Surfing
Surfing
A photo we love: Mark Mathews by Russell Ord
Mark Mathews lands the cover of Tracks Magazine as Russell Ord nails the best photo of his life.
Russ Ord, Mark Mathews and the shot of a lifetime
© Russell Ord
The cover of a magazine is still about as good as it gets for a professional surfer, and given that this shot of Mark Mathews will stop you in your Tracks it's only fitting that the image graced the magazine of that name. There's much more to this arresting image than a simple click of a button however, it has been an all-consuming passion of photographer Russell Ord's for the last couple of years.
Don't just take our word for it though, let's hear it from the man himself, with a little bit of colour commentary from surfer of the moment Mark Mathews who, if you look closely, is riding a soft-top inside a wave that will happily crush, kill and destroy you. Some people...
Covers: still peak moments for the modern surfer
© Russell Ord
"It's a funny day when you wake up and realise all the work you have been doing simply involves collecting moments. Some moments better than others, sure, but moments that only belong to the surfer. Their lives revolve around what they love, it's years of progression and being amongst the ocean’s elements, reaching their limits then challenging themselves again. Moving the goal posts beyond what some people may think is unachievable, then taking it even further again.
Russ Ord firing, Mark Mathews charging
© Calum Macaulay
"In the end I realised I had to strip everything back and ask myself one question, “Why did I start surf photography in the first place?” The enjoyment I get from swimming in the surf (solo most of the time) and then getting the shot is like catching a wave myself.
"I had to work out if it was possible to translate those feelings to the waves I had been shooting. I've documented The Right for years, and seen Chris Ross, Mark Mathews, Ben Rufus, Cale Grigson and Chris Shanahan have the time of their bloody lives, while I sat back and missed out on the very reason why I started surf photography in the first place. F**k that, changes have to be made.
Results are in...
© Calum Macaulay
"This image of Mark is the build up of five years of dropping everything, missing a heap of incredible moments and having my life revolving around an image I could see as clear as a bell in my mind.
"As an ex-fireman I am used to thinking of the worst case scenario and preparing for that outcome, which led to breathing courses with One Ocean International, a custom built lightweight helmet, jetskis, rescue sleds, the list goes on. You can't forget about all the years of surfing and shooting that lead to this, a gradual build-up that culminated in pressing the trigger that day. In the end the photo is a simple byproduct of all of the hard work you don't see.
The most hardcore soft-top takeoff you'll ever see
© Russell Ord
"To be honest I'm not sure what I want to do from here, I'm still evaluating my goals. I'm going to finish the One Shot documentary I've been working on and then plan on sailing through the Pacific with my family for a couple of years. Surf photography-wise I am really undecided, it's certainly a very tough market these days, filled with an incredible amount of talent. "I take my hat off to Peter Joli Wilson, Ted Grambeau, Brian Bielmann and Jon Frank, to name just a few who have been producing A-grade work for generations. I'm just going to sit back for the time being and admire their handy work until something pops into my head."
Job well done...
© Russell Ord
Mark Mathews: "Russ is an animal! There is no way I would swim around out there like he does, but it shows how driven and passionate he's been about chasing this shot. Russ came so close to nailing it last year, but accidentally knocked the settings on his camera when he swam to position himself inside a monster, and the shot was out of focus. I remember he was so gutted at the time, but he vowed to nail it one day. So it was special that it all came together this time.
"As I was getting towed back into the line up after this wave he calmly gave me a thumbs up and nodded his head, and I knew he nailed it straight away.
"Yep, I'm on a soft-top. My CatchSurf went sick out there, and for some reason I felt super relaxed riding it. All the seriousness just went out of the situation, it was really strange. Ha!"
