[perfectpullquote align=”full” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”#be6464″ class=”” size=””]”Travelling anywhere these days for me, is all about maximising the true potential of any opportunity not just creating a cash flow in exchange for time, but looking at any other potentials hidden within searching out hidden opportunities. Creating new leads, work maximising all aspects of your opportunity. Do this and just watch those doors open for you”[/perfectpullquote]

New opportunities in photography often pop up for no apparent reason and you need to be ready and adapt to them. My chance happened with a call to fly out to the Canaries and work with a group of surfers for a whole swathe of new lifestyle stock images for London stock agency Loop Images.

Whilst I love the sea and the canaries, I had little or no experience in working with the strange group of water babies! A mind of their own and a little bristly.

I was asked If I was going away that year and if so could I capture some lifestyle stock images of some surfers for Getty/Loop images and new stock images. Photographing people or lifestyle images is not a problem for me but this chance also offered up the chance to cover the costs of my holiday so it was extremely interesting. The only fly in the ointment possibly was the organising of such a trip and the surfers was all down to me and there was no budget involved.

Taking on the challenge I worked my magic-using social media to find some local surf groups interested in being my subjects and happy to sign off on release forms. Important to know none of the images is worthwhile for stock unless usage and copyrights are assigned. Stock companies will not accept them.

2 hours before sunset with the local surf group in Fuerteventura near to Corralejo in the North-East part of the Island. A warm but very breezy evening, we met and being on my own felt a little out of place with the cool ones! I was asked If I would be getting in the water with them to get the best action, of course, NO was the answer,  surfing is not my thing and I didn’t have any camera housings for being in the water with my DSLR. I could have used my GoPro but the shoot was then based on the surfer’s eye and not mine so out of my hands for creativity.

I had conceived some basic ideas and worked closely with the guys to create all of the lifestyle images which were all taken by Loop and Getty images. At the same time, I also used my Sony A7Rll to capture a full piece of video for my own promo and for Getty and Loop to announce online via social media the new images. I also picked up some local commissions from the surf shops and some free go at surfing whilst there.

[perfectpullquote align=”full” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”#be6464″ class=”” size=””]I realised that sometimes being too controlling and working to the brief may restrict your flow and so for this shoot I went of piste. I merely conveyed the overall theme to the guys and then let them run with it. I then picked off the moments I needed. Directing more like a movie instead of stills.[/perfectpullquote]