Surfers: Photographs

Rating:
Summary: Gritty and compelling.
Review: "Surfers" is a gritty and compelling photographic study of the sport and lifestyle of surfing. In 100 duotone and 11 four-color photos, Patrick Cariou captures surfers of many ages, races, nationalities. Indeed, he traveled the globe for these pictures. Whether in Long Island or Easter Island, Peru or Polynesia, the photographer searched for the world's greatest surfers and surf-legends. Cariou is especially talented at shooting natural-light portraits of these men and women. There's a relaxed naturalness about his subjects, which is a testament to the trust he gained from them. Also, Cariou, in his best shots (e.g., "Buttons Kaluhiokalani, North Shore," "Local, Biarritz," and "Laird Hamilton, Maui"), captures the surfers' eyes so effectively that they speak volumes about these wave-riders. Also, Cariou's images are refreshingly unromatic. There is an earthy, every-day quality to these pictures. I only wish the photos had been done in full color. Not only would the reproductions have been clearer, but the pictures' impact would have been far greater than they are. Still, surfers of all ranks will enjoy this book.

Rating:
Summary: Portraits Of Men Who Live Their Lives By The Sea
Review: When I first leafed through the pages of this collection, I was struck by the numerous photographs of beautifully aging men. Upon further inspection it became clear that other subjects are well represented. But I would have to say that for me, the true impact of this book is in its portraiture of strong, active, sun-baked men of advancing years. Men whose bearing and visage evince a serene vitality as well as a timeless understanding of fate.

This is of course a book about surfing and there are a number of wonderful photographs that well capture the spirit, peril and exhilaration of the sport. And a bit of text at the beginning of the book does address itself to surfing history and culture. But it is the portraits of the rugged and weathered people who live their lives by the sea that makes this such a compelling collection.

Surfers is a wonderfully understated portfolio of mostly black and white photographs of individuals who are persuing their dreams in an unconventional yet highly inspired fashion. Cariou, a gifted master of his craft, captures the freedom and joy inherent to their journey brilliantly. His work deserves a much wider audience than just those with an abiding interest in surfing.