1. August 6, 2023 | Winki Pop. First Shoot.
What did you do? What were your intentions?
Arriving around 6:30am to Winki Pop beach, Will Combridge and I peered over the lookout to check out the surf. Will is my go-to source for surf knowledge around Torquay. Having grown up in Geelong surfing these beaches, Will can tell me when the surf will be "pumping" and which beach to head to given the forecast. On this day dawn patrol (the act of waking up before sunrise to catch a wave) was the move. Not only is this a great time to surf as there are light offshore winds and low crowds setting up to surf, but the soft, warm light of sunrise is wonderful for taking photos. I knew from this point on that I would need to become a morning person to do this project. My intentions for this session was to get my footing. It was wonderful watching everyone surf, and witnessing the joy everyone felt even as the weather shifted to rain. For this shoot it was the soft, early morning light that worked for the shoot- capturing both sharp, crisp close-ups as people left the beach and the intense, contrasting silhouettes of them catching a wave.
What was successful/ unsuccessful?
Con: I would not discover this until after my second shoot, but my images were not a high enough resolution given the cropping I would need to make as my lens could only extend to 200mm. I also knew I would need to approach more surfers and get portraits.
Pro: the lighting for this session was very successful.
What do you intend to do next, based on the feedback received?
Steph's feedback in class suggested that I attempt to capture more surf spots and interview those on the beach. If possible, to also learn where some of the non-traditional surf spots around the area were- though many would not like to share their secret surf spots with me. For the next shoot I plan to explore more surf locations and take more portraits.
2. August 13, 2023 | Jan Juc Beach; Torquay Surf Beach. Second Shoot.
What did you do? What were your intentions?
The next beach I visited was Jan Juc – on what was undeniably not the best forecast for surfing. It was a cloudy day with on shore winds making the conditions choppy and unreliable. Nevertheless, it was not for nothing, as you can always find someone surfing in and around Torquay. I got a few images that I was happy with- like the young surfer analyzing the surf. I like capturing the various stages of surfing, beyond just the action shots. My intentions for this session was to keep taking photos of surfers from the moment they arrive to the moment they leave, and all in between.
What was successful/ unsuccessful?
Con: Once again, I did not realize that the shots taken from a distance would appear low resolution and pixelated when I cropped them later. Despite getting images at a new beach, I felt I did not get many photos worth keeping in telling the tale of Australia's surf culture and relation with water.
Pro: I added new locations to my series.
What do you intend to do next, based on the feedback received?
My plan for the next trip is shooting with large raw images. So much so that my SD card fills up and I have to carry multiple for backup. Also adding more variety in my shots- action, still, long exposure, sharp action, portraits, getting quotes, etc.
3. September 2, 2023 | South Side Beach; Bells Beach; Thirteenth Beach. Third Shoot.
What did you do? What were your intentions?
I rented an Airbnb for the weekend in Torquay to shoot non-stop over the two days. Will joined for a surf, while helping me discover new beaches to explore. I visited multiple locations on this excursion and took images until my card filled up and my camera's battery died. During this shoot, I experimented with a variety of techniques- panning, zooming in while shooting, tilting the camera, various exposures and tracking. I wanted to get shot that was different than the typical action shot, one that evoked the feeling of what it is liked to be out there being tossed around by the waves. I also remembered to shoot on large raw file, massively helping in post production.
What was successful/ unsuccessful?
Con: I have found that gathering quotes from surfers as they exit the water is harder than I thought. Many are tired and are not looking for a long chat with a stranger. Some were suspicious with me asking for their image, while others were eager to get a photo. I believe that in order to get any quote worthwhile, I would need to carry on a much longer conversation and create rapport. So I have gathered some of their emails to send them the photos and build-up a relationship. At the moment, most of my quotes consist of surfing being an outlet for them to clear them mind and spend time with their mates.
Pro: I visited a new beach, known as Thirteenth Beach. It is one more frequently visited by locals than tourists, as it is not as well known as its neighbors Bells or Torquay.
What do you intend to do next, based on the feedback received?
I plan to head out again to get more of all factors related to surfing- from the set up to the after-beer. Additionally, I would like to capture more of the landscape.
4. September 9, 2023 | Winki Pop; Bells Beach. Fourth Shoot.
What did you do? What were your intentions?
This was my first time driving a car in over a year and I trekked from Melbourne to Torquay by myself. Was it daunting? Yes. Did I arrive 40mins later than intended due to struggling to get my footing in a new car and road opposite to what I am use to? Hell yes. I woke up to leave around 6:30am and arrived around 8:30am. Nevertheless, I made it there safe (as did Will's car) and shot hundreds of images until the sun set. During this shoot I set my camera once again to large raw file and captured sharp, action shots– while also playing around with panning and long exposure to create different moods in my images that reflect the story I hope to tell. I gathered more portraits and spoke with surfers to learn more about their experience with the sport here in Australia.
What was successful/ unsuccessful?
Con: I have discovered the difficulty of tracking surfers as other waves enter my frame and my lens lacking the capacity to zoom in further. In the end, I cannot always keep up with the surfer. I will need to plan accordingly on my next trip to time the tides and get closer to the action.
Pro: Took over a thousand photos at various beaches. Spoke with surfers of different ages and from all over Australia, diversifying my photographs to a degree.
What do you intend to do next, based on the feedback received?
Unfortunately time did not allow for another trip. If time would have allowed for it, I would have gone as I desperately wanted to catch a female surfer to be a part of my book. Sadly, they appearing to be a rare find. I also wanted to capture less of the action on this next shoot, and more of the surrounding area, as well as close-ups of surfers setting up for their session. Nevertheless, I ended up with over 2,000 photos throughout these excursions from my morning to evening on the Surf Coast Shire.