I was wondering down the isle of the store with my mind and soul completely in Africa. I looked up and thought; now why am I here and what am I looking for. Although I recently returned from another incredible journey in the Omo Valley, which had been followed by one of the most exciting safaris ever, I was about 8,000 miles away planning my next photographic adventure.
It was at this particular moment that I said to myself, this is how a surfer feels about searching for that perfect wave, that endless summer. I grew up in southern California, a rare native, in the surf era – a great time to grow up here. My high school sweetheart and most of my friends were serious surfers. I have been surfing many times, but it just never filled my soul in the way it did theirs. Surfers have this amazing intimate connection to nature and when they are out riding a wave nothing exist but that moment. I remember being envious of that longing and passion they had.
The serious surfer will go to the far corners of the earth in search for that next perfect ride. Experiencing the adrenalin rush that resonates with their soul becomes as necessary to them as breathing air is to most of us. Surfing that perfect wave in a magical exotic place becomes more important than the material success in life. In their quest for that greatest ride, they take huge risk, crash and burn a lot…. but they always get back up and face natures fury. It is part of their spirit and they could not stop even if they wanted to.
So, like a surfer, in the quest for that perfect wave, that endless summer, my adventures will continue on the African continent in my quest for that wild and less traveled area to capture unique images. And so the planning has begun once again………
What a beautiful picture of the surfers and a great analogy!
Thanks Andy.. it was one of the moments when I was thinking how deeply this drive for Africa and photography is and I feel I just can’t explain it.. and then I flashed on the surfers… so many who I knew and instantly there was the connection and understanding. It was almost as if to give me comfort in a recent decision for an up coming journey… one that I have need to take…. tried to take….but was unsuccessful and yet I still feel so compelled to do this regardless of the huge risk it will be……
BTW The photograph was taken in my first year of photography on a whim…
I do love your idea …. the urge … the feeling … Have a Great Day (or night)
Thorsten
(… on my way to Uganda)
THanks Thorsten, Have a wonderful journey…. hearing a lot about Uganda lately and would love to hear about your journey when you return. Shoot me an email.
Piper
I will be happy to do that ! Thorsten
again, I love your wonderful pix, from people, places, animals and even the bananas……….thank you every so much for your artistry…….
Love this post, Piper, and that you share your quest! It reminds me of mine when I traveled the world in search of exotic dive sites and rare marine wildlife, hoping to capture on film those things I, and perhaps others, had never seen. There were adrenaline rushes – riding a whale shark far too deep and hating to leave him, yet knowing I was free diving and would need to surface to breathe, or searching for pink porpoises in the Amazon – and I learned to temper them with caution lest I chase the “rush” instead of the adventure. I envy your adventure and hope to share a part of it with you on one of your trips. Like I told you over dinner, it’s on my “bucket list”. Oh, and by the way, I love the image of the lone Rover on the horizon, against the golden orange sky. Beautiful close 🙂
I am reading this at Hanalei Bay, Kauai….. Doing some surfing and photography. Your timing on this post was perfect! The analogy between searching for the perfect wave and perfect image is perfect!
Keep chasing those “unique” images. Never give up. The more time in the field, the more chance you have of getting something special. It’s your dream, live it…!