By Robert Zappia.
Taken at the 2017 Quicksilver Pro on the Gold Coast Qld.
Quikkie Magic, by Robert Zappia
Canon EOS 5D Mark IV; EF 100-400 f/4.5-5.6L Mk II with 1.4X Convertor II; ISO 200; f/8.0; 1/800s; effective focal length 560mm
Processed with Lightroom CC and Photoshop CC
Taken at the 2017 Quicksilver Pro on the Gold Coast Qld.
Three days and several thousand images later, I had amassed a huge collection of good images and quite a few above average ones.
The third day was exceptionally good for photography. The sun gave the water a lovely aqua blue colour and the waves were pretty good too. It was a challenge to find a good position on the beach, and I moved from the sand (water above my knees) to perching (uncomfortably) on some gnarly sharp rocks.
There were some pretty amazing cameras and lenses all around me, and all competing for that magic shot. I took most of my shots hand-held as I find mono-pods to be a bit of a nuisance when panning.
The surfer’s name is Jordy Smith and at the time he was ranked 2nd in the World Surfing League stats.
Don’s response
As a surfer I look at Jordy’s weight distribution and immediately wonder if he pulled off this particular hack. But as a keen surf photographer myself, I’m more impressed by Robert Zappia’s timing.
You don’t have to know anything about surfing to appreciate the speed and power of Jordy’s turn and the contained but muscular grace of his position on the board.
