, the ocean and beach life in general. I can watch waves all day. I love their power, how they form, the colours, the spray. Their raw beauty. I love the fact that they are so unrelenting. So after four years of very little water action, starting a family, getting married and finding our way in life, we are now here living the life we dreamt of, surrounded by amazing waves, beautiful beaches and the great outdoors.
I have been lucky enough to visit some amazing surf spots around the world and this instilled in me a great passion for waves, the ocean and beach life in general. I can watch waves all day. I love their power, how they form, the colours, the spray. Their raw beauty. I love the fact that they are so unrelenting. So after four years of very little water action, starting a family, getting married and finding our way in life, we are now here living the life we dreamt of, surrounded by amazing waves, beautiful beaches and the great outdoors.
My best shoot so far was probably over on the North Coast of Cornwall towards the end of last year. I dropped my boy at school and headed over and the light was perfect - low winter sun pointing directly at the incoming swell contrasting beautifully with the shadows from the high cliffs. If I was to have a style, I would say it is simply to catch the beauty and power of waves, from the sea or on land, from a unique angle or different perspective. But I am always looking for something else in a shot. I love getting people into my shots – seeing how they interact with the waves breaking around them, whether they are as interested in these waves as me. One of my favourite shots is of an old man walking his dog up the side of a cliff on a freezing, sunny winter’s day with a beautiful wave breaking in front of him. I was hoping the old man would step into the sunlight just as the wave broke. Fortunately he was quick and fit enough for me to get the shot!
Worst shoot? I wouldn’t really say I’ve had one. There’s nothing bad about wandering the cliffs and beaches of Cornwall or getting in the water! But there are times when the swell is forecast but disappoints a bit. There was a shoot recently when I got my tide times mixed up (despite my wife buying me a tide watch for Christmas) and arrived at the beach too late. There were wobbly waves breaking all over the place at mid-high tide – a good indication of all the sandbar shifting that has taken place in all these crazy winter storms. The waves weren’t great but I still found stuff to shoot – I kept seeing all these faces in the cliffs and rocks, so I had fun shooting them instead.
The future is really exciting. I have just launched an online shop to sell framed prints of my images and I’m just looking to get out there and explore and keep improving. And get a few more lenses and a water housing when I can afford it! It’d be great to get overseas and travel to some remote surf spots and experience different surf cultures. That is the best part really – to travel and explore, to find that pot of gold at the journey’s end in the form of a perfect breaking wave.
Worst shoot? I wouldn’t really say I’ve had one. There’s nothing bad about wandering the cliffs and beaches of Cornwall or getting in the water! But there are times when the swell is forecast but disappoints a bit. There was a shoot recently when I got my tide times mixed up (despite my wife buying me a tide watch for Christmas) and arrived at the beach too late. There were wobbly waves breaking all over the place at mid-high tide – a good indication of all the sandbar shifting that has taken place in all these crazy winter storms. The waves weren’t great but I still found stuff to shoot – I kept seeing all these faces in the cliffs and rocks, so I had fun shooting them instead.
The future is really exciting. I have just launched an online shop to sell framed prints of my images and I’m just looking to get out there and explore and keep improving. And get a few more lenses and a water housing when I can afford it! It’d be great to get overseas and travel to some remote surf spots and experience different surf cultures. That is the best part really – to travel and explore, to find that pot of gold at the journey’s end in the form of a perfect breaking wave.
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