Golden Wanderings

So stoked to get a double page spread in the latest issue of Carve Magazine. The picture is a line-up shot of a well known surf spot in North Devon taken from an entirely new angle. A surf break cannot be called a secret spot if you can see it from the road, and this is where most of the previously published shots were taken, in fact there’s a handy lay-by where you can shoot from the comfort of your front passenger seat. To be creative you had to get out of the car and sneak up on a couple of sheep to add some foreground interest (easier for me to do due to my part Welsh heritage…).  Like this

This is a shot from one of the old Stormrider Guides, on a lovely autumnal day when all the elements came together. It’s normally raining when the surf is good here, because of the aspect of this break it’s quite rare to get good waves and good light together,( maybe less then two or three days a season.) Anyway, the surf was pumping but the shots were becoming tired and cliched, so the search for a new angle began…..

A random chat with a good friend produced a lead about a path more commonly used by deer stalkers than surfers or photographers. A few scouting trips later to suss it out and then a couple of classic days over a three month period produced the money shot that is in Carve Magazine. The two shots published here were from the first time I saw waves from the new vantage point and realised it’s potential and are more special to me because of the joy felt in that eureka moment.

The shot in Carve is better than all these, or so the editor thinks, so who am I to argue! Issue 123 will only be in the shops for a few more days so grab it before it’s too late, it’s the one with the epic shot of Mitch Corbett sat on his backhand an awesome emerald-green barrel (worth it for that shot alone).

Click on the images to make them grow bigger….