A few moments to inspire...

The photographic result of a two year collaborative project between one of the worlds foremost surf photographers, Dustin Humphrey, and influential surf film maker Taylor Steele, Sipping Jetstreams is just about as inspirational as it can get when it comes to international surf travel. Digging just that little bit deeper to get under the skin of what it is we really expose ourselves to along the way whilst searching out a wave to ride, this give's you a glimpse at the bigger picture.

The photo-geeks amongst you might be interested to know that Humphrey shot each location/section using a different film stock to give each it's own characteristics, even taking the risk of cross processing all the images from one trip to over-saturate the colours.

The sequel, Castles In The Sky is due out anytime soon featuring India, Iceland, Peru and Vietnam to name a few and I can't wait to see it if their first attempt is anything to go by.

Click play but don't hold me responsible if you get the uncontrollable urge to go buy a plane ticket and a few rolls of film as a result.

Kettle on, Feet up

"There is no trouble so great or grave that cannot be much diminished by a nice cup of tea"

Heroux Bernard-Paul

Here here.

The Future

I think it was Rob Machado who said that "The future of surfing will come from the most unlikely of places" as curiosity gets the better of kids who grow up by the ocean and travelling surfers leave behind boards and inspiration.

My friends Ru and Gem moved out to Costa Rica back in 2007 and opened Innocent Surf School, and they quickly flipped the accepted and outdated model of surf coaching on its head, growing into one of the most progressive and in-demand surf coaching centres in the world.
Alongside the surf school they also put aside Sundays to run free lessons for local kids and organised a board donation drive, giving them the chance to be a part of the surfing boom on their beach rather than just spectators - and now some of those kids are the local standouts and absolutely ripping.

This is so important to the world of surfing. One of these kids could turn out to be a world champion one day, but might never have had the chance to stand on a board otherwise.

Not being ones to rest on their laurels however, as of March 2010 they are opening Innocent Surf Camp to offer high end packages to every level of surfer at one of the most consistent and progression friendly surf spots on the planet. I can't see them doing anything other than their usual 10 out of 10 effort, and revolutionising the surf camp market.

Check 'em out, your surfing will thank you for it.

The Church of Sustainable Surfing...

Has an amazing stained glass window...

The Patagonia Store, Cardiff, California.

www.matarney.com is good to go!

It's all done and good to go people...go get yourselves a cup of tea then click your way on over to www.matarney.com and check it all out.

Big props to Mr Yan Walton (www.yanwalton.co.uk) for his design skills in making it all happen, and to all of you who've been on my case encouraging me to do something with my portfolio for all this time.

I hope you like it.

DR

For a good few years now Dane Reynolds has been heralded as the new messiah of progressive surfing - freakish talent stirred up with a good dose of innovation and an avante garde attitude to the modern world of competitive surfing. I clicked this moment during his heat against fellow "next big thing" Jordy Smith during the WCT France contest in 2008, the sort of showdown that I couldn't justify missing seeing as I was in the nieghbourhood. The Californian has a really interesting blog at www.marinelayerproductions.com full of photography, short super8 surf movie clips and out-takes from the life of one of the most scrutinised surfers today, which must terrify his team manager at quiksilver...

shooting pictures not people

It's Rememberance Sunday here in the UK, and Armistice Day is coming up on 11/11, when everybody takes a moment to remember all those soldiers who've died in conflicts since WWI. At the same time, it's worth sparing a thought for those who were in the thick of it shooting photographs not people and risking their lives to show the rest of the world the brutal realities of war. Photographers like Robert Capa (who landed with troops on D-Day, above) and Henri Cartier-Bresson who went on to found the Magnum Agency, through to those war photographers sending back images from Iraq and Afghanistan today in the hope that we'll be so shocked and appalled by what we see that we won't let it happen again. Here's hoping, and respecting.

Mowing Foam

My friend Nick Blair shapes beautiful surfboards. Aside from being permanently stuck under the feet of top WCT stylist Dean Morrison I keep seeing his joistik logo in magazine spreads and adverts being ridden by a whole host of the worlds top surfers throwing buckets of spray all over the world. It's good to see that the good will out, and that out of the cut-throat competitive world of surfboard design is emerging a shaper with international pedigree and an eye for perfection. On ya Nicko.

I shot a study of him mowing foam a few years back whilst I was living on the Goldie, and since then he's gone from strength to strength, and it couldn't have happened to a nicer bloke.

There's a shipment UK bound in time for Crimbo, so check the website http://www.joistiksurfboards.com/ and get on board.

She Sells Sea Shells...

Just off the coast of Jeffreys Bay, South Africa, the cold Benguela current from the South Atlantic collides with the warm, tropical Agulhas current which runs runs down the East coast of the African continent. Where they collide offshore, they drop all of the treasure they're carrying and it all washes up on the beach in a big colourful strandline of shells and corals. It's hard not to pick some of it up every now and then when walking to and from working or surfing.

EUroad tripping

About this time last year I was on my way back from a surf trip through France and Spain with my friend Krede, an old housemate who was over visiting from West Australia. The month long road trip was bi-polar: if anything could go wrong then it did, but we scored some incredible surf and I came away with some good photos. We ended up at Mont Saint-Michel having missed a ferry due to various reasons, so used the spare day until the next sailing to go sight-seeing, and arrived here early in the morning.

On the way back to the port the bolts on one of the wheels on our van sheared off, which just about sums it up.

Kernow

I've been asked a few times now what the title of this blog means...it's in Cornish so it's no surprise that nobody understands as unfortunately it's a dead language. Roughly translated it means "The Land And The Sea", so here to accompany my explanation is a photo of the land meeting the sea at the end of my road on a beautiful Spring day in Cornwall.

Philly

If, by some twist of fate, any of you happen to be in or around Philadelphia over the coming weeks or months(?) then swing by the Sedso Design Group Gallery where a few of my images are being displayed as part of the "Place Your Art Here" show. It opened last night, and I missed out on the arty boozing and schmoozing for exhibitors because it's a long way to go from Cornwall...

Or check out the gallery on the website...
http://www.placeyourarthere.com
Sedso Design Group Gallery - Space 75 at The Piazza1050 North Hancock Street, Philadelphia,
Pa 19146

It started with a click...

I guess most things start with an intro...

I like making photographs.

This photography blog is supposed to go hand in hand with my website in order to provide a little bit of detail: the stories behind the images; the debates that they illustrate or spark; a new project that I may be shooting; details of exhibitions maybe; perhaps other images from a trip or series that didn't make it onto the website galleries, or finally the work of friends and peers whose work captivates and inspires me.

I hope you like it...

Mat