Catching Waves

I get out there and I catch waves and I have fun.  Jamie Russell attacks waves with such technical prowess and power and makes it look easy. Drawing power from a wave is a skill, but the intricate manoeuvres that Jamie Conjures up are the very reason Jamie is being heralded as Ireland’s next top surfer.

A man of many talents Jamie recently placed 3rd in young photographer of the year. I asked for a few tips but he kept quiet about his photography skills. I guess it’s his loss as I won’t be sharing my surfing techniques with the young star (which is a good thing!).

The Bat Cave

First off, it wasn’t easy getting permission from the caped crusader for the venue. Affectionately known as Mermaid’s cave, This wonderful location resides beneath Dunluce Castle in Portrush. With a bit of a climb down to the cave, it took a little while to get down and get set up.  Inside it’s a fairly steep incline and was a nightmare to move around, make lighting changes and generally pose in.  to make matters worse, the 5D’s inability to focus in dark areas made it almost impossible to use AF and this, coupled with the falling light made me switch into overdrive to ensure we got the shot.

I ran with two lights in this shoot.  The elinchrom ranger rx was my main light source and I used a 580 EX II for separation and this was gelled with a CTO for warmth.  Again, the ranger exceeded my expectations in the damp and dark conditions and the 30 sec lamp came in really useful when the ambient dropped completely.

Top Tips:

When possible, visit the location at the time you propose to shoot it to check light and accessibility.
ALWAYS pack a torch and be aware of light fall esp. when down a cave. (packing up and climbing out in the dark is not fun!)
Make certain of your flash settings when in difficult scenarios as it took nearly 5mins to climb down and make a change.
When you fall (and you will) make it look good.

Bane takes a holistic approach to this relatively new sport and trains/stretches/balances every day. he has been active in the sport for 6 years now. His training regime would scare you! He’s not one for tricks and backflips, explaining that most confuse the art of parkour with outdoor gymnastics.  Watching him break down a simple drop off a 2ft wall made me see why people get hooked on parkour from the very start. A good analogy would be surfing your first wave or that feeling when someone lets go of your saddle and you ride a bike for the first time. It’s that feeling of freedom and independence that we don’t often experience but crave in our lives.

We worked in the City for the full shoot around the Waterfront area and at times I found myself watching and listening when I should have been snapping! Local up and coming NI photographer and all-round legend Darius Zomorodian came along to help with my lights and was a superb help throughout the shoot. I told Darius the minute he sets up shop he will instantly be NI’s top photographer with his exotic name.  Bane Gave Darius a quick parkour lesson and I’ve never seen someone so confused about falling off a 2ft wall.

I’m planning a second shoot with Colin really soon so check back for more Parkour shots.

This idea has sparked a new project that will showcase the best young riders in the extreme sports division in Ireland. I have teamed up with Iskra Interactive, Scattered Images and Uberdog Magasine and we will be working together to give the riders some publicity and exposure in various mediums. Marty will be producing a video showreel, Tara Craig (Editor at Uberdog) will be running a feature on each individual in the magasine and the team at Iskra Interactive will be producing a very edgy and unique website for the riders.

The first on my list was 16 yr old Alex Heyes, a local Belfast skateboarder with a hunger for pain and heelflips! Alex brought us along to some of his favourite spots and I set about capturing him in his sporting environment – the streets! Alex has been skating the city from a young age and dreams of becoming a pro skater someday.

Have a look at some of his shots below for a small peak into his world.

One of the most formidable moves in flat water is the forward loop. I stitched these two shots together panoramic stlye to show just how close he comes each time this is attempted to snapping his rig in two. Sure I’ve seen guys performing this off waves but it takes a bigger man to take off in the flat stuff!

Chris Cassidy enjoying some air on a very windy day at Lough Neagh.

Semi-Pro windsurfer Chris Cassidy really knows how to find another gear when the winds are blowing gales. With gusts of up to 49mph, It was a tough day at Lough Neagh with amateurs being pounded by the relentless force of the wind. I’ve never seen grown men cry like this….Chris on the other hand had a grin from ear to ear.

SOME PEOPLE WERE BORN TO BLAST!

Chris was eager to get into the water as rigging up can take some time and the conditions were perfect. He took us out first to show us where he would be coming back in to wave sail so that we could pick our spot. All an all this was an incredible day to be down at the coast and it will be a while before it ever gets this big again!