Surf Photography - Tapping into the Flow
Photographer Spotlight: Michael Allen
Photography can be completely immersive, where the subject/object association disappears and becomes irrelevant. I find this especially true in Surf Photography, while I’m in the water with my camera, inside the waves, moving with the ocean’s energy, which in itself can be so dramatic and powerful, and yet also hypnotic and peaceful.
Each wave is like a snowflake, never the same, unique in every way, and this adds to the excitement, while also making me realize that every thousandth of a second counts for the best shot.
Swimming while holding the camera is interesting. Imagine shooting a moving subject while moving through the ocean, no platform, no stability.
Over the years this has become instinct, knowing where to be, knowing how the wave will curve and bend across the reef, everything in constant motion.
Not everything goes as planned every time. Sometimes I get picked up by the wave and thrown, pushing me to the bottom. I have to relax. Fighting the ocean’s power is useless and this also saves my oxygen. Struggling simply used up air quickly. Relaxing allows you to move more gracefully and emerge unharmed.
And every photographer must always pay attention to light, and in the ocean, it can be more intense, and also more subtle depending on what time of day you are shooting, and where the sun is. Every surf spot faces a different direction, a different angle to the sun, and this is true around the globe.
My advice is to experiment, be safe, and know your limitations in the surf. Being a surfer and a good ocean swimmer are requirements for surf photography.
Bio: Michael Allen
Michael Allen is a producer, screenwriter, and surf photographer with a Master’s degree in Philosophy and a Certificate in Asian Studies. Merging his passions for the ocean and the mind, he served as the West Coast Director of the Surfers Medical Association and authored the book Tao of Surfing; Finding Depth at Low Tide, which inspired a film.
Michael started his visual journey in his teens shooting Super-8 surf films. Today, he is building a reputation for his unique style of "healing art" photography, with recent exhibitions at the R. Blitzer Gallery in Santa Cruz
Michael Allen, Surf Photographer at Waverii
BTS shots: Dayne Allen: Instagram
