Stuart Gibson

May 2009: Australian Edge speaks with photographer Stuart Gibson. Born and raised in tassie, he’s been shooting surf photography professionally for the past 4 years and has a very impressive portfolio, definitely someone to keep an eye on…

Hey Stuart, could you tell us a bit about your background, where are you from?
im from the deep south of tasmania, i currently live at cremorne a sleepy coastal suburb,  im 26.

When did you first discover an interest in photography?
iv always loved taking photos and video, and being a surfer i naturally wanted to shoot surfing, it wasnt until i got professional rigs and water housings that i thought wow this is really fun and im actually gettin some good photos,  at the time i started all my mates were progressing into charging huge waves and not many people knew of tassie for having big waves so it was hard for them to not run the images.

What has drawn you to ocean / surf photography? Do you prefer to shoot from land or water?
i was comfortable in the ocean from a young age my dad was a surfer and he threw my bro and i in the deep as soon as we could walk,  i hate shooting from the land i cant think of anything more boring, ill swim everytime no questions asked if the conditions are right, sometimes you will get one exceptional image from a 5 hr session, and it all worth it.

What equipment do you use for your photos?
i use all canon equipment,  large range of lenses and aquatech water housings.

Do you have a favourite shot?
my fav image right now is a tiny bit of foam flowing over a sand bank in Hawaii, it was a super lucky image i rolled on the sand for about 2 hrs to get it, i call it “reach”

You must get wiped out a few times trying to get the perfect shot, have you ever damaged your gear or yourself?
iv drowned 2 cameras but touch wood i haven’t been hurt yet, you get washed around alot and go under some pretty big waves, but its pretty safe.

Digital or Film? How do you find the move to Digital Photography over the past few years?
one thing im stoked to say about my photography is that i learnt on film,  i think its taught me so much, i spent so much coin on teaching myself with slide film. i would hate to have learnt on digi cause its so easy.

Which photographers have influenced you the most?
i try to take points from anyone willing to share, and learn from people photos,  sean davey has helped me alot over the years, hes a fellow tasweigan so we shoot together from time to time.

what do you get up to when your not holding a camera?
i now sit on computers and send images over the world.

Links:
www.stugibson.net
www.thecollective.net.au