Who Shot That: Zak Noyle

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Jamie O’Brien

Jamie O’Brien has made it in the world of professional surfing because he's doing things that nobody else can do.

He's the son of a famous photographer but Zak Noyle was never pressured into following in his father's F-stops. A state champion swimmer, it was Zak's love of the water that drew him to the ocean before his first few photographic forays in the salt met with the sort of approval that encouraged him to think about taking things a little more seriously.

Since then, the life aquatic has gone from strength to strength for Noyle. These days he is somewhere near the top of the notorious Pipeline pecking order, is widely regarded as one of the most talented young shooters in the game, and has earned a staff photographer role at Surfer Magazine, the largest and most prestigious print title in surfing.

Noyle isn't prepared to rest on his laurels though, and as technology evolves he wants to be at its forefront, citing the iPhone as a prime example. "My dad always taught me the best camera you can have is the camera you have with you," says Noyle. "The iPhone is an amazing piece of technology, and I have taken the challenge to hone my skills with it as it is something I'll always have with me. It hasn't been easy, but the results make it worth pursuing."

Some of those results include posting photos online directly from the channel at Pipeline, and pleasing his enormous and ever-expanding Instagram follower base with his incredible body of work.

Covers, contracts and more frequent flyer miles than you know what to do with are all part of the ride for Zak, but for now sit back and enjoy a tour of 15 of his finest frames, narrated by the man himself, and expect to see a lot more of the Noyle name in print down the line.