P | P5 | AS 5 Photography is simple | Part 3 Presentation

Wadandi Moorditj Yorga

Saltwater Strong Women

My aim in this project is to present women in surfing.

Surfing is a male dominant sport, and being a women in such a masculine environment is hard. However, it is the feminine aspect of surfing which represent the source and spirit of what surfing is all about.

Since 2020, I have been living in the raw and rugged coastline of Western Australia, in a world class surfing region called Margaret River. Wadandi Boodja, is the aboriginal name to this land, Wadandi meaning Saltwater people and Boodja meaning country (land).

Surfing is a tough sport physically and mentally, moreover, surfing in Western Australia in particular is even more challenging. The conditions will test one’s mental and physical abilities. The waves are not as perfect and pretty as other exotic surf destinations, the ocean is rough, and many times it is cold, raining, stormy and very windy.

Moorditj Yorga meaning strong women in Noongar language (Noongar is the larger Aboriginal group of South West Australia, made of 14 language groups, one of them being Wadandi).

The women whom share and play in the ocean around Wadanadi Boodja (Margaret River) inspire me, as they are strong, capable and committed, however they are also soft, humble and beautiful inside and out.

Women in surfing excite me, as their grace, joy and support for each other and other beings in the ocean is phenomenon. Surfing is a spiritual act; it is an act of meditation, mindfulness, dance and being at one with the ocean. Many times male and masculine energy in the surf can put these core essence aside and put competition aggression and violence in the forefront.

My aim in this project was to show how beautiful graceful and inspiring these women are, not only because they surf, but also as some are business owners, some surf photographers, some are single mothers or breastfeeding and already back surfing, some are forever travellers and some have a stable home, some are entrepreneurs and some work 9-5.

At the end, we all share the space and play together as saltwater women, we all share what we call 'the froth'.

The more I researched about women in surfing. the more I came to know about how hard it was for women pioneers to develop women’s presence in the sport. From being physically abused in the water, to getting paid less as a professional surfer, or surfing bad waves in competitions (in compare to the male surfers in the industry). My revelations from researching about the past, made me realise how important this project I am doing for the present and future. My aim is to inspire women to go to the ocean, and to find a soul level connection to this playground which makes us all heart-full.

With each women I invited to be photographed, we created ‘her world’, I asked each to chose where they want to be photographed and to bring a board they cherish, as well as an open invitation to bring anything else which will represent who they are or their story.

We met at the location and I asked them to think about what the ocean makes them feel, and together we found a way to showcase their story through the images we made. 

At the end of the day, photography is simple, we capture a moment in time, and we tell a visual story. This project was a joy to create. Picking a topic which is so dear to my heart, and represent who I am, what I do and my own personal voice.

Alys

Alys is a wonderful and intuitive yoga teacher based in Margaret River, she holds space in such a sensitive, sweet and unique way. Her smile and energy are divine, and being in the water with her is pure joy.

After surfing for so many years, just under a year ago, she had a surf accident, and to see how she recovers mentally and physically with such grace is inspiring.

Summer

Summer has the biggest smile in the water, her calmness in the ocean feels like she is so comfortable and relaxed and her presence feels like a ray of sunshine. She is always up for an adventure and to explore, whether it is within herself or out in the world. seeing her in the water always brings a massive smile to my face.

Anna

Anna is one of my most committed surf friends, we surf almost every sunrise together, and even in times when we can't find a wave, she will be the one saying 'let's just get wet' when I'm about to give up and drive home (which is rare!).

Anna is so committed, she surfs almost every sunrise before work and then play net ball after work, recently she also picked up dancing, she will only miss a surf if the weather is bad or her body needs to rest from all these activities. I don't understand where she drives her energies from, but I adore that about her.

When I asked her where she want to be photographed she answered without a doubt 'Anna's Honey Hole' which is where her partner Chris proposed to her (in the water of course).

I wanted Anna to be bathing in honey, and the light on that sunset defiantly gave us some golden lights. It really showed me how good light can really set photos on fire (in a good way).

Brownie

Brownie is an amazing human and such a committed surfer, I haven't seen many surfers her age, whom started to surf in their adult life, commit and go to the ocean so much.

When I come to one of my favourite waves, often Brownie will be there.

Only recently I came to know she has 3 kids, When I saw her and her kids surfing together it made my heart burst. When I was photographing her, we came to realise her connection to the ocean is her kids. The love heart made from wax on her board was made by her daughter - which is a young professional surfer.

Freya

Freya is another surf committed friend of mine, we share a secret spot together, and it is pure bliss to be in the water just us and dolphins and whales. Freya owns and runs her own vintage business and everything about her is always in style, even before/ after a surf, when I will only wear simple clothing which I don't mind to have salt on, she will be wearing the coolest outfit.

Not only a full time business owner, Freya and her partner Josh have a farm in the bush, where they look after over 30 chickens, ducks and recently also sheep.

Freya and I have so many party waves, especially if it is an A-frame, she will go right and I will go left.

She is a ray of sunshine and we share so many laughs.

Maria (Jesu) & Luna

Maria is another yoga teacher in the region, as well as a very knowledgeable physiotherapist, and a stoked surfer. She is such an inspiration for me, as she had her beautiful baby Luna, just 6 moths ago, and she was back in the water in a heartbeat.

Maria always has such a beautiful smile on her face, and her powerful yet calm and joyful energy makes me rest in her presence and be so happy.

Luna is another miracle, and she is such an ocean baby, at 6 moths she had so much fun exploring the beach and even eating sand. She is a very special baby with such a deep connection to the ocean, which she inherited from her parents.

Lauren R

Lauren is probably one of the sweetest, most humble and funny humans I know. I met Lauren in the Mentawai Islands in Indonesia through mutual friends recently, and within no time we were on a wave together.

Lauren will never say no to on opportunity to jump in the ocean, and her humbleness (even though she's such a skilled surfer) and her contentment is a source of inspiration for me.

Initially I loved the photo of her being very calm and relaxed and I can see the calmness and connection to the ocean she has in her eyes, however, her beautiful laugh is such an iconic thing about her and I couldn't resist choosing this image instead.

Lauren T

Lauren is not only ex competitive surfer, she is also a very skilled photographer in and out of the water. She is so comfortable in such ragged conditions, and she shoots in-water in pretty hectic waves. She started surfing when women weren't welcome in the surf, and she still, to this day, do her runs to the beach for a surf before work at her beautiful photography studio in town.

When I started this project Lauren and I spoke about women in surfing, and I asked her about older women surfer based in the region (age 60+), and we both realised we couldn't really find anyone in mind. This is when Lauren shared she thinks this is because back in the day, women weren't welcome in the surf, it is only in recent years that so many women surf. This strengthen my understanding how important this project is.

Lauren is a big inspiration for me, as her underwater photography is probably my favourite, and hanging out in her presence include not only being creative but also a lot of laughs.

Malia & Atlas

Malia is not only a surfer, she's an environmental practitioner. Her love and connection to the ocean doesn't start and end with a surfboard. She owned a charter boat in Indonesia, worked on marine projects all over the world, and on top of that, she's a single mother to Atlas, the cutest water toddler. Hanging out with Malia and Atlas is such joy, cuddles and laughs are guaranteed and I know I can feel as comfortable as one can be to be 100% myself.

I loved photographing Malia and Atlas, they are such fun together and I could see how much fun they have on a daily basis, enjoying their connection with each other and in their beautiful home in the bush, overlooking the river and so close to the ocean.

Malia also collected to many surf related items from around the world, making her home the ultimate beach shack, and showcasing the original vibe of Margaret River Region.

Violeta

I only came to know Violeta more closely recently, we kept seeing each other in different occasions and through mutual friends, as well as my yoga classes. It wasn't until I was hanging out in a surf cafe to work on another exercise for this course (5.2 Homage) when I took a photo of her and she set next to me asking about my photography, that we had a very long chat. I was already planning this project, so I asked her if she surf, and I came to know she is a very fierce body border who loves big heavy waves.

When we scheduled to meet and shoot at sunset, we both saw the waves were good, and I could see the spark in her eyes, which every soul surfer will have - when you didn't plan a surf and see the surf is pumping. The light was so pretty we didn't need to be long, and while we were half way to her favourite spot, and she continues to the beach, I went just on the other side of the bay and had a surf in one of the spots I like. We shared the water, on both sides of the bay, and a magnificent sunset which will stay in our memory.