By: Aaron Chang
One of the most exciting aspects to photographing the ocean is the arrival of the first significant winter swell.
This year I decided to turn my attention to shooting Mavericks, an iconic surf spot known for its huge waves, which break on a sharp, massive rock reef. It’s a heavy wave. On par with Teahupo’o in Tahiti or Jaws in Maui, but colder. Deeper. A place where great white sharks frequent and occasionally clear the lineup.
Mavericks is a break where only the best surfers in the world have mastered the art of surfing this death-defying, but perfectly formed wave.
One of the original and most respected surfers, Jeff Clark says this about surfing Mavericks:
“It’s a culmination of your life of surfing when you turn and paddle in at Mavericks.”
I couldn’t agree more. It’s my lifetime of being a surfer and photographer that allows me to know where the wave is going to break, where to be in the water, what equipment to use and how to set it for this exact situation. The sky was cloudy, the light soft. I set my camera to capture the magic of the moment. I love the effect of this powerful behemoth lit up against a dove grey sky. I hope you do too…
Click to listen to my story about capturing this dangerous, beautiful moment in time.
Maverick’s is a limited edition photographic release. Only 95 editions will be printed.