By Lisa Arcella
Tom Servais knows exactly where to find the best spots in the world to catch a wave—he’s been to them all! The professional photographer travels the globe to follow his passion, shooting the world of surfing for international publications. He shares his favorite destinations with On the Go and even offers some tips on how to survive your first time on a board.
Q: How did you get interested in surf photography?
A: I grew up in Florida and was really into fishing. My mom would drop me off at the pier in the morning, and I would see all these surfers there. I moved to California and did a couple of years at a junior college, mainly so I could surf, but ended up taking some photography classes. I wasn’t good enough to be a pro athlete, so I thought being a pro photographer was the next best thing.
Q: So you’ve been doing this your whole life?
A: Yes, ever since I was 24. I’m 62 now.
Q: How much time do you spend traveling for work?
A: I used to travel about nine months a year. It was non-stop. I had a girlfriend at the time who was a pro surfer, and we used to travel together. Since then I have scaled it down to six or seven months a year. I go to Hawaii every winter.
Q: What are some of your favorite places?
A: I have been to this island in Fiji called Tavarua Island. It’s one of the most famous surfing camps in the world. They have a big Fiji pro competition there every year that’s on the world tour. I have probably been there 100 times, no lie. I have spent years of my life on that island!
I love Tahiti, too. In Teahupoʻo [pronounced as Chopo] there is another big surf contest I like to shoot. I love Australia and Hawaii. I live in California, and all of the famous sites are my favorite surf destinations. There is really good surfing in Australia, but it’s also really spread out, so you have to drive around a lot to get photos.
Oh I forgot! I also love Indonesia. I went to Bali, and there is a lot of places to go on boat trips. I like to go the Mentawai Islands off the coast of Java. Jeffery’s Bay in South Africa is another place I like. There so many great destinations!
Related: Discover the South Pacific: Tahiti, Fiji, and the Cook Islands
Q: Have you been to some surprising places that people might not think of as surfing spots?
A: I went to the Aleutian Islands in Alaska once. We went camping on a remote island for a week. There are great places to surf everywhere. I used to surf in New Jersey when I was young.
Q: What makes a destination great for surfing?
A: Initially it’s the good waves. Fiji has one of the greatest waves in the world, and Tahiti has one of the most gnarly at Teahupoʻo. Hawaii is the birth place of surfing where they have the Triple Crown, and it’s the ultimate proving ground for the surfers. I also love the people in those places, too. I stay with the same family every time in Tahiti now, and they don’t even want to charge me. They’re like family.
Q: To get some of those amazing photos, do you have to be in the water, too?
A: Sometimes you are in the water and sometimes in a boat. In Hawaii there is a lot of land photography shot with long lenses. I have done water photography in the pipeline. I’m not anywhere near the best water photographer, but I have gotten some amazing shots that way.
Q: Do you take dozens of photos to get that one great shot?
A: I just came back from Maui, and I was shooting from a jet ski for two days, 10 hours a day. I probably shot 3,000 photos.
Q: Is it dangerous work?
A: It definitely can be. The guys who shoot with a wide-angle fisheye lens are in a very dangerous situation. Any place where there is more hollow waves, even if they are small, you can get bounced off the reef or a surfer can hit you with their board. The shorter your lens, the more dangerous it is because you are getting closer to the action. In reality some of the better shots come from a distance with a longer lens.
Q: Have you ever been in one of those situations?
A: One time I was in Indonesia, it was very remote. I got caught in a huge set and was under for a long time. I thought that I was going to drown. As I get older, I am still in good shape, but I don’t really test myself that way now. I want to live!
Q: Where would you say is the best place on the mainland to surf?
A: I would say California. They have a big wave spot called Mavericks in Northern California. There is a big wave contest in Oregon.
Related: Eureka! Top 10 Things to See and Do in California
Q: Where is the best place to learn to surf?
A: Places where the waves are small and soft. There are some places on the south shore of Hawaii, like Waikiki, that are good places to learn. The best place to learn is someplace warm. It’s a hard sport to learn, and somewhere you can spend a lot of time in the water without a wetsuit on is ideal.
Q: Do you ever travel to non-surfing destinations?
A: I would love to go to Madagascar. No matter where I am, if the waves aren’t any good, I will explore. In South Africa I went on safari. In Indonesia I rented a motorcycle and just drove out in the countryside and took a lot of pictures of people in the fields
Q: What do you take with you besides your camera equipment when you travel?
A: My computer obviously. If I have an unlimited budget, I will take a surf board, my stand-up paddle board, a mountain bike, and my golf clubs. I always bring all my toys with me for when I am not working.
Q: Have you ever had a run in with a shark?
A: I have seen sharks in the water. I actually saw a great white shark jump out of the water in California recently. Surfers when they are paddling look like seals to sharks when their arms and legs are paddling. It has stopped me from going in the water sometimes. You don’t go in the water where there are a lot of shark sightings or a murky river mouth because those are places where sharks accidently bite people because they just detect motion. You have to be savvy about when you should or shouldn’t be in the water.
Q: Overall it sounds like a great life.
A: It is. Paying the bills is always the hard part. I don’t want to shoot weddings or baby photo, so my strategy has been to stop spending money on expensive dinners. I value my time more than money, and I love what I do as much as ever. It fulfills my passion, and I have the free time to exercise and stay healthy.
Follow Tom on Instagram at: Tomservaisjr
All photos by Tom Servais
