All Photos © Yassine Ouhilal

Yassine Ouhilal is a photographer, filmmaker and explorer from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. He is a regular contributor to The Surfer’s Journal and Surfer Magazine as well as other surf publications from around the world. He prefers shooting in difficult to reach and uncharted destinations over the typical go-to tropical hotspots of the surfing world. He uses his knowledge of marine charts, geological maps, satellite imagery, weather forecasting and a love for time on the road in order to be at the right place at the right time in some very inhospitable places.

These forays have taken him to places like Norway’s Arctic circle, Morocco’s coastal Sahara desert, the Faroe Islands, Iceland and Russia in search of seldom seen vistas of perfect waves amidst dramatic backdrops.

Ouhilal explains, ” I approach my surf photography work as a long-term project, which starts with researching a particular location of interest, looking at weather patterns, logistical details. Sometimes, years will go by until one of these locations becomes suitable for shooting with the right swell and weather patterns. Other times, I’ve gone back numerous times in order to get ‘The shot’ I see in my mind.” Ouhilal’s extra effort has produced unique images that have set themselves apart from more typical destinations. “I really try to give a sense of place in my photography by juxtaposing backdrops with the surfing element, be it a surfer or an empty wave. Many factors have to come into play for that to happen, like the right weather conditions, and when they all come together, it creates a very special and moment.”

Above image: “Nick Jiampa in the Faroe Islands, a tiny archipelago between Iceland and Scotland. This was the first time waves had been ridden on these storm-battered isles. On Nick’s first session on the island, nearly an entire village came out to watch as I was shooting from a boat. After he successfully rode his first wave, the Captain’s cell phone rang. It was from one of the villagers. He said something in Faroese: ‘He’s still alive’.” All captions by Yassine Ouhilal.

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All Photos © Derek Dunfee. Above: Fiji, tail camera.

Derek Dunfee, a 29-year-old professional surfer and photographer from La Jolla, California, provides an intimate, behind-the-scenes view of the lifestyle of big wave surfers, and the excitement of surfing in exotic locations. “Chasing big surf almost always involves wild weather and high emotions which is always good for photos and video,” he says. “I do like to give the viewer a glimpse into what its like to be in these places. For example, for my Tail Camera series, I paddle into a wave with a pocket wizard in a water housing duct taped to my shoulder and snap the photo when I’m in the tube. That gives the viewer the feeling they are getting barreled.”

Dunfee learned photography from his twin brother, who studied at the Brooks Institute. Other photographers, including Pete Taras, Todd Glaser and Steve Sherman, provided Dunfee with encouragement and shooting tips. Dunfee’s stories and photos have been published in Surfer, Surfing and Transworld surf magazines. He has  also made a few short films.

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All images © Art Brewer. Laird Hamilton on the edge of a volcanic rock formation on Easter Island, during filming for ABC’s “American Adventure,” 1995.

Now through June 30, the Arts Abroad Program at The School of Visual Arts in New York City is presenting “Art Brewer: Surf Evolution,” an exhibition of the the legendary surf photographer’s work, curated by Malcolm Lightner and Michelle Mercurio. The exhibition highlights more than 150 images that Brewer shot from the mid-1960s through the present, and includes work he has never previously shown. With pieces ranging from portraits of surf legends to picturesque landscapes and waterscapes, the show highlights Brewer’s diverse output. Brewer, whose photographs have shown worldwide and have appeared in over 35 surf magazines, is often described as “the court painter” for the world’s surfing elite. Brewer is known for mastering the technical and physical challenges involved in surf photography and still managing to take high quality images, which some have described as “portals to a vastly improved universe.” —Erica Siciliano

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All Photos @Thomas Hoeffgen/212 Artists.

Thomas Hoeffgen braved the waters off Santander, Spain, to capture the insatiable drive of the Pre-Olympic Spanish Sailing Team. The three-day shoot for Timberland, the 2012 London Olympic Games official technical supplier of footwear and apparel, combined equal parts grace and determination. Hoeffgen’s prowess as a photographer matches the athletes’ dreams. The future looks bright as Olympic gold. Cue the “La Marcha Real.”

—Courtesy 212 Artists.

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Herb Ritts, Richard Gere – Poolside, 1982, C-type print, Courtesy of the Herb Ritts Foundation, Los Angeles © Herb Ritts Foundation

Southern California’s swimming pool culture is the subject of a new photography book, Backyard Oasis: The Swimming Pool in Southern California, 1945–1982 (DelMonico Books, $60), which features work by photographers and artists like Bill Anderson, John Baldessari, Ruth Bernhard, David Hockney, Ed Ruscha, Julius Schulman and Larry Sultan. The book serves as a catalogue for an exhibition of the same name that is currently showing through May 27 at the Palm Springs Art Museum in California. The book and exhibition document the private swimming pool’s rise in popularity as suburban communities grew following World War II, and also consider the pool as an icon of Hollywood and celebrity culture; as an architectural element; and as a symbol of wealth and status. (more…)