JASON RIDGE

@jasonridge_ Canon EOS 77D Canon 10 – 18 mm lens with Brother Housings Carbon X underwater housing

JASON WRITES: I went out to Sardinia Bay near Port Elizabeth to photograph some waves, but at first there weren’t too many around. I sat in the surf for about an hour and ended up shooting mainly underwater photos. After messing around for a while, a good-sized set finally came through and I managed to snap this shot. I got into surf photography in 2014. I had a GoPro that I took into the waves at Pollock Beach. I was 15 years old at the time. I didn’t expect much, but when I got back home that day and had a look at the photos, I was amazed. That’s how my fascination for capturing breaking waves started. I’ve been hooked ever since!

TOAST SAYS: I’m a proper landlubber. My body doesn’t go well with the ocean. Put me on a boat and I get seasick. Sit me on a beach and I get sunburnt. Add me to water and I sink. Swimming in the sea? No ways! Each time I open my mouth to breathe, it’s like someone pours a jugful of salty water down my throat. Yet I still love the sea. I love watching surfers, for example – the way they master the energy of the ocean. Surf photography has come on in leaps and bounds in recent years as the gear has evolved. In the past, photographers would sit on land with a big zoom lens, taking trouble to keep their expensive equipment as far from the water as possible. But well-priced underwater housings for D-SLR cameras and a proliferation of waterproof action cameras have opened up the field to a wider group of adventurous photographers, like Jason. I love this photo because it shows how a simple wave embodies the perfection of nature. Jason brings it into your home, whether you live in Putsonderwater or PE. Thanks, Jason!