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A SURFER-TURNED-PHOTOGRAPHER CATCHES THE HAMPTONS WAVE WITH COMMISSIONS, A COFFEE-TABLE BOOK, AND MORE. BY JESSICA SOFFER

A surfer-turned-photographer catches the Hamptons wave with commissions, a coffee-table book, and more.

Read Mckendree has built a brand that embodies the Hamptons aesthetic: beachy, simple, clean. As a photographer, he travels the world— Ireland, France, Portugal, Bali, St. Barth’s—to take shots of beautiful houses, beautiful objects, and stunning landscapes, many of which feature water in motion.

As a lifetime surfer, he knows all the good spots and that timing is key. “While tide and swell direction can dictate when exactly a favorite point-break [wave] may start to work,” he says, “light and shadows can turn an otherwise lifeless interior into a remarkable space or an empty horizon line into a Rothko-esque moment.” And lately, since “the light seems to glow from everywhere,” he can’t stop snapping photos of the Hamptons.

Mckendree recently contributed to surfer blog Indoek’s Surf Shacks (available at Harbor Books, 20 Main St., Sag Harbor, 631-808-3401; harbor bookssgh.com), which is certain to be one of the coffee-table books of the season because of the way it captures the laid-back lifestyle Hamptonites can’t get enough of. What’s more, Mckendree has received commissions for large-scale works in some chic Hamptons homes, and this summer several local stores will be offering his gorgeous prints.

His photographs of the East End are more than merely beautiful. Perhaps because he calls the beach community of Westerly, Rhode Island, home, he can see our corner of the world in a new light. As if we needed a reminder of the beauty out here—and yet.... readmckendree.com