SURF PHOTOGRAPHY | MATT SMITH PROFILE [01.06.2009]

SURF PHOTOGRAPHY | MATT SMITH

"VIEU SURF PHOTOGRAPHY"

Surf Photographer
Matt Smith

Hide out
South End Car park, Stanwell Park, Wollongong..... S.E.C Repro, ha!

Weapon/s
Nikon bodies and lenses, Liquid Eye water housing.

Years shooting
Around 10 in total on and off but 2 years seriously

How did you get started in surf photography
Through traveling mostly, saw some awesome places and thought I better start recording it to show the guys back home!

Inspirations
The curly blue surf on sunshiney days. I guess the first photographer I took a real interest in was Tim Mckenna, he has some awesome material from Chopes, I was also inspired by Drew Kampions “The Book of Waves” That really made me wanna shoot.

Where can we find your work
Well my website is www.vieu.com & I regularly have work hanging in “The Parklife Cafe” here at Stanwell Park. I plan to branch out more this year and get more exhibitions going and a studio in Wollongong too.

Favourite surf shot
Wow, that changes every 15 seconds!! My favourite shot right now is this one I got today of Richie Vas air dropping into a gnarly looking wall, he got kegged and made it!

 

Best surf photo trip so far and why
Well being from the UK I emigrated here in 2007 and so far it’s been one big surf trip I guess you could say!! So many awesome breaks around here on the right day. Always like going to Indo and I have trips lined up to the Mentawais shortly and Hawaii at the end of the year so watch this space.

I recently shot the Rip Curl Pro at Bells Beach, they had perfect over head offshore conditions and great light so it was great to shoot the worlds best surfers doing their thang. I also hired a helicopter for a couple of hours one morning to get some aerial shots of the Torquay lines ups, the light was so good I couldn’t resist it. Those shots are on my website.

If you could go to any location with 4 surfers
Where? Jeez now there’s a question – several beers later – probably Tahiti, really wanna shoot Teahupoo.
With who? Dane Reynolds, Brad Gerlach, Kelly Slater, Koby Abberton
Why? Dane for the aerial action, Brad for the beers and comedy (and great surfing of course!), Slater – need ask? And Koby for if it got big and gnarly!

How can readers get shot
Just drop me a line – simple.

What’s on the horizon for the future of you and your work
Mentawais in June, Hawaii in December, lots of floating around local breaks in the mean time. I have an exhibition at Parklife Gallery Cafe, Stanwell Park in July and hope to be entering into a collaboration with some guys for a studio/gallery in Wollongong shortly.

Rapid fire
Land or water: Water
Surf or bikini's: Giiiiirrrlllllllsss
Film or digital: Digital
Airs or barrels: Airs today, Barrels tomorrow
Art or action: Both

Website
www.vieu.com.au

Contact
matt@vieu.com.au

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