09 May, 2019
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.
