Surfing
10 Fresh Angles of Surfing's Finest
Photographer Trevor Moran shows you how to shoot the pros like no one else.
Last month, we brought you 10 images from legendary pro surfing photographer, Ryan Miller. Now we bring 10 stills from his world tour partner-in-crime Trevor Moran. Trevor, like Ryan, hails from the pumping beach breaks of New Jersey. His advice to up-and-coming lens-men and -women? "Experimentation is crucial for continuously producing fresh images of the same locations year after year."
Judging by these shots of Mick Fanning, Jordy Smith, Julian Wilson, Kolohe Andino, John Florence and more of the world's best surfers at some of the world's best waves, Trevor is a master of experimentation.
All eyes on Damien Hobgood at Pipeline
© Trevor Moran
Location: Pipeline, North Shore, Oahu, Hawaii
Trevor: "This is one of my favorite surf photos that I’ve shot — the only one I’ve printed to hang on my wall. I feel like it's an unusual composition for a surf photo or lineup, and includes a 'decisive moment' element with all the people on the beach stopping what they’re doing to look at Damien about to get spit out of the wave of the day. I remember that bodyboarder looking so pissed after this wave, as he’d just come in, looking like he had to come in go to work."
Michel Bourez digs in at Pipeline
© Trevor Moran
Location: Pipeline, North Shore, Oahu, Hawaii
Trevor: "Pipe is really easy to shoot to get standard good images, but when it's not ideal conditions, I usually try to make lemonade out of lemons and get something a little different, instead of trying to pass off bad conditions as good. Speedblurs are a go-to technique for bad waves, but this one is special, as it really captures the unruly power of pipe, as well as Michel’s gladiator style as he out-muscles a beast."
Julian Wilson sets up for a Pipe elevator drop
© Trevor Moran
Location: Pipeline, North Shore, Oahu, Hawaii
Trevor: "This day was super sketchy — one of those mornings where you look at it and the ocean has come alive overnight. And despite everyone wishing it was rideable, no one dares to paddle out. But eventually, the swell backs down and a few guys team up to paddle out together to give it a try. Julian was part of that crew this day, and as a reward he got to paddle into wedges uncontested."
Carlos Muñoz flyaway blur
© Trevor Moran
Location: Rocky Point, North Shore, Oahu, Hawaii
Trevor: "Sometimes you plan images, and sometimes you get an image that would be nearly impossible to plan. This is an example of the latter. The general rule of thumb is to never swim at Rocky Point because the wave looks soft, and that’s why I love swimming there because there is hardly anyone else out there, so you can get different photos from everyone on the beach. I don’t know Carlos well, but I feel like this out-of-focus-image of him flying through space relates to his persona."
Jordy Smith flares in West Oz
© Trevor Moran
Location: Western Australia
Trevor: "Just because the light is harsh doesn’t mean that you can’t use it to your advantage. One of my favorite myths is about Icarus flying too close to the sun, and I think about that whenever I look at this image. Jordy’s air technique and form is second to none, and that’s important in making this silhouette image work."
Jordy Smith starts the day right at Bells Beach
© Trevor Moran
Location: Bells Beach, Australia
Trevor: "I’ve always been a night owl, but that doesn’t work out so well when trying to shoot freesurfs before the contests start up each morning. And I’ve realized that sunrises are so much more rewarding than sunsets, and are probably the biggest motivator for getting me out of bed super early, day after day, when on a trip."
John Florence in-between at Snapper Rocks
© Trevor Moran
Location: Snapper Rocks, Australia
Trevor: "Shooting surf action is usually all about the single big maneuver, or the quieter “in-between” moments that happen while guys are waiting for their next wave. This image is a mix of both, where John is generating speed setting up his next turn. But that in and of itself can still be really cool visually if you’re able to capture the technique he uses to go so fast, and convey that speed in a still photo."
Ace Buchan sets up for a North Point cavern
© Trevor Moran
Location: North Point, West Oz, Australia
Trevor: "Some of my favorite photos are the ones that create anticipation; when you don’t get the gratification of the payoff photo, your mind can wander a little further as you try to figure out what happens next, or maybe what line you’d take if you were on that wave. This one of Ace does that for me, just trying to see where his eye-line is going and anticipate what section is going to throw and how much speed he should burn before hitting the gas to make the barrel."
Mick Fanning locks in somewhere in Portugal
© Trevor Moran
Location: Somewhere in Portugal
Trevor: "This was a really special session to witness. I’d been scouting this sandbar with Damien Hobgood, who is an absolute savant when it comes to finding hidden gem waves, and he and Keanu Asing were surfing it for two hours by themselves. But the swell was still a bit too big and they were both exhausted. As we were leaving, I saw Mick coming down to give it a try, and so I stayed to shoot him, and was even more stoked when he told me he’d talked Kelly into coming down too. Just those two guys out on some of the dreamiest conditions you could ever imagine, trading tubes and power gouges with nearly no one around to witness it all. This was halfway through the session, and I think this is a cool moment where Mick gets to chose whether he wants another barrel or wants to slash off the top instead -- and is having a bit of a hard time deciding."
Kolohe Andino surfs JBay his own way
© Trevor Moran
Location: Jeffreys Bay, South Africa
Trevor: "Of all the places I get to visit regularly, JBay is up there as one of my favourites. It’s a very special place, and considering it's just one long wave, it somehow offers so much variety for how you can surf and shoot photos of it. Despite the perfect wall for carves and tube sections, the younger generation have figured out how to work in some airs along the way. The light beaming down through the clouds seems to point to exactly where the best air sections are going to present themselves."