Waves are
inherently photogenic. Each one is unique and may vary widely in shape, size,
and color. Waves are the product of open ocean swell colliding with reef or
coastline, and surf photographers are charged with capturing images of those
events and the people who ride them.
The early history
of surf photography is tightly intertwined with the modern history of surfing. The
first examples of surf photography appeared around the late 1890’s and are not
actually images of surf, they are portraits of native Hawaiians holding surfboards.
During the 19th century Calvinist missionaries had all but
eradicated surfing on the islands. Surfing was closely linked to the ancient
Hawaiian social, religious, and political customs that the missionaries sought
to replace with Christian morality and social order. A native Hawaiian who
chose to be depicted with a surfboard was making a strong statement about his/her
traditions and national identity.
Retrieved from http://www.surfingforlife.com/history2.html
The early 1900’s
saw expanding interest in the sport of surfing, fueled mostly by Jack London,
Alexander Hume Ford, George Freeth, and especially Duke Kahanamoku. These men
introduced surfing to many through the written word and expositions. But it was
video and photographs that would capture the spectacle of surfing and bring it
to ever-wider audiences. In 1906 Robert Bonine would travel to Hawaii for
Thomas Edison to shoot a brief documentary about life on the newly acquired
American territories. It was the first motion picture depiction of surfing.
Through out the
1920’s and 30’s surfers began to take pictures of themselves and their friends
riding waves. Tom Blake, early surf pioneer and inventor of the waterproof
camera housing, took a picture entitled “Riders of the Sunset Seas” of four
surfers at Waikiki. The Los Angeles Times printed this full spread sepia rotogravure photograph and ignited Southern
California surf culture. Tom Blake also published a book of photographs
entitled Hawaiian Surfboard in 1935
and a layout printed in National Geographic that same year. However, the first
truly dedicated surf photographer was “Doc” Ball. Growing up in Redlands,
California, Doc was introduced to the ocean and photography at and early age. He
began taking pictures of surfers with a Kodak Folding Autograph Brownie camera
from a self-built canoe. What set Doc apart was his dedication "to the pursuit of artistically recording
the California surfing scene." He photographed “surfers surfing, their
boards, cars, girlfriends, parties, surf board construction, living quarters,
club houses and just about all activities related to this new breed of
Californian.” (Gault-Williams) In 1937 Doc began shooting with a Series D
Graflex camera in a homemade waterproof housing modeled after Tom Blake’s
design. It was fitted with a brass handle on the side so powerful waves would
not pull it from his grip and used large format film for sharper enlargements.
Retrieved from http://files.legendarysurfers.com/surf/legends/ls07.shtml
Doc’s
eye for composition and habit of injecting humor into his shots landed his
photographs in the Los Angeles Times, Life Magazine, Encyclopedia Britannica,
National Geographic Magazine, art galleries, photography competitions, and
advertisements. He was known for attempting to capture the wave riding
experience from every possible angle. He’d strap the camera to all parts of his
body and board, shoot from piers, cars, airplanes, cliffs, and trees. In 1946
Doc Ball published his seminal California
Surfriders which precipitated a bloom in surf clubs up and down the
California coast and few select spots on the East coast.
Image retrieved from www.surfresearch.com.au
In 1953 an Associated Press photographer named Thomas
"Scoop" Tsuzuki captured an image of three surfers tearing down the
face of a huge wave at Makaha in Hawaii. It was published in newspapers across
California and the rest of the country.
The photograph prompted an exodus of
continental surfers to Hawaii in search of big surf. One of those intrepid
surfers was Greg Noll, a man would ride Makaha over a decade later in one of
the biggest swells of the 20th century. According to onlookers, Greg
Noll was the only one able to make it out into the surf and took off on a wave
over 30 feet tall, the largest ever ridden. The mythic status of this ride was
only amplified by the lack of photographic evidence. Many of the photographers
along the beach thought that the surf was unrideable and were not prepared for
Knoll’s wave. However, recent scholarship has uncovered photographs taken by a
photographer named Alby Falzon. He claims to have taken a three shot sequence
of the “famous wave”. The problem is that wave in the photographs isn't as big
as the wave described by first hand accounts of the ride. Despite Falzon’s
seemingly airtight story and third party research, the surf community is
reluctant to acknowledge the existence and authenticity of the photographs,
preferring that Noll’s ride remain an epic legend of surf lore.
Today’s
surf photographers are pushing ever closer to the action. Surf photographers
now wear fins and wetsuits to swim out to the break and capture the surf from
unique angles not permitted by the field’s early equipment. Light digital
cameras in waterproof casings mounted on a pole allow photographers to get
shots that were previously though unobtainable. In-water surf photography gives
the viewer a perspective that they are most likely completely unfamiliar with. This
style of shooting comes at an increased risk to the photographer. They must
brave waters filled with sharks, jellyfish, razor sharp reefs, towering waves,
and fiberglass missiles directed towards them, all the while holding a camera
and attempting to photograph a subject that is in a constant state of change. Surf
photography has evolved into an extreme sport of it’s own, requiring physical
fitness and years of experience and knowledge of the ocean. They are the unsung
heroes of the surf industry capturing the images that sell magazines, website
subscriptions, surf clothing, and equipment.
Retrieved from surf.transworld.net
Retrieved from surf.transworld.net
Retrieved from holladayphoto.com
Retrieved from surf.transworld.com
References:
Gault, Williams. (2004). John Heath “Doc” Ball. Retrieved
from http://files.legendarysurfers.com/surf/legends/ls07.shtml
Marcus, B. From Polynesia with Love, a History of Surfing
from Captain Cook to the Present. Retrieved from http://www.surfingforlife.com/history2.html
Memminger, C. (2005, April 10) The Epic Shot. Honolulu Star-Bulletin. Retrieved from http://archives.starbulletin.com/2005/04/10/news/memmingerextra.html
Owers, k. (2011, April 12) The Photo that Does Not Exist. The Inertia. http://www.theinertia.com/surf/greg-noll-legendary-big-wave-makaha-photo-exist/3/
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