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Down Under: Definitely my biggest day shooting in the water. This I thought I was sitting save and looked through the viewfinder to get the shot. Suddenly I realized that I miscalculated and started scrambling. Too late — ha ha. Photo: Constantin Witt-Dörring
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The Beast: Same day, the waves just kept coming in. This is “Outer Reef” in Nicaragua and only breaks when it gets big. It’s the first time I saw people wearing helmets and getting toed into waves. A great experience. Photo: Constantin Witt-Dörring
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Tucked In: It’s so majestic to see big waves and perfect barrels like that. I hope to be able to shoot waves like that soon again. Photo: Constantin Witt-Dörring
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Outer Reef: Again “Outer Reef” from my balcony. Popoyo usually gets really crowded but when it’s bug like that you can basically have it for yourself. Photo: Constantin Witt-Dörring
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Photo: Constantin Witt-Dörring
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The Walls: Amazingly long wall holding up before it is about to crash. Photo: Constantin Witt-Dörring
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Boom Boom: This was shot at a perfectly barreling break in the north of Nicaragua. Heavy, fast, and beautiful. Photo: Constantin Witt-Dörring
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Miniperfection: Even when it is small the perfect shape of this wave is stunning. Photo: Constantin Witt-Dörring
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Peelers: Just another of those perfectly peeling waves at the Boom. Photo: Constantin Witt-Dörring
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Home: I like the challenge of getting locked inside a little barrel. With my older equipment, it’s a lot of trial and error but persistence always wins. Photo: Constantin Witt-Dörring
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Endless Sea: I love experimenting with the ocean and speed blurs are one of my favorites. The smooth surface and silky feel almost makes it look like a painting. Photo: Constantin Witt-Dörring
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Dreamland: This was at playa Colorado in Nicaragua. It’s a beautiful white sand beach with crystal clear water. They have amazing sunsets, which make for great color patterns. Photo: Constantin Witt-Dörring
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Surfer’s Moment: This for example is one of these sunsets. I think this moment is pretty self-explanatory. Photo: Constantin Witt-Dörring
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Paradiso: White sand, blue water and consistent offshore winds and swell. Playa Colorado is truly a surfers paradise. Photo: Constantin Witt-Dörring
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The Boom: One of the best beach breaks I have ever seen and very similar to Supertubos or Hossegor. It’s a must go if you are a surfer or photographer travelling through Nicaragua. Photo: Constantin Witt-Dörring
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Mixed Colours: Another long exposure with the white water mixing in to the wave. Photo: Constantin Witt-Dörring
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Silky Barrel: Shooting these pictures is a lot o fun but it also requires excellent timing, good waves and a bunch of luck. Photo: Constantin Witt-Dörring
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Spinning: Alex, one of Nicaraguas best surfers about to launch a little manoeuvre Photo: Constantin Witt-Dörring
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Ejection: One of the local boys looking to get up high in the air. Photo: Constantin Witt-Dörring
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Good Views: Nice prospects, which ever way you want to look at it. Photo: Constantin Witt-Dörring
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Boom Perfection: Morning light, no crowds and barrels in all directions. This is how it looks like when the boom turns on. Photo: Constantin Witt-Dörring
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Burning Skies: One of the most intense sunsets I have experienced to this day- Nicaragua. Photo: Constantin Witt-Dörring
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Cascais Monster: Portugal is becoming known for massive waves. This is one of them. I like putting things in perspective. Photo: Constantin Witt-Dörring
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Moroccan Morning: Morocco is one of the most amazing places I have been. Rich culture, great waves and stunning sunrises. Photo: Constantin Witt-Dörring
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Liquid Crystal: When shooting in the water I am always driven by my intuition. I try to go with the flow of the ocean and shoot what I can’t help shooting. Photo: Constantin Witt-Dörring
In 2008, after doing a year of military service, I was done with home. I really needed to get away and so I ran. For some reason, I had the inner urge to try surfing. Probably because of Kelly Slater’s Baywatch appearance — but really, I have no clue. Destiny calling, I suppose… California’s legacy was working it’s magic and there was no better place for getting introduced to the culture of surfing. I was dreaming of golden sunsets, surfer girls, epic waves, and endless beach hang outs. To put it frankly, my hopes were not disappointed.
Coming from Austria, I have been landlocked for the biggest part of my life. It’s the land of snow, mountains ,and music. I grew up in Vienna, which is now my favorite city besides Lisbon. The vibe, people, partying, food, architecture, friends, everything is really sweet there. If you ever end up there, definitely give me a ring. Unfortunately, there is not a decent wave within a 2000 mile radius, which ultimately brings us back to California.
My first ride got me hooked on surfing, and ever since I have been traveling and chasing waves around the world. Three month of language school turned into four years and a double degree in Philosophy and Communication. After graduating from UCSB, I moved to Portugal, where I first worked as a surf instructor and later completed my masters degree in Marketing. For the last two years, I have been documenting my travels and recently got into surf photography.
Photography is an intuitive way of expressing myself. When taking pictures, I try to catch the beauty of human interaction and nature. Being in the water and taking pictures of the ocean environment immediately felt amazing and “right.” It gives me the opportunity to show something that I fell in love with. By transferring my personality onto my pictures, I strive to display the ease of life and spread positive vibes and energy. Ultimately, if you get inspired by what I do just a tiny, tiny bit, I achieved more than I could have ever hoped for. I am very greatful for the opportunity of having been able to spend so much time near the ocean, coming from a country like Austria. For that I especially want to thank my parents who have always believed in me.
If you got to this point, I want to thank you very much for reading and getting to know me a bit. If you have any questions regarding surfing, traveling or photography, I am always happy to help. I am eager to improve and therefore would appreciate your feedback and comment.
For more from Constantin Witt-Dörring, visit cwd-photography.com, and be sure to follow him on Facebook. And don’t forget to check out his involvement with The Nica Project, an initiative to help and support three Nicaraguan families, by fundraising money through an art exhibition in Vienna.
Additionally, visit www.thunderbombsurf.com for more information, and do yourself a favor and check their Instagram for more imagery: @thunderbombsurfcamp.
