Waves Through Cinematic Eyes

Photographs by Isaac Chadwhick

On the North Island of New Zealand, photographer Isaac Chadwick is documenting the next generation of surfers through the eyes of cinema. Inspired by the films he grew up watching, Isaac began creating his own visuals at an early age. “I was always fascinated with trying to make my own short films with stop motion using our computer’s webcam,” Isaac says, reliving his childhood memories. “At some point, I transitioned into still photography and was constantly taking photos of the sunsets we used to get out in the Hunua Ranges. However, it wasn't until we moved down to Tauranga that I got my own proper DSLR camera and began dabbling in surf photography.”

Further developing his eye, Isaac began approaching surf photography from the viewpoint of legendary cinematographers such as Denis Villeneuve and Roger Deakins. “I've always been heavily influenced by moody film imagery,” he explains, “I like to create very cinematic surf shots.”

Isaac’s main subjects are the up and coming surfers from the area, all with specific talents and strengths: There is Jacob Saunders, a young local with an old school approach to power surfing; Luke Griffin, who has the best rail and air game on the water; and Kehu Butler, who won the Australian junior circuit last year and is full time on the Qualifying Series. “All of them inspire me with how much time they're willing to put into the water to better their game,” Isaac comments on his fellow surfers and friends, “They'll all easily smash out a solid 3-4 hour session and will be frothing to get back out after a quick snooze.”

You can see more of Isaac’s work on his Instagram, @illinios_chaddy