01_jon_smyth
This was my very first photo to run anywhere. Zach (Wiesberg, The Inertia Founder) actually ran it when he used to work at Surfer. I was so thrilled when he used this in an online East Coast feature. I remember torturing myself that the photo wasn't good enough, “I shoulda done this, or that.” Typical stuff we all go through... I was a total novice then. Now I love this photo. Jon (pictured) and I have become very good friends since so it's pretty awesome to add this one to the visual memory bank. In a day and age when everyone is run online and people give their images away for free, this was a big deal to me back then. There was not a weekly “Jersey is Fucking Firing” gallery, they were few and far between. Way before Instagram photographers were the norm. Back then being run online wasn't commonplace, especially for East Coasters. Photo: Ryan Struck
My career is still growing, and no single image has really excelled my progress more than any other. I’ll never be someone anyone needs in this industry; there are hoards of other people out there with a camera. Instead, I just aim to show surfing in a different light.
I’m forever a student of light and still reaching further to get a better grasp of this visual journey I’ve undertaken. I don’t want to give the impression that having your photos run in a magazine is the main goal, although I used to think that for a time. Really, having your images run doesn’t mean much. I don’t need street cred and the pay won’t support me. I have discovered that I’m not out to prove anything anymore, and I don’t need the surf media to validate me as a photographer. I do love surf photography though. I love it with all my heart. I enjoy approaching it with a critical eye to make the best image possible and am always trying to succeed. These images and captions may be more anecdotal than career progressing. Hope that jives well with you all.