Groundswell Solo Surfer
GROUNDSWELL, LOOKING NORTH (2011)
HALE'IWA, HAWAII
DANIEL RUSSO
Before drones and the ability to use a controller to shoot while remaining on the ground, photographers had to use helicopters to manually photograph aerial shots. For these images, I was flying in a helicopter, watching the horizon, and reading the groundswells standing up on Third Reef, Second Reef, and eventually First Reef Pipeline. Wearing a headset to communicate with the pilot, I directed him to position the helicopter about 700 ft above Rockpiles, from there we would crawl slowly towards Pipeline. Over this small stretch I would line up the incoming swells in the view finder of my 500mm camera lens.
Each photograph represents the energy of the same swell as it stands up from Third Reef, Second Reef, and First Reef Pipeline. “Looking North” shows the groundswell moving towards Sunset Beach and eventually past the North Shore. A three set series, shot in February 2011.
Printed and framed in the USA
Black Frame
Oak Frame
Daniel Russo’s photographic ability is known around the world. An O'ahu North Shore local, Russo swims in ocean conditions that most wouldn’t even find seaworthy -- the kind of swells with the tags “mega” or “code red” attached to them. His physical ability combined with a vast knowledge of his craft, Russo is widely regarded as one of the most talented water photographers in the industry.
