Behind the Shot
“Everybody takes pictures of people surfing in Malibu,” says photographer Richard Podgurski Jr. But not like this.
From a bird’s-eye view, Richard captures a lone surfer emerging from the ocean on a summer day. The overcast sky accentuates the blue of the water and serves as a stark contrast to the surfer emerging from the waves. That contrast is what caught Robert’s eye. He knew he wanted to show “the Bu” in a new light.
It’s a quiet moment we don’t normally get to see. After the action and excitement of being in the water, the surfer heads back to shore with their board. It’s a time to catch their breath—a far cry from the action shots so typical of surf photography. In this print, Richard gives us access to something intimate.
“I liked the different perspective of Malibu,” he says.
