What I love about photography is the fact that it can take you to places you’ve never been to and open up worlds you might have never discovered yourself. A single picture can say more than a thousand words and carry more emotions than the longest love letter. Looking for this kind of inspiration, I like to sit down for a few minutes and browse the web for some visual vacation before starting my day. During one of these morning rituals, I came across some amazing surf photography. Before I knew it, I found myself in a mesmerizing underwater world surrounded by cloud-like waves encircling swimmers who seemed to have made this hidden world their second home. Even though I have lived relatively close to rivers and oceans for most of my life, I have never excessively worked on more sophisticated swimming skills, let alone water sports activities. But those who do, I admire even more.
With this in mind, you can imagine my amazement when I first saw the photography portfolio of Sarah Lee. Her photos do not only capture the above water scenery, but open up the hidden treasures underneath the surface: A surreal world which seems like a calm and serene hiding place from the rough waves above. Sarah bases herself out of Hawai’i and makes perfect use of the beautiful waterscapes opening up right front of her door. She has spent her childhood constantly in and around the ocean, long-distance swimming, and surfing. Now a professional photographer, Sarah describes surf and underwater photography as her absolute favorite genre – and the fascinating results definitely speak for themselves.
Another talented master in his craft is Morgan Maassen, who at 22 has already compiled a stunning client portfolio, including the likes of Billabong, Roxy, and O’Neill. Born and raised in Santa Barbara, Morgan spends as much time as possible in the ocean. If not surfing, skimboarding, spearfishing or swimming, he can be found filming or photographing his passions. Morgan aims to capture whatever captivates him, which results in dramatic and unstaged photos that make you feel like being a part of the scenery yourself.
Similar to Sarah and Morgan, Jeff Levingston grew up by the ocean and credits his upbringing as a natural factor to have drawn him to the water. His work focuses on the natural harmonisation between humans and our environment. Putting the emphasis on the fun and satisfaction he gets from photography, Jeff has built an amazing portfolio set on both sides of the beach.
A special thanks to Sarah (#1-5), Morgan (#6-10), and Jeff (#11-15) for their support in illustrating this article.
Cordula Schaefer is a photography enthusiast who loves to venture out to explore new places and hardly ever leaves the house without a camera. A New Yorker at heart, she is especially fond of city trips and has a soft spot for beautiful beachscapes. She currently bases herself in Berlin and keeps the visual documents of her travels at Cordugram.
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