Beyond The Grid, Vol. 02 - The Wave That Stays

I’ve been feeling a bit homesick lately. Scrolling through some old hard drives took me back to life before I left Australia—when surfing and shooting surfers were a big part of my day-to-day.

I haven’t properly shot surf in over ten years.

Not because I stopped caring about it, but because I live in Miami now—and good waves are pretty much non-existent unless you’re willing to brave a freak storm. These photos are from the years I worked with an Australian surf company, traveling to places with proper swell. The surfers weren’t random—they were either ambassadors for the brand or some of the best in the world.

Surf photography became my favorite thing to shoot. I always tried to frame the scene first—make the ocean and the coastline look beautiful on its own—and then let the surfer move through it. Clean, simple, and a bit pulled back. That was the goal.

Looking at these again makes me miss it.
The ocean, the smell, patiently waiting and watching surfers patiently waiting for ‘the one’.
Just being there, waiting for something good to happen.

Dug these up recently—still some of my favorite days with a camera in hand.

Kolohe Andino - Margaret River, Western Australia

Tyler Wright - Culburra, NSW. Australia

Luke Cheadle - Margaret River, Western Australia

Otis Carey - Northern Beaches, Sydney Australia

Luke Cheadle - Narrabeen, New South Wales, Australia

Dayyan Neve - Margaret River, Western Australia

Luke Cheadle - Northern Beaches, Sydney, Australia

Blake Thornton - Margaret River, Western Australia

Luke Cheadle - Queenscliff, New South Wales, Australia

Sam Page - Queenscliff, New South Wales, Australia

That’s it for this one.
I’ve got plenty more stashed away, so stay tuned for the next drop.

Benny