The Paradise Life for Me: Drifting Between Indo, Micronesia and the Maldives

Sunset soul glide. Marcus Lascelles at Lakey Peak. Photo: Richard Kotch

I really enjoy tropical storms. I love the drama and intensity as it hits and the calm once it’s passed. Photo: Richard Kotch

This is why we travel. Paddling out to perfect, un-crowded, barreling, reef pass waves somewhere off a tropical island, miles from anywhere. Photo: Richard Kotch

Tyler Wright at P-Pass. It’s interesting to watch pro surfers working with their photographers, especially when there’s clearly a shot they want to nail. Everyone has seen Ted Grambeau’s epic cover shots of Tyler with arms spread wide inside the P-Pass pit, but what you don’t see is all the waves that led up to that moment. This wave was a smaller inside bowl as Tyler was growing in confidence. Two waves later she nailed her cover. Photo: Richard Kotch

If I am ever asked for advice on what else to pack for a surf trip I always say swim fins and a mask. It’s another world down there and this view is addictive. Photo: Richard Kotch

Stephanie Gilmore at P-Pass. This is one of those moments that just happen. The rain stopped, the clouds parted and the sun burst through just as Steph took off….she pulled into a nice little barrel and as she came out the lip flared…The delight on her face is genuine, this is not her working the camera, she didn’t even know that I had this shot until later. Photo: Richard Kotch

I think that a good duck-dive is an act of such beauty that I sometimes obsess over capturing the perfect shot. There is so much going on beneath the surface, I often find that non-surfers are more excited over duck dive shots than actual surf shots! Photo: Richard Kotch

Wade Goodall at P-Pass. I only saw Andy Irons surf a couple times, and one of those times was ugly, macking HTs and of course, he just went for it. Watching Wade at P-Pass was like watching a friendly, curly-haired, Aussie AI. Photo: Richard Kotch

A different angle from a now-familiar theme. Photo: Richard Kotch

This shot epitomizes a nice day’s surf in the Maldives. A nice sized, perfect shaped, sunny day in front of an empty palm-fringed island. Photo: Richard Kotch

Still one of my favorites and the first surf shot I had published. This is Reubyn Ash flying high over Lakeys grom, Finda. Photo: Richard Kotch

This is Amy at Lohis on a big day a few years ago. It was a really epic day for the Maldives and she surfed it with just one other guy in the water! There was so much spray in the air and the clouds were so low that it was hard to get a decent shot. I had to stand on a chair on top of a table to get over the spray so I could get this shot. Photo: Richard Kotch

Asher Pacey finger tip control on his Alaia. AP is one of those guys who can transition between boards seamlessly. On this day he must have ridden 5 or 6 totally different boards, from Single fins to no fins and there was not even the slightest “first wave wobble”, it’s like he has already mentally adjusted his surfing to the craft before he stands up. Photo: Richard Kotch

My wife Amy has a really good relationship with the barrel here at Lohis! Photo: Richard Kotch

Water doesn’t get much clearer than this. Photo: Richard Kotch

Steph at P-Pass. Not only is she one of the world’s most stylish surfers but she’s also a really nice human! Photo: Richard Kotch

This is our good friend Swilly at P-Pass. To say that surf photogs tend to have “unique” personalities would be an understatement! He is a classic. The ultimate Pommy/Aussie pirate! I remember a few years ago when Mick Fanning came to Pohnpei with Swill, I was just starting to get a few shots run in magazines and was really amped on shooting as much as possible. Everyone was talking about the life of a pro surf photog, and Mick looked at Swilly then turned to me and said, “So you want to end up like this? You're f<#@ed!!! Haha!” Photo: Richard Kotch

Eros Hoagland lives the life I thought I wanted. He travels to the world’s darkest corners with just his camera for a shield. His father John Hoagland was a highly respected photojournalist who was killed covering the conflict in El Salvador in 1984. I met Eros while I was in El Salvador in 2004 where he was documenting the escalating gang wars that had resulted from the mass deportation of Salvadorian gangsters from LA. As our conversation deepened, I realized that it takes not only incredible strength and commitment to be a relevant conflict photographer, but also the ability to totally detach from what you are seeing through the viewfinder. As Eros says, “you are not there to help, you are there to document.” This is Eros washing off the blood and dust at P-Pass. Photo: Richard Kotch

The life I lead now is about as far as it is possible to get from the life I once envisioned! I certainly got lucky. This is my wife, Amy, at Lohis in the Maldives. Photo: Richard Kotch

Nils Schweizer at P-Pass . This is about as dark and gritty as my life gets these days! Photo: Richard Kotch

I got the lip square on the head for this shot! Photo: Richard Kotch

This is my friend Matt who also guides out here in the Maldives on a good day at Cokes. The running joke between surf guides here is that there are no barrels in the Maldives…. Matty loves to prove it wrong! Photo: Richard Kotch

Flat day fun in the Maldives. Photo: Richard Kotch

This was just a couple weeks ago in the Maldives on a day you could not even imagine surfing, let alone shooting. A crazy storm hit and the wind was howling cross-shore, ripping the waves to pieces. Of course our guests still wanted to surf, so rather than sit on the boat, I swam. Sometimes, my favorite shots are from the worst days so I guess it just shows that you’re always better off in the water! Photo: Richard Kotch

When Kolohe came to P-Pass I really had no idea what to expect. The kid has been surrounded by hype for so long it’s actually quite hard to have an objective opinion. He rocked up mellow as could be, all smiles, plenty of time for everyone and surfed for eight hours a day, hooting every set. By the time he left, he was mates with everyone in the camp! Photo: Richard Kotch

Low light duck dives can look terrible. Other times the color just blows up. Photo: Richard Kotch

I really like the intimacy of shooting fisheye. It gives a glimpse into surfing’s most sacred moment. War Photographer Robert Capa once said, “If your pictures aren”t good enough, you’re not close enough”. I think that is why I so enjoy this style of shooting. When it’s on, the waves are barreling and you’re right in the zone, the adrenaline buzz is intense…. This is my friend Gaston on a small but perfect day at P-Pass. Photo: Richard Kotch

Sunsets from the Lohis deck in the Maldives. Photo: Richard Kotch

As much as I love shooting fisheye, sometimes I like to be slightly further away from the action with my 50mm. I’m not sure who this is but it was beautiful light and a fun session at HT’s in the Ments. Photo: Richard Kotch

Another crystal Maldivian moment. Photo: Richard Kotch