I can’t keep track of how many surf photos, lineup shots, and landscape images I’ve seen in the past two years. I can tell you many things I’ve learned and observed in that time as The Inertia’s Editor for Good, but one that sticks out is that many of us literally see surfing (with our eyes) in the same way. It can mean something different to each of us, but we’re grabbed by a handful of moments or images that become synonymous with surfing simply because we’re familiar with them. The wide angle look at a lineup from just over the shoulder of a friend, watching a perfect, peeling wave. Or how about the close-up shot of a surfer cross-stepping to the nose, zoomed in only on their feet? And then there’s the first-person GoPro look out of a barrel. My list could go on, detailing the moments we’re seeing for the first time and the 100th time all at once.
But what about the truly unique stuff out there? Still a familiar moment, just with a new perspective. This is exactly what photographer Sean Stalteri has found with his drone photography speed blurs. You’ve seen these shots, just never quite like this. And it’s cool.
Note: You can find more of Sean Stalteri’s work on Instagram here.
