Once, I spent the whole day following whales off Teahupo’o with my sup and paddles ready in the boat. I was planning an aerial shot with them but they avoided me the whole day, swimming upstream. Eventually, I had to give up. The next day, without the drone, without the camera, without a SUP, I encountered a full family of four whales with a calf. There are no pictures that capture this moment, yet it was so magical, it is one for the hard drive in the mind.
Although my photos end up on magazine covers and are shared widely, I do not consider myself a professional photographer, more of a composer. I am for sure passionate about images, aesthetics of things; I like to think of the different elements that will compose my work. Tahiti’s gorgeous landscapes are just perfect for this. Any image you create activates dreams and inspires beauty. Add the movement of the boards with different angles in action, I can’t think of a better playground for my RRD toys. I really love the contrast of elements: turquoise of the water, pastel forest green of the mountains, design curves and bright colours of the board. With the perfect waves, the lights and landscapes we have here, it’s an absolute pleasure to create images.
Don’t get me wrong, I may not be a professional photographer as others define, but I am committed to capturing the best imagery of a moment possible. The first item on the agenda of a morning: check the weather. I can only live and work according to the natural conditions. Living in a tropical climate means living with the wind too. Sometimes, the wind visits and stays for an entire two months, which makes surfing pictures obviously more complicated. This year for example, I happened to receive all of my RRD 2015 equipment in the middle of the rainy season, so I am always looking out for windows of opportunity to capture a good shot so I can honour my deadlines for my sponsor. While it may seems funny having wind as a work factor, it does mean I have to be very focused, and navigate increased stress, until I deliver the images expected.
