12_05_14_2010_095
I could already tell I wasn't going to swim this day from up on the hill, but I walked down and checked it out anyway. It was massive. There weren't too many great waves this day, but Keala Kennelly definitely took gold on this one. The sequence ran on Surfline with a huge claim for women's surfing, also as a spread in Carve Magazine and I believe the sequence ran in SurfGirl too. This was my first time in a glossy mag. Plenty of others had the sequence also, I know Tyler Cuddy had it and I'm sure Edwin Morales must have had it also. I debated on where to send it because I knew Surfline would be psyched but that would kill any chance it had of running in the US magazines. I'm happy with the outcome and pumped KK keeps packing bombs! 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.