The goal of this project is to create a series that speaks to Australia's relationship with water through the sport of surfing. It is a foundation to their culture, as nearly 90% of the country's population live on the coast. There are a lot of elements to think about when it comes to Australia’s relationship with water. One aspect being that much of their tourism is dependent on the recreational activities associated with water — such as surfing, scuba diving, fishing, and hikes to inland waterfalls. Additionally, as one of the driest continents on earth, Australia is heavily reliant on rainwater in areas outside of cities to obtain freshwater. The lack of fresh water around the country is quite limited, with the impacts of climate change, unpredictable rainfall, droughts, and arid wilderness playing a role. Astonishing enough, with only 6% of the land being arable due to the lack of moisture, Australia is still one of the world’s largest agricultural producers. As the Australian population continues to grow in tourism and urbanization on an island continent — water plays a massive part in its history and culture. This connection has led Australia to becoming one of the founders of the surf culture.
The idea and motivation came about through my own relationship with water. I was fortunate to grow up on water front property in the United States. Living in the state of Virginia, I was close to not only the Atlantic Ocean, but a major river that ran by my house. In addition, my grandmother lived in one of the original thirteen cottages in Nags Head, North Carolina, so each summer my spent in a wooden cottage with the ocean less than a five minute walk away. Sailing, skimboarding, boogie boarding, body surfing, and sea kayaking became second nature to me. My father was also a seaman at heart, having sailed around the Atlantic in his early 20's and grown up in the Outer Banks. His love for the ocean was passed down to my brothers and me- inspiring me to become a deckhand in my 20's years as well. I was fortunate to experience sailing not only the Atlantic Ocean but the Pacific Ocean as well. In my mid-20's, I discovered that I was unintentionally following in the footsteps of some of Caption James Cook's destinations – I moved to Sydney, Australia in 2018, then Queenstown, New Zealand in 2019 and Kauai, Hawaii in 2021. Kauai was the most eye-opening for me in terms of surfing, but each of these journeys taught me more about myself and the joy I gain from living by the sea. Despite not being an avid surfer, I can sympathize with the relationship Australians have with the sport and their coastlines.
My approach is to document not only the action of the sport, but all the moments that accompany it – from the setup of putting the wetsuit on in the early morning to taking it off after hours in the cold. I want to capture the feeling of being out there – from the smooth ride when you catch the perfect wave to the tumbles taken when falling off, and everything in between. The mix of zen and zest in the images is important in explaining the shifting relationship Australians share with their waters. The images will include a variety of camera techniques and compositions – from long exposure to high continuous speed shooting, with a mix of color and black & white. Text will be included to share information about the sport and location, and provide some insight to the individuals seen in the images.