Sara Guix moved to New Zealand in 2015 to connect more with water. The ocean is crucial for the mood and emotion of her photographs. For almost a decade, she has specialized in ocean photography, and in this article, we learn about her experiences creating in his favorite surf and photography spots. We also get to know Sara’s most valuable experiences and lessons learned through a visual experience in New Zealand.
I was fortunate enough to grow up in a family that loved to travel. From a very young age, my parents would take my sister and me with them to explore different parts of the world. My dad has always had a passion for photography, and I developed the same passion from him. He taught me everything he knew about photography, and he used to create yearly photo albums. Even now, he continues to create albums, although they have evolved into computer folders. I used to enjoy heading to the store to pick up the developed film, going through all the pictures, and reliving everything again. I have fond memories of our camping trips in particular and appreciated these photo albums the most.
The feeling of being able to relive a moment by simply looking at a photograph is what has driven me to pursue photography more seriously. The idea of freezing a moment in time forever, knowing that I can revisit it whenever I want, still mesmerizes me to this day. Also, I tend to be quite chaotic in my mind and struggle to organize my thoughts so when it comes to explaining a story or situation, I am not able to get my point or emotion across. However, with photography and film, I find that I can truly express how a place or situation makes me feel. My photography style often changes with my mood, allowing me to capture different perspectives and emotions in my work.
The ocean is a key aspect of the mood and emotion in my photographs. I am from Spain and moved to New Zealand in 2015; I’ve always been around water. Initially, the idea was to buy a van and discover the country on the road for a year (working in between wherever I could) and decide what to do after that. And so I did that together with my partner. I fell in love with a coastal town on the West coast of the North Island and eight years later I’m still here.
What inspired me to move was probably its vast and remote landscapes. I had never met anyone who had been to NZ before I moved and I think that was also something that attracted me. It’s literally on the other side of the world from Spain! Up to this day, I am still mesmerized by its beauty. I can say that I get to feel blessed daily by experiencing it.
I have a few favorite spots all over the country, but even though the South Island is known for its amazing scenery, I really love the North Island. I feel that it holds more history. Along the way, in the lands I visited or photographed, I’ve been lucky enough to meet a few locals who welcomed me and explained about their whānau and whakapapa (family, the collective of people connected through a common ancestor) and the history of their whenua (land). Some of the areas in New Zealand I particularly enjoy are Aotea/Great Barrier Island, South Taranaki, Northland, East Cape, Wairarapa, and Kaikoura.
In the latter location, I took one of my favorite images. It was our first time visiting the South Island, Kaikoura.
I fell in love with this place where the ocean seems to meet the snowed mountains. I did mention it was one of my favorite places in NZ and this is one of the reasons why. It also helps that there are sperm whales very close by who live permanently in the area as the ground goes from shallow to very deep quite fast. That day we woke up frozen in our van, it was winter and we went to check the surf quite early in the morning. After that, I got my camera and just snapped the guy who was about to paddle out. Not much thinking went into it, but for some reason, it’s the only picture taken by myself that I printed and have at home!
Another two that I love are images from the Blood Moon and Taranaki. They transmit a lot to me when I look at them, provoking emotion. These two places are kept close to my heart!
However, I feel attracted by a variety of landscapes and places and have several images that evoke beautiful feelings or memories. In this sense, empty roads and remote ocean landscapes greatly attract me. I try to pursue them all the time. When I started surfing I remember being more mesmerized by the landscapes I’d discover and the beauty of the ever-changing ocean, than by the waves I had to ride. It still happens to me sometimes. I always struggle between getting my water camera or my board when I head to the surf so almost always I have both in my car. Just in case! Even if it’s just to take a quick snap of the waves from the outside with my phone.
The ocean, and its surroundings, have a continuous impact on my work, regardless of whether I carry my camera. One particularly remarkable experience occurred while I was surfing at a magical spot. Suddenly, I saw a white object emerge from the water and strike it hard, repeating this action 4 or 5 times. It took me a few seconds to realize that it was a humpback whale’s pectoral fin. The humpback then emerged and sank completely. It was as if she had surfaced to greet me. I was in shock on my board, and I almost cried with happiness. The experience was intense and beautiful.
Surfing has definitely played a significant role in deepening my love for the ocean and enabling me to experience it in its diverse states. One aspect of surfing that I greatly value is the hidden gems that it has led me to discover. In New Zealand, for instance, I have had the opportunity to capture photos or ride waves in some of the most pristine locations with flawless surf breaks. However, I have also experienced the complete opposite of perfection. I suppose that one can never fully predict the outcome. By photographing female surfers and the ocean, I have been fortunate enough to land some incredible projects through word-of-mouth, which I will always cherish.
Another special project I did four years ago was following a family of five around South America, from Argentina to Mexico. Jessie Casson, a photographer based in New Zealand had traveled around South America and photographed and interviewed teenagers at the time who were asked about their points of view on their country’s politics as well as their hopes and dreams. 15 years later she wanted to go back with her husband and now three kids and try to find these people who were now in their 30s. We spent almost three months on the road, crossed all countries, and ended up finding 13 of them. It was an incredible experience that I’ll never forget.
Even though it was me and Jessie filming only (well, she was smart enough to give GoPros to the kids to get their POV too!) I learned a lot about multitasking. Sometimes I had to film, do sound, translate, and do focus pulling while staying vigilant with all the gear. Also as in any documentary, things can happen anytime anywhere and you don’t want to miss that so being one step ahead all the time was something that I learned and gained a big skill that I use up to this day!
Some other valuable lessons that I have learned along the way would be:
A very cliché one (I know) would be being true to myself. This applies to personal and professional situations of course. But professionally, and particularly acknowledging the impact that social media can have on someone’s work, I think it’s important to stick to one’s true point of view. I completely understand brands and influencers wanting to go viral, it makes sense. But in this case, I am talking about artists. New algorithms can trick you into forcing yourself to be a creative machine to be on top. But I think that this goes against my natural way of creation. I love social media and it has given me a lot when it comes to jobs and meeting great artists. It continues to do so up to this day! On the other hand, I see so much “ephemeral” content only being created to go viral and to me I think it won’t fill you in any way. I am forever nostalgic for the older ways.
Every person is unique and every point of view matters. Being present and listening to the people you are surrounded by. Paying attention to their thoughts and ideas even if you disagree with them, you’ll learn something.
Everyone has a creative side and it’s worth exploring! When it comes to art, if that is also your career, I’ve learned to stop or to say no whenever the creative side feels forced. I am well aware that this involves being privileged enough to afford being able to stop and we can’t always do that. But if you have the time/resources, it’s much better to stop for a certain amount of days than produce without an essence.
A community of creators is way more powerful than working solo.
I am willing to keep learning from experiences to come and absorbing knowledge from the people I am surrounded by and that inspire me. I particularly want to get better at water photography and explore it way more.
Two of my favorite water photographs are Sunset Manu and Myst Manu, where lighting played a crucial role in capturing the perfect shot. I like to pair them together because they were taken at the same spot on the ocean, under very similar conditions, only a few months apart, and during opposite times of the day. To be honest, I don’t plan my photography too much, especially when it comes to capturing the constantly changing light on the ocean’s surface. However, I do make sure to know where the sun will set and rise throughout the year, as well as checking the surf and wind forecasts in advance. For these particular shots, I was looking for glassy moments with zero wind. I knew that the wind would start appearing around 8 am and disappear around 6 pm each day. The misty photo was taken during sunrise, while the sunny one was taken during sunset. I am based in a coastal town in New Zealand, and during autumn, it’s common to wake up to a massive white cloud crossing the hills and dying in the ocean. I love when this happens, and this is another image where the cloud disappears as soon as the sun rises.
Another sunset in the water is the photo you see below. That day I was surfing when the wind stopped and the sun was about to set. I ran to the car to get the camera and jumped in again. Conditions were very calm and the sky cleared at the last minute. Weather changes so fast in this country that you always need to be prepared! I feel for those cinematographers and editors who have to plan an outdoor filming day and need continuity. But this tends to happen quite a lot, after a cloudy day you almost expect no sunset, and just right before the clouds seem to slightly lift over the horizon to let the sunshine for the last 20 minutes of the day. This was captured on one of those lucky days.
This image was taken with a SonyALpha 7sII and a Full Frame E-Mount FE 85mm F1.4 G Master Lens. For these macro shots, I try to always be as open as possible to prioritize the focus on my target and blur the background as much as I can. In the edit, I did the following:
1) Emphasized the blues of the ocean on the mid-tones and shadows
2) Emphasized the magentas and oranges of the sky by selecting the individual tones and highlights and pushing them slightly.
3) Exposed the overall image at least 2 points
4) I can’t remember exactly if I did it on this one but I sometimes also raise the texture by 2 or 3 points.
When I first started photography I started mostly with film photography and never edited. It came over time and I have gone through many phases after that! Editing is something that I learned on my own only when I want to do something but for example, masking is something I learned maybe 2 years ago.
What a good seascape photo is, is also very subjective, so I try to follow my instincts. In my opinion, what moves me is when all the elements in the picture align. Light, texture, and composition. I feel that the ocean has different “moods” in fact my very first exhibition was called “Ocean Moods” as that’s the best way I found I could express what it transmits to me. I personally feel that anyone capable of showing in their photography that moment’s mood, is already great.
If there is a subject on the scene such as a surfer or maybe wildlife, I feel that it needs to go along with the scene as if it merged with it. I like to imagine that there is a set director behind it who carefully designed the elements and the set to go along with that subject. It cannot just appear there. But again, the ideal or perfect picture hardly happens and we have to adjust our vision sometimes.
My greatest aspiration is to continue capturing stunning seascapes and landscapes through my photography and film projects. I envision myself pursuing this passion for many more years to come, even until my last breath. I hope to travel to new places, while being surrounded by loved ones, and constantly inspired by my surroundings. Hoping that I’m still fortunate enough to get called to film and photograph unique adventures. Although I will soon be relocating to Portugal, New Zealand will forever hold a special place in my heart, and I plan on returning there periodically to stay for a few months at a time. This place means too much to me to ever fully let go. I wish for everyone to find a special place like this, whether it’s near their home or far away, where they can keep returning because of its unique significance to them.
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