Underwatercolors.

Not sure how I took this shot, but it was during a rag doll session at the Balangan break here in Bali. This was during the formative weeks of my surf photography endeavors about a year ago. Whilst it may look confusing I see a peace in the colors and textures of the image, it's as much like trying to make head or tail from the confusions we find ourselves in on a daily basis.

Nothing can be more confusing than trying to weed one's way through the maze of social networking and media related minefields these days. The number of people out there looking to suggest they have 'all the answers' to 'all your problems' seem to proliferate with a rapidity rivaled only by the reproduction rate of the common fruit fly! I really do believe in the prospect of earning a crust online, I welcome that option and as more and more people sit at home plugged into their respective computers it's a fair assumption that one day they are going to look at finding a way for that to pay. Given the workload with liquidmocean though I can't really afford hours spent scouring the net for potential schemes, there's just too much dross to weed through. A lot of cool stuff, don't get me wrong, but a lot of useless stuff too, maybe in the majority.

The only option I have found useful thus far is the automation system I use for my Twitter. When I first started with that networking option I just couldn't get it. It turns out to now be one of my favorite networking tools, it takes its time to grow on you but once you 'get it' and you realize just how massive the potential is then it just puts you onto another thought plane of possibilities. I'm riding that Twitter High at the moment, as if you couldn't guess. So like the image I guess, there are clear patches in the confusion, you just have to take your time to find them, and when you do, then I'm sure you will appreciate them even more. Ohh, and if anyone wants to follow along, here's my twitter....

This image was taken with a Canon EOS500D using a Canon 10-22mm EFS Lens stuffed into a Liquid Eye surf housing.

Cheers, catch up soon for more Ocean imaging.
Mark
liquidmocean

A Liquid Caress.

Some things go hand in hand as being the norm. Peanut Butter and Jelly, Bananas and Strawberry Yogurt (or is that just me?), the Sunday crossword puzzle, ticks on my dog and the role the Ocean plays in our lives. Each for our own reasons we decide our comfort level with the watery medium and set about our adventures within, on and around its magnetic embrace. Personally I've been snapping the Ocean for a number of years with only recently taking to the water for the surf photography. Apart from keeping me in shape it is hugely satisfying, the buzz when dueling with waves, the constant evaluating of a situation; "Am I in the right spot"? "Oh crap, here we go again" normally followed by a deep breath and a rag doll ride through what can only be termed as 'Madam Aqua's' spin cycle.

Sharing more and more imagery of the Ocean I've been approached on an increasing number of occasions with the suggestion that I should exhibit some of my work. I must also divulge that I also shoot liquids in all guises. The catalyst for everything imaging with me has always been the Ocean. Witnessing its sublime motion, its nuances in retaliation to energies meted upon it has always fascinated me. So I took that to a level where I could study liquid elements at a more manageable level.

Starting with simple water droplet photography I would sit for hours snapping dripping taps (faucets for our north American buddies) and splashes. This then led to the acquisition of laser timing devices that I could program to create water droplet collisions and such forth. Playing with detergents and naturally occurring elements also allowed me to further investigate the World of liquid art. Some of these images can be seen at my imaging site: Poetry in Mocean

What started as a deep fascination with the Ocean has now triggered the desire to show my work to a larger audience. It may take a while to organize everything but the idea is to create an exhibition of imagery that will be displayed here in Bali, I have yet to decide a name for the exhibition but it will, no doubt, be once again inspired by the liquid characteristics of the Ocean. More information will be posted on the progress of this as and when it becomes available.

This image was shot with a Canon EOS500D with a 17-85mm lens at 17mm (yeah, close) all stuffed into a Liquid Eye surf housing.

Cheers,
Mark
liquidmocean

Why Spot X?

I was quite amazed recently to hear of dramatic actions being taken to segregate zones of coastline for use by traditional surfers and Stand Up Paddle Surfers in Hawaii. Being able to catch waves far earlier than the standard surfer the SUPS meant that a bias towards using these longer heavier boards was becoming an issue on established surf breaks. It got me to thinking; "Is the Ocean actually that crowded with surfers that there needs to be measures such as this taken"?

Likewise, I always thought of surfers to be the peace loving, nature appreciating, easy going 'dudes' we have been led to believe. Stereotypical characters, unfazed by the hectic cacophony of life so long as there are bands of liquid energy to be ridden on any given day. To an extent I had an awakening this past year in witnessing the other, darker side of Surf sports, that of tribalism and frustrated violence.

Now I understand that if you're on a wave and you get dropped in on then you have the right to be frustrated. The Golden Rule in surfing is to NOT take a wave of someone already riding it, to do so is to incur the wrath of the surfer claiming that to be 'their' wave. As with driving a car, you look both ways at a junction before pulling onto the main road, likewise with surfing, make sure the wave is available before jumping on. Makes sense. The arguments and fights I've seen this year borne of frustrations of people who believe to have had 'their' waves stolen by lesser beings has been quite the revelation.

On the other hand I've also witnessed a certain tribalism where waves are concerned. Take our 'Spot X' here in Bali. This spot is not a surfers wave, it's a shore break, direct at times onto sand. For anyone to surf this would require them to be super fast and also quite crazy. So my buddy introduced me to the place, he's been 'sponging' this location off and on for a number of years, always being careful to try and mask his entry and exit spots. Well we were out there a week or so ago and along comes a local surfer, cool, nothing wrong with that. With any locals one has to respect that this is maybe their home break and that they normally have right of way. OK, so we're in the water, no exchanges, along comes the swell. My buddy goes for the wave, the local starts paddling and when he failed to get the wave started shouting obscenities.

His diatribe was cut short by my buddy who's grasp of Indonesian is almost perfect having lived here for the past 15 years. After failing to catch another wave our admirer left the water some ten minutes later to then stand on the beach and shout and scream at us one last time before disappearing off in the direction of the next break. When we eventually left the water I asked my buddy the words of the exchange. The gist was that we were only visiting and that we should not take any wave that this guy was even thinking about riding, hmmm OK, time to brush up on those telepathy skills. Whilst this was a mild interaction there are many a story of severe beatings being dished out by locals on any 'visitor' arriving at 'their' break uninvited or without financial recompense.

The desire to keep breaks such as this quite to the masses is therefore the reason why places are often called 'Secret Spots'. There are many tens of surf breaks on the island of Bali, each host to outbreaks of frustrations borne of the transgressions as mentioned above. All we can do is hope that when people do walk past our own little 'Secret' is that they realize its lack of surfability and keep on walking.

Image taken with a Canon EOS500D fitted with a Canon 15mm f2.8 Fisheye Lens (fitted to a cropped sensor this lens is more like a 24mm hence the lacking of the accentuated edges). This rig is then slotted into a Liquid Eye surf housing.

Cheers, catch up tomorrow for more Ocean imaging...
Mark
liquidmocean

'Vanishing Point'

The small wall of water building in front of me was shaping up to be one of the bigger waves of the morning. As I was also shooting on a beach break where the sand rose up at an incline from the shoreline meant there was the potential for what is called backwash, the energy transference of water from waves already broken on the beach encountering those still to break. This can give rise to some pretty spectacular affects on the lip of the wave, the part that hits first! I could normally get a feel for the backwash as I would be facing out to sea watching for the incoming and then feel the water rise up from behind, from the shore side, this would be my cue to check any waves on the point of breaking. I was stood right at that meeting point. Standing right on that knife edge interface between artistic aesthetic and pain.

I'd been in the water with my buddy for about an hour when I saw this one coming it was shaping up in every way to be a very nice way, albeit from the direction that meant it would be an empty wave shot. My 'model' was just too far away from the approaching wave so I just hunkered down to wait and see what developed with this one. Forming nicely I was on the verge of snapping when I felt the telltale backwash make it's presence known, the water rose around to my mid section and met the incoming wave head on. Where you can see the intended lip of the wave you can also see the effect of backwash in that outreaching fan of spray. This in itself is a 1/640th of a second in time. The following 10 seconds were a maelstrom of darkness, of rushing water, of immense pressure, of body slamming into sand madness, but it was worth it.

I guess the same is with this roller coaster of a ride we call life. For every positive there is a payoff. A necessity in order to get to the 'cool beans' elements we each enjoy with our respective goals and hobbies. This moment for me can only be used as a mere introduction of the beauty the Ocean holds. My fascination with it's water characteristics, the infinite formations of its moods is something that enthralls me, drives me on to continue in my discovery of its unbridled winsomeness.

This image was shot with a Canon EOS500D fitted with a Canon 10-22mm f3.5/4.5 EF S lens all stuffed into a Liquid Eye Housing.

Cheers,
Mark
liquidmocean