Perth photographer Chris Gurney links his work inextricably to the ocean and surf culture. “I like looking at the whole picture; focusing not just on the surfing, but the people, the places, and how they interact,” he says.
Gurney first took an interest in photography in high school when an injury prevented the keen 15-year-old surfer from going out on the waves. Instead of surfing, Gurney took photos from the beach. “After a while,” he says, “my interest in photography overtook my interest in surfing.”
Editorial contributions to surfing magazines kicked off Gurney’s professional career, and gradually he built up a client base until he was able to turn pro in 2014. Gurney explains his interests go beyond capturing the surfing. “On many surf trips, the actual surfing takes up a small part of the overall experience, so I try to keep an eye on everything that happens,” he says.
Gurney has a Bachelor of Arts, from Curtin University, with majors in photography and journalism. Most of his technical training, he says, has been through trial and error as a freelancer in the field.
Human beings juxtaposed against the vastness of nature is one of Gurney’s favourite themes. “Time and time again my favourite images fit into this spectrum – in my own work, and work I look to for inspiration,” he says.
Outside surfing and the ocean, Gurney would like to shoot more portraiture and work with different mediums. “Right now, I’m focused on pushing myself to work outside of the surf action realm,” he says. With that in mind, Gurney has been photographing some of the local characters of the Western Australian surf community with the goal of exhibiting this work in 2017.
Gurney believes he will continue to be drawn to working around the ocean and surfing, but he is also keen to explore other photographic work. “I’d like to push myself to experiment with new aspects of photography,” he says. “I’d also love to move to a bigger city one day and be immersed in a larger artistic culture.”
www.chrisgurney.com.au
