The main takeaway? Kai is as professional as they come. And the man just loves life. Photo: Damea Dorsey
At his Bali residence, I recently sat down for a conversation with global ace photographer Damea Dorsey. We discussed what it’s like to capture the content that elite surfers need in the new age of digital consciousness. In this case it was Damea’s latest adventure with Kai Lenny to the southeast of the Indonesian archipelago. It turned out to be some smart advice for the aspiring pro surfer.
What do you look for in a surfer when you’re working with them?
Well, you sure hope whoever it is, that you’re working with a real pro. Guys like Kai Lenny. Kai understands that we need much more than just action shots and he has the patience and the skills to help a photographer score them. In order to fill all the demands of sponsors and social media and everything else, we need the lifestyle photos and the right lighting and the right times of day and the best conditions on land or in the water. All that stuff. All these photos and videos don’t appear like magic. It’s real work. And it takes two, a partnership, no matter how temporary. And what is so great about working with Kai and why I think his global image is so prominent and dynamic is because he’s open to making a plan for the day with his photographer and sticking to it. I mean, he and I are up at dawn, mapping it all out and conferring with each other, looking at the conditions and the day, where the light is going to be and the sun and the tides and making sure when to shoot action and when to shoot lifestyle. You know, a real plan, a real mission of guaranteed success. Plus, Kai is really into showing a sense of place, a sense of where all this is taking place, letting the environment have a personality too, which is a godsend.
Any condition, any tool, this dude rips. Photo: Damea Dorsey
Like when he gets his gear ready, he asks you where you want it done and when. We discuss drone work, wide angle or long lens, portraits and where it’s all headed. Kai gets the whole story that both he and I are trying to capture. This is why the images of him are always spot on and always very real. Kai is a big part of making it all happen. And that’s why he’s so successful in the modern age. He’s not lazy about anything, unlike a few other guys I’ve worked with. It’s absolute hell working with lazy surfers. You want to have a great relationship with your social media and your sponsors? You wanna make money with your surfing? Be like Kai. He earns every penny he makes, in my opinion. We all have to feed the machine. And when you put something, anything, any challenge in front of a guy like Kai with the intent of getting content, it’s gonna happen. And of course when you finally get in the water with Kai, I mean, what’s not to shoot? The guy is amphibian. I call him a first try guy. Meaning you always the get the shot on your first try.
What is your technique for approaching the elite guys for the first time?
Two things will change anybody’s behavior. Getting a gun or a camera pointed at you. The key is relaxation for both you (and the subject) so you can capture the reality. Anybody in the world can spot a fake a mile away. So I get the subject into a comfortable environment, such as around their equipment. That way you can get those great candid shots. I also show them the photos now and then so that they know I’m working on something really cool. Especially now that everyone is so image conscious. That’s where the trust and the confidence in each other’s abilities comes in. Photography is a very personal, intimate act. You’re possessing their soul. Bottling it, you can really see a person through the lens of a camera. Real personal stuff. The unspoken stuff. And that trust thing is something that you have to establish in both directions.
The man always has a plan. Photo: Damea Dorsey
And most of the elite guys are just so cool. Kai is just a wonderful person. So happy to be a alive. That’s my main impression. Not some crazy-eyed adrenaline junkie, but just a real specialized athlete that handles what he’s doing naturally. Fakes never last, not at the top. The elite seem happy with themselves. Guys like John John Florence. And sure, you can get wild stuff with tortured guys, or the rock star drug-addict guys, or the angry guys, but it just seems that real success comes with being happy with oneself.
And guys like Kai and John John are supreme examples of this. These are the guys that get things done long term. The guys that know when to turn it on and off. The guys that know they have what it takes. And they don’t ruin that. They honor it. By being simple and passionate in their pursuits and in life and in their relationships with everything and everybody around them. They are not complicated people. They just wake up and get themselves right so they can get it right. And as a photographer, that’s who you want in front of your camera.
