Surf photography is full of movement, patience, and many elements. Whether it's the movement of the water or the surfers themselves. There is a lot going on! And so, how does one capture all of that in a photograph? To answer that question and to tell us a little bit about his own photography journey, we have TK (Tyler Kemph), the founder and owner of SURF N VIBE, share his experiences.
Question: How and when did your photography journey begin? When did surfing begin to play such an important role in it?
TK: Back in 2015 my older sister had her senior photos done in Malibu, California. I met her photographer and was fascinated with the profession. His name was Don Holtz, he had traveled around the world taking photos of wildlife, landscapes, and big-name stars in Hollywood. The career and the lifestyle made my interest grow. The following year I ended up getting my first DSLR camera. I was 12 at the time and was a 10-minute skateboard ride from the beach. I started shooting photos of different surfers. I started surfing more and the better I got, the better the surf photos turned out too. I learned what looks aesthetic and how to capture the perfect moment.
Q: When I think about surf photography I think about movement and that is not necessarily something easy to capture. Especially if we have to combine the movement of both the water and the surfer, was that something you struggled with at first?
TK: Definitely! The water is always moving and there are lots of different elements with the lighting, tides, and surrounding surfers. When shooting surf photography there are tons of elements to play around with. You can slow down your shutter speed on your camera to create movement in your image. Surf photography is tons of trial and error. Don't be afraid to fail. Stay consistent and you will nail it down the line.
Q: What helped you with overcoming those challenging parts of surf photography?
TK: I overcame my challenges by shooting every single day. Whether it was getting down to the beach for 5 minutes to take just a photo or two, or getting down there for a few hours or a whole entire day. I would always shoot my friends surfing, skateboarding, and any other coastal adventures that I would embark on. I knew that putting in the hours would pay off.
Q: What tips would you give to anyone who is starting their surf photography journey?
TK: My go-to tip for people who want to jump into surf photography would be to shoot every day. Connect with photographers and surfers in your community and learn from them. Play around with editing techniques and over time you will develop your own style when it comes to shooting & editing.
Bonus tip: Post your photos online. Social Media is full of opportunities and can even be a path out of your day job. You never know who is going to see your photos. Always tag the surfers and surf brands too. It just takes one person to see your content and offer you an opportunity.
Q: Do you have a favorite surf picture you took and what is the story behind it?
One of my favorite surf images is of my buddy Ethan Carlston. It was our first session shooting together. We were at Lowers Trestles on a somewhat busy day and the swell was slowly picking up. I particularly love the framing that I was able to capture while he was shredding. The photo has many layers to it and I edited it with a cold tone to give it a futuristic/different vibe.
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