January 08, 2011 through February 08, 2011

“Surf’s Up”

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This body of work featured classic surf photography by Steve Russell taken on Hawaiis legendary North Shore featuring some of the most celebrated names in surfing. Steve spent twelve years on the North Shore of Oahu from the winter of 1981 until 1993. Steve covered many of the Triple Crown of surfing events and more for the Honolulu Star Bulletin, all from his front row seat in the water. Steve was in the water shooting during the first two Eddie Aikau Big Wave Classic events at Waimea Bay. Steve grew up in San Diego, the son of a Navy combat photographer, consequently, surfing and photography was a natural progression. Steve shot many of his images from the water. “The water shot”, Steve says, “what better way to capture the perfect surf shot than to get up close and personal, the fish-eye view, I had the best seat in the house at all of the events. The water shot is the most difficult photographic image in surf photography, the subject is moving, the background is moving, and the photographer is swimming with one arm”. For Steve Russell it was a photographers paradise.