Evolve: Nate Smith

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 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 

Jun Jo is simply a maniac. A good man with a great heart. This was in Japan for RedBull. The goal was to film a typhoon with a bunch of other RB riders, who are all equally as mad. This is a wave that, up until this point, had never been surfed or photographed. I was on a ski with these bombs going off all around. It was very unnerving, but highly rewarding. Photo: Nate Smith

The late Sion Milosky at Pipleline very early one morning. I'd never shot of met Sion before this, although I was aware of who he was. Sion was such a nice, friendly guy. This was really uncrowded Pipe, and after this wave, he paddled by and said hi, frothing out on the wave he just got. Sadly, this was one of the last times I ever got to shoot with him again. This is surfing: the guy in the channel is saying it all. 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 

I want to pay respect to the GROMMETS of the surf world. They are getting better and better and charging harder and harder every year. This is 15 year old Russell Bierke at one of his secret spots near his home. Photo: Nate Smith

Dane Reynolds, one of the best surfers on this planet. A man who could easily be World Champion if he wanted to. This portrait i shot at Pipeline one afternoon when Dane was out there just body surfing. Photo: Nate Smith

The unmistakable swooping style of Mr Joel Parkinson cutting around me at one very crowded Snapper Rocks session many years ago. I love this photo. Until recently (as it was digital), this was lost. The problem with all this digital stuff is that sometimes it does just vanish and this is a constant worry: will I accidentally delete it off my HD pack? So many things can go wrong with this technology. So, one afternoon whilst rearranging photos, I came across a .tiff file of the this image, but not the RAW. I can run with that. Better than no photo at all. Digital vs. Analog is a tough one. I think I'd rather care for a physical slide photo in a protective archival sleeve in a box than care for temperamental hard drives. I have lost more images due to HD crashes than I ever have in slides, so in the order of progression, we have also gone backwards just a little. Just my thoughts. Photo: Nate Smith

This is Dion Atkinson who is on his first year of WCT after spending a few years doing the qualifying rounds. Surfs amazingly well and will charge. I'm calling he will upset a few BIG names this year. Thing I love about this shot is that it's in my homeland of Australia. I won't say where, as I'd like to return, but pretty cool having world class waves a few hours from my house when the conditions are right. Photo: Nate Smith

This is Luke Stedman very late at a Sydney spot. The new Canon 1DX is a real beautiful camera for shooting low light. Its noise is next to none. Stedman being Stedman making for a cool bottom turn. Photo: Nate Smith

Damien Hobgood is one of the best guys to shoot at Cloudbreak, or at any place that offers this type of tube, as a matter of fact. This type of shot is what really makes me stoked. Photo: Nate Smith

Since I first started shooting surfing, it was all film and manual focus lenses. A situation where you really had to rely on your camera gear to work. Film cameras were, at times, a bit fragile, with jammed shutter blades or the grease from them smearing across your transparency causing it to ruin your image, although the sound of the camera would not differ from a correctly function one. You simply could not check your image like we can nowadays and you could easily shoot a two week trip and get home to find 3/4 of your images ruined. It did happen to lots of people. Analogue vs. Digital: you did learn to know what to look for in a film camera in order to know if it was working, much like an old car where you could change your own oil, spark plugs etc, unlike these new digital cameras or a modern car which I would not dare open up. As we all know these days, it's instant. You can learn on the run from your shooting mistakes. For the most part, cameras are fool proof and very user friendly, making for your experience a lot less stressful. This photo is the result of the modern age, a flash shot with a fisheye lens at Desert Point. It worked freakily well and was cool to see instantly back on the boat while enjoying that cold beer. Photo: Nate Smith

Right from the time I first started taking photos some fifteen plus years ago, it was clear to me (and still is) that my timing was perfect. Perfect in the sense that I have been very fortunate to have been shooting this guy. Kelly Slater, easily the best surfer ever in the history of the sport. I have done numerous trips with him and Quiksilver and have shared some really cool moments. Such a cool time for a photographer to be around shooting. I dont know of anyone who does not enjoy pointing a lens on him. It's history going down on every wave, images for the ages. I know other surfers will come along and will have similar importance, but what a time really that we have had... and it's far from over. Photo: Nate Smith

This is a pretty classic image of the guy you know so well. Photo: Nate Smith

Photo: Nate Smith

I have always loved being in the water, whether it's riding a few waves of my own or swimming around with a camera. But this moment right here is a fly on the wall moment, a pure gold room of joy. It doesn't even really matter who it is, as it's all about the light and the wave, This guys is no stranger to getting tubes like this. Andrew Mooney locked. Photo: Nate Smith

This is Koby Abberton at Cape Solander in Sydney. This is the place I enjoy shooting the most out of all the places I have travelled to. Easily one of the most exciting and dangerous waves to shoot and surf, and it's an hour from my home. This year will see the very first Invitational Surfing contest, The Red Bull Cape Fear Challenge. It's going to be cool. Photo: Nate Smith

Tamayo Perry sizing up Pipe while waiting for his moment to paddle out. Pipeline is a Colosseum. It always has been and always will be. It's a gladiator pit for both surfers and photographers, a place where you both have to put in your time. Time well spent and worthy of effort as the rewards can be spectacular. Photo: Nate Smith

Many years ago, I had the opportunity to work with Insight on this installation advertising campaign with the infamous and very talented Christian Fletcher. This photo was purely for visual effect, and at no point was this to be landed... although Christian did try to land this flip. The result was him tearing the shorts right off him. The photo is cool and will always be fun to look at. Photo: Nate Smith

The surfboard as shaped/designed by Simon Anderson. Fresh lines from the shaping machine. This is a sign of the times: perfection down to the hundredths of millimetres. Photo: Nate Smith

Mr Simon Anderson, a man I have the utmost respect for – not only for his contributions to surfing, but for simply being a really cool, quirky, humble guy. I shot this outside his factory in Mona Vale with studio light positioned up high. I really like this portrait of him. It's strong and I feel represents him well. If only you could see the sand shoes and socks he was wearing along with his wetsuit. The ultimate professional. Photo: Nate Smith

This is just perfect. Photo: Nate Smith

Sometimes darkness can be a great light. Photo: Nate Smith