Outdoor Photography How To

Luke Shadbolt is a photographer who specializes in action sports, lifestyle and fashion. But his real passion is water photography, as you can see from these amazing images from a series he calls “Maelstrom.”

Based in Australia, Shadbolt grew up around the ocean, and early on he was interested in shooting images that tell the story of our majestic seas. He quickly became comfortable on the ocean as a surfer, and his images display an adventurous spirit on a grand scale.

Shadbolt worked as a graphic designer and creative director for some of Australia’s largest surf brands before turning his full attention to a career in photography.

 

A photo posted by Luke Shadbolt (@lukeshadbolt) on Sep 19, 2015 at 2:57am PDT

Since then Shadbolt has received numerous awards, including the 2014 Nikon/Surfing Australia Surf Photo of the Year, and the Bodyboarding Photographer of the Year by Le Boogie Bodyboarding Magazine the same year.

 

A photo posted by Luke Shadbolt (@lukeshadbolt) on Aug 6, 2015 at 7:27am PDT

Perhaps to maintain a sense of mystery, Shadbolt won’t reveal the location of his Maelstrom images. But he says they were inspired by the disruptive El Nino season in 2016.

 

A photo posted by Luke Shadbolt (@lukeshadbolt) on Apr 6, 2015 at 2:13am PDT

He explains that, “Maelstrom documents the duality of nature; creation and destruction in a single act. It is an exploration of the balance of light and dark inherent in nature, both on a physical and sociological level.”

 

A photo posted by Luke Shadbolt (@lukeshadbolt) on Nov 28, 2014 at 2:26am PST

You can see more of Shadbolt’s great work on his website and Instagram page.

Via MyModernMet