Slowing It Down

By Will Holder — 04/16/2015

Amidst the rapidly-growing world of surf and ocean photography, there is a certain kind of camera that is re-teaching the value of slowing it down. When I came across an old film camera known as the Nikonos V just over a year ago, I had no idea how to use it, nor had I ever heard of what seemed like a miniature version of a bright orange tank. Shooting film was and still is a pretty new concept to me but I'm growing to love it.

Although some of my favorite photos in the ocean are still shot digitally by the likes of Morgan Maassen and Chris Burkard, I have a new appreciation for this reborn style of shooting film in the ocean. Thanks to Brandon Jennings' movement to share this camera, known as The Nikonos Project, more and more surf photography resembling shots taken in the 70s are popping up all over the globe. While the community of shooting with these cameras (I-V) seems small, it's undoubtedly growing. Thanks to the Instagram @Nikonos_Project, surf photography is moving forward by taking a step back into the past. Here are some of my favorite shots I've taken. Enjoy!