My name is Michael McNamara and I began surfing in California in the 1970’s. I was fortunate to grow up in an area that was rich with point breaks. The smooth style of the Point Break Surfing had me hooked. I loved the fluid movements of those Surfers from that period. It was my intention to Surf the way they did.
Without really knowing it, I became interested in photography while peering at the photos in surf magazines. The waves and the surfers had me wanting to surf more and experience, more directly, what I was seeing. There were details in many photos that were so interesting to me. The lure of warm water surfing in blue, tropical water, the intensity of an approaching storm and the surf it delivered in an intimidating black and white display, and all the beautiful colors of the tropics made me wonder how I could get there and live a life like that. More than anything else it was probably the people in those photos that intrigued me. They were strong, vital and stoked. Surfing was the common link between them no matter their age, location or status. Surfing was the key that unlocked the magic in all their worlds.
In my late teens, I moved to Hawaii. Hawaii had so much beauty and so much surf. I was in heaven. Surfing good Waves became the norm and during many sessions, I was equally stoked by the surf and the surroundings. The green mountains, the clear, blue water and the gorgeous Waves kept me in a state of appreciation of the beauty that surrounded me. I loved what life had become. Life was now what those images showed. My life was imitating what I had previously thought was only a dream.
Hawaii inspired me to look for more and I spent a great deal of time in my 20/30s traveling the world. I continued to seek more out of the way places and I absorbed as much of the beauty and experiences as I could. I never really thought to record any of what I saw. I just thought that I would remember the details forever. Looking back, I wish that I had a camera during those early days of travel.
At age 40, I was on a surf trip with a friend in New Zealand. He had a small camera with him. We stood looking at some good surf and I asked to take a shot of it with his camera. I took the shot and, then, we paddled out. Later, I sent the photo to a photographer friend in Hawaii. He had a friend looking through his portfolio of photos and the friend liked my shot. This friend was a magazine editor and wanted to run the photo in an upcoming issue. The editor contacted me and ran the shot in a photography edition of Stand Up Paddle Journal. I was stoked. That year, I was given a camera as a gift and have not stopped shooting since. It is my dream to recapture the subject matter that inspired me from the start. These days I photograph whatever I find interesting and beautiful in the world.
As both a surfer and a photographer, I am never quite sure which way to apply the magic. Do I paddle out and just experience it for myself, or stay on shore and capture it to share with the viewer. Many days, I do both.
***If you would like to purchase a copy of any of the photos you see on this site or from my Facebook posts, please contact me. I will be setting up my shop soon as well. The watermark will be removed from the photos upon purchase. Thank you!