• Bruce Viaene: A Surf Photographers Story

    1. Bruce Viaene: A Surf Photographers Story

      June 29, 2010 by Bruce Viaene

      My name is Bruce Viaene and I am Blessed!  I have been shooting since 2007. Because I lifeguard every December holiday I am able to save some cash and buy something nice. So I bought this little point and shoot with the most horrible zoom on it. Went down to the Billabong Pro in J-bay and started shooting. From then on I was hooked on surf photography.

      Since photography is such an expensive hobby, it has taken a few December’s to get to where I am now. which actually is not anywhere, really. I have just bought a water housing for my Canon 50d and so now I’m getting into the water and frothing out!

      I wouldn’t be able to take the photo’s that I have taken if it wasn’t for Jesus. Hands down He is the one that blesses me! I remember when I started shooting with this zoom lens I have. The photos were all blurry and miff. I was on the beach and prayed to God and asked Him to bless these photos and my photography. Not lying, next photo was crisp and lekker! Without God being a major part of this, I would not have gotten far in photography!

      The reason why I love photography is because i am able to trap a barrel, siek air or just a beautiful wave in an image and keep it forever. Its amazing when you nail a shot that you have been working on, pretty much similar stoke to scoring sick tubes! As I have said, I have been blessed with photography and can only pray that God takes it to the next level, who knows I might do this full time. but whatever I do, it will be for God!

      Matthew 8:27 tunes that even the wind and waves obey God. For me, when I see a hollow slab barreling or even miff onshore slop, I know God is in control of it. He created it and being in the water or sitting on the rocks shooting really blows me away. God is in the detail, ous just got to check it out!

      If you a grom wanting to bust out and take photos, all I can say is do it! It’s not an easy road being a surf photographer, just the fact that every wave is different and you can miss THE shot if you blink doesn’t make life easier. Pursue what you love and you will have fun!

      Category: Interviews, SurfTags: , , , , | Comments (8)

    2. The Underwater Project

      June 15, 2010 by Bruce

      I came across this pretty awesome project the other day. I find that as surfers we often want to know what kind of images could be captured from a different perspective. This video opened my eyes to not only how epic and beautiful waves are from underneath, but also how incredible God is!

      Here is a little write-up about the project:

      Documenting life below the surface.
      theunderwaterproject.com
      facebook.com/theunderwaterproject

      “I’ve always been intrigued by what happens below the surface, like what’s happening where we can’t see.” While watching the slide-show on Mark’s laptop I’m amazed at the detail of this ‘other world’ that’s portrayed with his selection.

      As an accomplished documentary photographer, in the past Mark has used the ocean as an escape for some solace away from his projects. Lately, while between projects he’s been “hanging out” below the surface trying to capture what happens while swimming on a slow summer’s day.

      “Coming from a surfing background I used to wonder what happens when we’re duck-diving, like, what it looks like from a different angle than what we can see. Kinda hard to explain but it has always been on my mind. I used to surf with a small video camera and housing attached to my helmet, (pauses) it worked surprisingly well but my neck couldn’t take the impact and stress while trying to duck-dive and capture the right angle. Even tried to turn it back on myself to see what happens clearer but that, uh, sucked (laughs). I looked for a new approach to capture what I was seeking, which basically meant getting off the surfboard.”

      Mark’s personal documentary work can be seen at marktipple.com

      Category: Interesting, VideoTags: , , , , | Comments (0)