Psychologists

Psychologists
believe your earliest memories are imprinted in
your mind in a way that shapes the course of your life.

Since my most cherished memories are punctuated by times spent
near the water, it makes sense that I am continuously driven to
photograph human interactions with the ocean. To me the sea means
freedom, joy and excitement. I found this same boundless sense of
possibility among the surfing
community in people of all ages. It inspired my latest series,
Swell: Endless Blue, which was shot in
Hawaii.

Swell is as much a body of work about the sport of surfing as it
is about the incredible interaction between the waves and the
surfers when viewed from a sweeping bird’s eye perspective. From
this angle, the breaks become celestial forces bearing unique
designs; their repetitive patterns become works of art. While the
ocean’s unpredictability may seem like its predominant behaviour,
when you spend time watching waves you begin to notice recurrent
forms and shapes that may not have been initially apparent.

The allure of surfing lies in its sense of escape from the daily
grind. I hope that as you look through the images in this series
you too start to think about what, in your life, offers the same
elevated experience.

From above, the surfers and waves are not separate entities but
instead are collected and intertwined into one unified, rhythmic
composition. Meditative and transformative, I am in awe of this
union of person and sea.

drewdoggett.com | @drewdoggettphotography