Tim McKenna

Tim McKenna is a Australian surf photographer now living in Tahiti documenting the extreme nature of the surfing on the islands. His image of Larid Hamilton surfing one of the heaviest waves ever surf is most likely the most famous photograph of his generation having graced the covers of surf magazines and news papers the world over.

Regraded as one of the top modern surf photographers and at the cutting edge of the industry pushing the limits of what is possible in and out of the water. You can see the similarities between McKenna's images today and the image of the early greats like Warren Bolster and Ron Stoner. The layout's in the traditions of surf photography they invented and the angles they choose are very much still in use today.

Moraii press coverage

I recently covered the Moraii wave classic on Cornwall here's a link to some of the press coverage i got from the day.

http://www.boardseekermag.com/features/windsurfing-competition/mormaii-wave-classic-gallery-117.html

With magazines the world over finding it hard to make any money it's the Internet magazine's like boardseekers that are in my opion the future and i think there will be a lot more Internet magazine in the future.

Ron Stoner surf photographer

Ron Stoner portrait

Ron Stoner was the lost sole of the 60's surf scene the most talented surf photographer of his generation his images now not only document the 1960's surf cultures rise into popular culture but also the rise of the sexual revaluation which was taking place in America.


He really was a complete photographer being one of the first surf photographers to document the whole surf scene and the first surf photographer to use colour film to its full potential.


His simple scene setting images are now set in the traditions of of modern surf photography they set the mood for all his articles and really sum up the surfing lifestyle empty beautiful waves just waiting to be found and surfed.


His photography now is regraded as social documentary having great importance in surf culture, a great lose came to the surfing world Ron was lost in his battle with the effects of schizophrenia brought on by his excess use of LSD. No one knows what happened to him but he was declared missing in 1977 and in 1996 declared dead having not been seen since the early 70's.

Long Lens Cannon 600mm

There have been people that have influenced the image making of surf photographers today and the there is the inventions that have moved the medium forward. One of these is the now industry standard 600mm lens every surf photographer will have one of these in there bag of toys some being Cannon others depending on the photographers camera brand being a different maker.

These lenses bring the action closer and with the technical advancements they also now have auto focus and built in image stabilizers helping to produce clearer sharper images. This is in a way has taken the great skill out of producing crisp images where as in the early years the lense's were manual focus and the photographer had to rely on skill alone to get that magically crisp image.

Wipeouts

Wipeouts got to love them when they happen to other people not so great when they happen to you i took this photograph a few years back with my old Sony camera and 500mm lens still brings a smile to my face.

There part and parcel of being a surfer when your learning they happen a lot as you try to get used to the movement of water under you feet, then as you get better they happen more often as you push your limits to see how good you really are. If you don't have the odd big wipeout every time you get in the sea then your not pushing yourself in the water.

Such a bad day turned good

Some days you go out taking photographs and you get nothing use able today was different the light was bad but the action was insane as you can see from this Andy King big backloop.

Rider Portraits

1st surf related image portrait of a surfer

Sam Bosworth

Lee Harvey

Every professional rider needs them it helps people find out who they are there used on adverts and when they give magazine interviews. These images are of a social documentary background and give the rider a chance to see a personal side of the rider. I like the centred images with the profile shots i take plain and simple and sticks with traditions that have been built up with in photographic history. These images cross over within the pathways of the medium but when they come down to it they are all surf related images.

Long lens work

Lee Harvey

Ian Black
Russel Winter

As a surf photographer long lens work is part and parcel of my everyday work load I've crossed over from just being a surf only photographer to looking at kite and wind surfing as well. You can see how similar the sports are and how the techniques used with surfing just cross over into other surf related genres.

Setting the scene

The line up

Beach set up

Cheesy sunset looking at waves

All great surfing articles have a scene setting images here are some examples i have taken these are very much social documentary images and record the life style of a surfer. There used in magazines to help make people feel like there are at the beach with subjects. These type of images were part and parcel of early surf photography and the likes of Doc Ball and Ron Stoner were masters of setting the scene for the viewer.

Skating

Skate Boarding evolved from surfing and you can see the relationship between the two in the photographs that are produced. The techniques used in each are similar with both paving the way for each to move forward with in the medium. Skating brought the use of the fisheye lens to surfing and surfers invented the skate board the photographs produced are similar and share one major fact they are both not only sporting images but also social documentary images of popular culture. Nearly all surf photographers will take skating photographs at some point in there career as it gives them the chance to learn to shoot with a fisheye lens without looking through viewfinder fisheye lens work is all about the fill of the shot.

1st surf related photograph

This is to believed to be the 1st surf related photograph ever taken the photographer and surfer are unknown but the image is in display at the Bishop Museum, Honolulu, Hawaii. This image is laid out very much like that of early social documentary photographs of the time and shows that photography is such a cross over medium even in the very early days.

Bodyboarding

Jack Johns is a local bodyboarder always pushing the limits and surfing to the most extreme levels.

Water sports

My photographic approach is drawn for a love of water sports i concentrate on three main pathways which are Surfing, Windsurfing and kite surfing. These are sports that are full of action and visually have a high impact and appeal to even the most Innocent of by standers.
Each one has been influenced by people like Doc Ball and Tom Blake they paved the way for photographers like myself, i use the techniques they forged to produce the images that have become my trade. The way they documented there lives and the up and coming surf culture can been seen in photographs taken by photographers of my generation the angles they used have become part and parcel of surfing photography. As with some of the earlier pioneers of surf photography my image making crosses over into the world of skating it just a stepping stone on the pathway and a building block in the make up of a surf photographer its the easiest way for a surf photographer to learn to use a fisheye lens and how to take photographs by fill rather than by looking through the lens.

Doc Ball

Doc Ball "John Heath" was the 1st surf only photographer making his living documenting the life style he lived in the early 1930's onwards along with Tom Blake they documented surfing rise into popular culture.

Warren Bolster

Warren Bolster a true cross over photographer and one of the most influential skate photographers that has lived his images are regraded as the reason Tony Hawke started skating. He brought to surf photography the techniques from skate photography fish eye lens and reworked them for surfing using the fisheye to capture wave riding photographs from the water at close quaters.

Mickey Smith

Photo by Mickey Smith

Mickey Smith a local Cornish photographer and someone i grew up with and discribe as a great mate living his life through the lens. He's a the fore front of British and world surf photography a bodyboarder by trade he's spent the last 10 years documenting his friends as they travel the world in search of the perfect wave. As a water based photographer (by this i maen most of his images are taken from the sea) he put himself in situations that many wouldn't dream of just to get that one off photograph. His images are cutting edge and document the heavest surf in the world being riden by the best riders on planet.

Tom Blake

Tom Blake 1902-1994 the 1st surf photographer in the world and a ture pioneer of the sport having invented the 1st hollow surf board and surf besed under water camera. His images of surfing have been in the LA Times and National Geographic its hard to discribe the infulence he's had on the culture i live in and the effect he's had in the industry i work in. The only words that spring to mind to discribe him is legend in his own right without the likes of him i don't know if i'd even be producing images today.

BWA Marazion Cornwall

Windsurfing competion came to Cornwall again this wknd with Marazion being the beach of choice this wknd the earlier rounds were held at Gwithian but the finals held at Maza. With high winds and plenty of swell everything was in place for a classic comp the winner in the end was John Skye with some solid wave rides and massive airs.

Bit of windsurf action from today at Marazion

The 1st of hopefully many winter storms hit Cornwall today the waves weren't that big but then there's always 2m but windsurfer Andy King made the most of the day.

Personal photographic style

My photographic style is mainly based on water sports its what first drew me into photography but as time passes I find myself drawn to a more to social documentary images. By this I mean I now like blending the two to produce a high quality final package its all well getting the great one off images for sport but without the scene setting images then I think you’ll struggle to get work with magazines as they want articles not one off images. I like high octane images with the action frozen in time so that the viewer gets a real fill for the sport that I’m photographing.
My images are mainly sports based this comes from growing up in Cornwall and being drawn to the sea by its beauty and power. Being a keen surfer, sailor and windsurfer it became only natural to pick up a camera when injured and take photographs of my mates. I quickly found that I had a natural talent for this and had images published within week’s of first taking photographs which has spurred me on since. I think what really helps is my friends that I grew up with, all had great talents for surfing and kite surfing and now compete on the world stage giving me access to high profile riders that all the British magazines are desperate for images of.
I’d like to think I had a god given talent for photography but to be honest every week I learn and improve and this comes from hard work and lots of practice. I was just lucky to have the right backing and get those breaks so early in my career which pushed me to try harder and learn quicker.