70 Greatest Photos from The Inertia Relaunch

I think I photographed around twenty or so frames before I couldn't take it anymore. It was a nice solo session. Photo: Mark McInnis

A cold winter day just after a passing snow storm laid a pile of fresh snow and brought plenty of waves to New Jersey. I was shooting water this day and came away with a few good images but I knew I had to get out and get the land angle with the snowman. I saw a child making it as we paddled out. This is one of my best selling prints and you can purchase it here. Photo: Ryan Struck

The elements all came together this day. Photo: Andy Bowlin

Sammy Hawk Rocky Point, spring of 1971. Basking in the sun. Image: Brewer

A couple years after moving to La Jolla I shot this image of the Windansea shack during a rare lightning storm. I shot photos in this location for about 4 hours until I finally got the shot I was waiting for. When I got home I did a quick process on this image and emailed it to about a dozen friends. The next day when I woke up I had over 400 new emails from people all over the world inquiring about this photo. I was really blown away. It gave me a glimpse of the impact that digital photography would have on my ability to share moments and experiences instantly. Coincidentally, this image was shot the same month that Facebook was launched. Photo: Anthony Ghiglia

Bruce Irons. Bank Vaults, Mentawai Islands, Indonesia 2009. Image: Brewer

An -8 degree day and by far my best day of shooting again with this lighting. Photo: Ben Currie

Bunker Spreckels the first time I met him at Pipeline he had ask me to take his portrait. Image: Brewer

This morning my good friend Brian Pollak drove to Jersey from East New York. He left at 4 a.m. and made it just in time for sunrise. That's Gundi in the frame, but this is how we all started our day. Photo: Ryan Struck

A little out of order here but this image of Pipeline from 2003 is still one of my favorite images I have ever captured in Hawaii. Photo: Anthony Ghiglia

Spring colors, NH. Photo: Brian Nevins

Another great shot from this winter in December. -8 degrees with absurd wind chills. Not a great day for my eyes, face and extremities, but well worth capturing this lighting. Magical. Photo: Ben Currie

As I continued to transform my work, I found myself looking for anything different that I thought might make for an impactful image. This photo was shot with a long lens looking almost straight down on a clean wave rolling into Blacks Beach. Photo: Anthony Ghiglia

Behind the Seen. Photo:Matt Shepherd

My winning photo for February this year on Surfline. I picked a different photo because I thought this one was a little too pretty and was only meant to be seen on my site. Billy Watts thought that this one was a better shot to go with and of course I agreed. And it won. I gave away my prize which was a Billabong wetsuit – a gesture to give back for all I have been giving. I will never let attention get to my head ever. We are all equal in God's eyes so why should we be any different in mine? Photo: Ben Currie

I took this photo with my first DSLR three years ago on Easter Sunday. One of the first photos that got me recognized as an up-and-coming photog. Still had a ton of work but was told that I had a great eye for photography and to keep at it. Taken with a 60d and a canon 70-300 4-5.6 which I learned the hard way that, at 300, was soft no matter the aperture. Bought the 70-200 2.8is soon after seeing too many good photos getting trashed because they were too soft for my liking. Photo: Ben Currie

Post snow melt peak. Photo: Brian Nevins

While this image is an example of a digital photography possibly pushed a little too far, the reason it's included is because it was around this time that I relocated residence to the Windansea area of La Jolla. My morning routine nearly everyday that I was in the country would include driving by every reef in La Jolla to see if anything was worth shooting. I actually still do this most days now. As it pertains to my photography, it was after I moved to La Jolla that I also started getting back in touch with shooting subject matter outside of surfing and more towards the environment. Photo: Anthony Ghiglia

Mikey Moran at The Wall. Photo: Brian Nevins

This image was shot on a smaller day at Cloudbreak in Fiji. I've really started shooting and selling more images of empty waves in the last five or six years. I've found that I can target a broader range of clients with these types of images. I really enjoy shooting with talented surfers but there is something a bit more intimate with shooting empty waves. I feel connected to something bigger when I shoot images like this. Photo: Anthony Ghiglia

This image from Nicaragua is a good example of a wave's relationship with its surroundings. Being a part of that surrounding and specifically being alone in that surrounding is what I try to convey in these types of images. Photo: Anthony Ghiglia

A soft dimpled set wave comes rolling into the shores at Blacks Beach. In the early years of my work I would have completely missed something so simple as this moment, which now evokes as much interest, if not more, for me as high action. Photo: Anthony Ghiglia

Michael “Munga” Barry, Sunset Beach West peak, North Shore Hawaii. Yes, he did make this wave. Image: Brewer

I had not been to Fiji for many years and this was a pretty different trip as I didn't stay in the action packed islands, namely Namotu or Tavarua. Instead, I was on a small, rocky boat stationed near the judging tower at Cloudbreak. We got to see when it turned on out there. This shot is a result of that boat and a little knowledge knowing that late this day would be good. Here, Nat Young, Rookie of the Year stole the wave of the afternoon and gave me one of my favorite photos to date. Photo: Nate Smith

Early May in New Jersey. Photo: Brian Nevins

The beauty of looking through the belly of an eight inch wave. Photo: Deb Morris

Peter Devries exiting the water on a chilly December day. Photo: Jeremy Koreski

This was from the second largest swell ever surfed at Teahupo'o last May. Every time someone lets go of the rope, you are holding your breath. These surfers are gladiators and deserve all the credit in the world. This was one of the larger waves of the day, and Alain Riou put his local knowledge to the test. Photo: Seth de Roulet

This was maybe 1999, and it was super late in the day. Heaps of photog's had packed up and left for the day, and there were only a few left on the beach at Off The Wall. I saw the golden light starting to build in the sky, so I headed down towards Backdoor on the off chance that if Bruce busted an air, he might do it against this one golden bit of sky, thus at least giving me a backlit silhouette of him. Sure enough, Bruce goes huge, and I took about six slides of it at at about a 40th or a second. Here's the amazing bit: during just that moment of inertia at the height of his maneuver, he was still enough for me to produce a reasonably sharp image. None of the others were anywhere near as good. Photo: Sean Davey

Water and light. Sunrise in Santa Barbara loves little waves like this. Photo: Maxx Buchanan

Dane Reynolds went insane during his semi-final heat of the 2014 Rincon Classic. Picture proof. Photo: Maxx Buchanan

The range of colors can be so dramatic at this time of day. Photo: John Lucarelli

Some of my very favorite shots often don’t have huge hacks, deep barrels, or amazing airs. Here’s surfer Matt Hoffman getting vibed by the locals in Malibu, California. Photo: Maxx Buchanan

After working with my helicam for a couple of years, I finally had the skills to take the machine onto my boat and photograph over the ocean. This image is of a newborn Southern Right Whale. It inspired me to keep working on the aerial side of my photography. Photo: Craig Parry

This is a little wave near my house. It's always the first place I check in the morning. From there I can usually base where to go. Most of the time I'll drive around and end up right back where I started. Photo: Andy Bowlin

Chris Ross, The Right: this by far the most challenging photo I have taken successfully. swimming at The Right is bloody difficult. Apart from the size and sheer amount of water moving, we (surfers/myself) have also had to put up with the occasional great white having a look at the proceedings and its in the middle of the ocean making it extremely difficult to get your bearings. I decided a few years ago that this is the way I want to shoot this wave. Visually, it's not the best, because you miss 99% of the action being out of position, But now that the channel is packed with photographers catching all the moments, I really cannot see the point being a part of the growing list. Organizing a great selection of surfers only to see them plastered all over the internet that very night, photographer's etiquette thrown out the window... I can keep complaining or find some way of finding the serenity and peace amongst the chaos. I am now alone floating at sea, I have reconnected with the ocean, I am not changing, I don’t care if I only ever get one photo like this over the next ten years. It's worth it personally. Photo: Russell Ord

With just some small packs, Jonathan Mincher, Rob Brown and myself hitched a ride to the boat docks in Tahiti to ferry our way over to the isle of Moorea. We wanted to hike into what looked like Jurassic Park and spend the night under the stars. We awoke to golden beams of light piercing early morning peaks. As we hiked out and overlooked Cook's Bay, I made this image, which has appeared at home and internationally. It's really more of a personal moment; I suppose that's why it's been received so well. Photo: Ryan Struck

This image was my first black and white image that I had printed. In 2013, this was the most exciting image that I had captured. To date, it has won two competitions and has been awarded silver at the Australian Institute of Photography Awards. Photo: Craig Parry

Headless McTavish 1966 – The first picture of mine that got itself a name. Shot at Point Cartwright on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, it came to symbolize what McTavish and Nat called the ‘involvement’ school.

Early Riser. Photo: Tyhe Reading

Shaper Felix Dickson test driving his own shapes in the Cornish evening gold. Photo: Roger Sharp

Every time, I see big, perfect waves being ridden, I have to remind myself to step back and shoot a few pulled back images before getting into the routine of shooting any tight action on the big lens. It's so often more important to get these pulled back images than it is to go tight. In fact, I'm more likely now to shoot the pulled back image than the tight image simply because the pulled back image is more likely a line up and those are timeless. This is Evan Valiere on one of those timeless waves with an absolutely timeless bottom turn. Photo: Sean Davey

Fire in the sky. Photo: Tyhe Reading

With virtually no swell this day I had to search hard for any formations,luckily this little gem rolled up projecting itself like a glass jaw. Photo: Deb Morris

Photo: Jerome Chobeaux

Canadian Lineup. Photo: Jeremy Koreski

We were there on a Rip Curl team shoot in 2000, but our boat had a fouled fuel filter on this particular morning. We were watching Teahupoo from land, wondering what was going on out there. I found out much later that this moment which I had photographed from land was of Laird Hamilton's millennium wave. I could not see him because he was so far below sea level. What inspired me to shoot this image were the people raising their arms in the boat. This taught me the importance of always having your camera trained on the action, if you can, even with circumstances conspiring against you like we had with the fuel filter. Photo: Sean Davey

Pelicans and seagulls flock together at San Juanico, Baja, Mexico. On the same trip to Scorpion Bay, I captured this shot. I had to drive through the mass of birds at high speed to get this result. It was quite a mad sensation! I was so far from civilization. It was a unique experience. Photo: Lucia Griggi

A perfect barrel framing the rich colors of the sunset and clouds on the horizon. My favorite photo to date. Photo: John Lucarelli

Soft Sea. One of the most beautiful sunsets I've witnessed. Photo: John Lucarelli

Discovering this angle was a highlight of my career so far. A similar shot ran as the opening spread in The Surfers Journal, and it gave me great joy. In the digital age, it's not often that you get to be the one to do something for the first time. Photo: Seth de Roulet

It seems the further north one goes, the quicker and faster the weather changes. An hour before I took this image, the ocean was onshore and pure garbage. Then the wind turned 180 degrees and the locs were coming out of the woodwork for a quick session before dark. Photo: Mark McInnis

Raph Bruhwiler paddling out for another where the mountains meet the sea. Photo: Mark McInnis

Longboarding is something I don't get the opportunity to shoot enough. I'm looking forward to linking up with surfers like Nick Anderberg again to capture this timeless and beautiful genre of our sport. Photo: Mark McInnis

Photo: Michael Nee

This image was my first award-winning image. I captured it around six years ago. This image gave me the confidence to tackle my professional photography career. Photo: Craig Parry

Looking through the heart of a four inch wave. Photo: Deb Morris

Paul Paterson, The Right: Twiggy Baker had flown over from home for a 50/50 session at The Right. The wind was suss, and the swell maybe not big enough, but he took the punt and teamed up with Paul Paterson (Antman) for the session. One tow team, myself and Darren McCagh were behind the cameras. When it goes wrong out in the middle of the ocean, everything is magnified. This is Paul Paterson just about to get the beating of his life on a wave that was from the wrong direction which, by the way, you can't see before you let go of the rope. If Paul Paterson was not as experienced as he is, we would have lost him to the ocean. After a two and half wave hold down (the half being a wave that just surged), and bursting his ear drums,Twiggy pulled him out the water face down trying to right himself which was difficult with the ear problem. Basically he was just border line o.k (he is a tough little bastard). The way he described the incident back at the car-park was incredible: super calm under such extreme pressures. His life depended on his past experiences which has transformed the way I look at my own circumstances. You surely have to build up to such levels. Cheers Antman. Photo: Russell Ord

Playful fun. Photo: Ricky Lesser

Devil Winds II. Photo: Ricky Lesser

Fire in the sky. Photo: Ricky Lesser

The classic Thurso line up. Photo: Roger Sharp

Snapper backwash can be daunting if you're not expecting it. Photo: Samuel Hall

Kelly Slater again on one of the most amazing waves I have seen ridden in a contest. I managed to shoot this from the Volcom boat that was anchored in the channel. I was standing next to my mate Andrew Christie yet we both have different perspectives. Shooting contests is always a challenge to get something that the next guy hasn't. KS got clipped at the end of the wave, but man it was a pretty special moment. Photo: Nate Smith

I won't tell you where this wave is, but let's just say it is not Sydney. The locals here love this place and I wish to return so out of respect, I won't name it. This wave was just insane and this was when I has fresh stitches in my foot. Seeing these peel off was killing me not being able to get in the water, but I think I made it look pretty inviting this way. Any surfer could nail this wave. It was crazy fun. Photo: Nate Smith

Adam Warden in the shaping bay photographed on medium format. I was here to video and piggy backed the shoot with some 120 film. Seeing these results just made me feel right, the details deserve to be slowed down. I throw film photos into the mix as much as I can. Photo: Ryan Struck

This image has inspired me to get my 85mm lens in the water more often! Photo: Craig Parry

This was my fifth shot for the day, I knew when I took this that I had just captured something special. Three — maybe four inches in size. Photo: Deb Morris

In all my time shooting underwater photography, I've never had such an amazing encounter with turtles like this. In January this year, I headed to Hawaii to really focus on my nature photography. We had this magic day at Pipeline where the water was pristine and the swell was small enough to allow the Green Turtles to feed off the reef. Since photographing them this day, I'm hooked on capturing these wonderful little eagles of the sea. Photo: Craig Parry

Wales is hidden behind Ireland but is home to some quality spots when the swell gets beefy. Photo: Roger Sharp