Sailor. Surfer. Son of Breton.
Romuald is a long-time brand ambassador for Naish, and his work regularly features in surfline.com. theinertia.com, magicseaweed.com, surfsessions.com and Surfer’s Journal, for brands such as Red Bull, Vans, Hurley and Hoalen.
Romu, thanks so much your time today. I’ve been following your work for about 5 years and always wanted to ask you how it all began?
Well, I began photography around 2008 when I was based in Tahiti and sponsored by Naish. I was given a camera and I started to learn about capturing this world that I loved.
Why didn’t you just stay in the water and progress your careers as a professional sportsman with Naish – what was the drive to use the camera more?
That’s easy…. I discovered that after being in the surf for my sessions the camera gave me an excuse to stay at the beach. It was the camera that kept me in the water and improved my relationship with the ocean.
Then what is more important for your profession? Understanding photography, or understanding surf?
Surf! …. Understanding waves and water is the key component of the work. For some assignments I will shoot from the beach or a boat or jet ski, but my best work has been when I am in the water, as a participant in the big surf. My work is appreciated and of value because of the realism that my photos communicate on the surfers and the water and what the image then conveys through the brand or publisher. I have a style and I work within a brief to bring the absolute best I can to my client ……But you know, big shots give big rewards; however, there is risk in capturing these moments.
All surfers get ‘beatdowns’ in big surf, and I guess that positioning yourself near the impact zones of waves means that you’ve had your share of trouble in the water….
Yeah, for sure….and twice in particular at Pipeline on Hawaii’s North Shore … one time I lost my fins when I was rolled by a set of waves, and the currents there are crazy the way they can trap you in dangerous conditions. I was fortunate to be seen by lifeguards on patrol and I was picked up by a jet ski and taken to the beach to recover….. So, it happens whether you want it to or not, or whether you are physically prepared, and it happened to me even though I have a lot of experience in these situations…
Have you ever taken a picture and known that it was so good that you then just swam straight back to the beach or a boat because you were so excited to see what you captured?
Yes, once. Just one in my whole career.
And what was this?
It was a photo I took of Nathan Fletcher at Teahupo’o (Tahiti) in one of the ‘Code Red’ sessions at this incredible place. It was a photo that I feel transcends the sport of surfing. It’s an image that shows more than just the incredible moment that Nathan found to control his position on a wave that is so big and powerful. Teahupo’o is a place like no other on earth – the place is raw and untamed and yet this image finds a way to show sensitivity and emotion contrasted against the savage brutality of the wave….as soon as I took it…. I smelt that it was going to be amazing. I knew that I had to see it immediately.
For anyone who is a fan of surf it is noticeable that the number of aquatic photographers has increased. A photo of one surfer comes from 10 GoPro cameras and this impacts you…?
Yes, before I might be alone or with another in the water – and now its common that dozens are in the same place all chasing the same shot… It is a consequence of the lower entry cost of the camera equipment and the ability to self-publish online. Before I would get a call from a surfer and capturing the session would revolve around my association to them, or to the event or the brand I am working for…. Now there are fewer calls….. many surfers only have a goal to share content and create a story around their activity, but this is OK, I still have a good place in this world ….though many of my friends have chosen to move to make movies and not shoot surf.
But we all must recognise that surfing is changing too. The athleticism of professional surfers is now far superior to what it was a decade ago. Style and grace are combined with more power and speed of surf athletes – and this is true for both the men and women on the circuit … it’s the nature of how the sport and my place within it is transforming…. Cameras and content change as the surfers change.
This concept of change fits my next question perfectly because I wanted to ask you about wave pools. I know that you have been invited to shoot at Kelly Slater’s Surf Ranch…… what is your opinion on what wave pools will do for the sport?
Ahh….my opinion is contrasted….. I will explain. The first time I shot at Kelly’s I was really excited to be there and capture so many amazing surfers, but after 1 or 2 hours I cannot say that I was bored, but it just doesn’t feel the same as surf in the ocean. You know…. Always the same wave from the same take-off position.
My second time there I shot from the pool, in the water, and I have to say that this wave is incredible….. it is so fast… its speed is crazy. And after that I changed my opinion …because we must also recognise that the advancement of a surfer’s technique can be so much quicker in a wave pool because the consistency of the wave permits the scope to focus and improve. No wave in the ocean is ever the same…. Yes, wave pools will bring more to the sport. More people and more competition… and I think more experimentation of surfboards in design and performance.
I know that you are emotionally invested in my next question which is: what do Tahitians think of the decision of Teahupo’o being selected to host the surfing competition for the Paris 2024 Olympics?
Well, in general there is a feeling of pride that their wave is sought after for the Olympics, but you can say the contrast is a feeling that they will be invaded. For the people living in Teahupo’o village there is no consultation yet with authorities and some of the proposals on what they will build will be terrible. If there was the same organisation for the WSL events then there would be no problem….but with plans to build hotels and more infrastructure around the games… no, this is a disaster for the locals.
And what are your plans for the next months? Where are you travelling to?
Ahh… it depends on the swell…. I am waiting for the weather for the Pe’ahi events, for Jaws in Hawaii…. And then perhaps if the weather works then also, I will be at Waimea Bay for the Eddie Aikau, which in my opinion is the event which means the most in big wave surfing. Then in July I will go to Jeffreys Bay (South Africa) for the WSL event, so it is like I am back on the tour again.
Romu, thanks so much for your time today – for me it’s been an immense pleasure to speak to you as I really enjoy your work and your story of connection to the ocean.
Hey, no problem, just stay connected and keep supporting the work you see….
@romualdpliquet
https://www.instagram.com/romuald.pliquet/
