It is not as easy as you think to get a great picture from the water. The photographer needs to swim around for long periods of time with a heavy water housing filled with a expensive camera at the same time often being pounded by huge waves!. A lot of time and preperation is needed on land to make sure all seals are tight and no water is able to come in the housing and destroy the camera. The photographer needs to swim in and around the impact zone whilst surfers try to come as close as possible! The surfers are surfing on the wave or flying through the air! The photographer needs to maintain a good position in and around the impact zone area and at the same time there are often strong currents, shallow reefs, rip tides and in some locations sharks! These are some of the dangers and hazards for the photographer. The photographer needs to be a strong swimmer and able to read the ocean and its movements and also read the surfers and when, what and where they are going to make the moves in order to get the perfect picture. This is whilst making sure the photographer does not get hit by the surfer!. ..which can cause severe accidents to surfer and photographer. After a long session in the ocean the photographer will then need to come to dry land or a boat and check and edit photos in order that maybe some pics will get into a surf magazine or on the front cover even! The best results of course come with years of experience and lot of trial and error!
I was fortunate enough to go on fantastic trip the year to the Maldives where i met Ricardo Bravo. He is a truly proffesional photographer in and out of the water! Ricardo is also a down to earth very friendly easy going family man. I also say thanks to Torq Surfboards who provided me and the other great guys on the boat with lots of boards to ride and test. Also a big thanks to Sebastain Wenzel for arranging the trip. Thanks to Quiksilver and Boardriders Ericeira shop & Jose Gregorio for helping out with clothes/lycras/accessories.
Looking forward to a repeat 2017 trip with i hope the same great team of people on the boat.
Obrigado/ Thanks to all & The Maldives.