A bit of stress gets to me, but it’s the good kind. This creeping fear you feel when you know you have to do well for the photo shoot!. Arnaud Dussen has motivated one of his photographer friends, a dedicated water shooter that is also finishing his architect studies. He’s a busy man but he won’t miss this nice session. The sets are building; Arnaud rushes to the water. I am careful because of my still weak knee. I still don’t know if it is gonna hold. But after a few shy attempts at bottom turns and cutbacks, everything comes back in place. The sensations you don’t forget, the freedom to push the manoeuvres. The photographer struggles against the current but holds his position.
Blue sky, breathtaking landscapes. I don’t feel the pain but I know I must shorten the session if I don’t want to pay the price for the next days. There is still a lot of coast to explore and I don’t want to miss it. It is hard to imagine that my home is not that far from here. I feel like a castaway and I have the feeling that I’ve been here for longer than I actually have. The ambiance is sometimes close to an Australian landscape, or Californian. A rich reward for a last minute journey.
And then comes THE session: The deserted spot called Arifana is supposed to hold size. The west coast has been blown ragged all night by onshore winds. The surfers have gone to the sheltered south coast, leaving me alone on this pointbreak. It’s not that clean, it’s pretty big and the lifeguards look amused to see me watching the ocean for over an hour. I can’t make a decision. It is a bit scary but also very photogenic!
