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luke
It is a creative challenge coming up with new ideas for water ski photos. Departing from the standard buoy shots is my goal, but there are rigid limitations in our sport that can make it difficult. My idea for this shot came from the pages of a surf magazine — images of surfers being dwarfed by huge overhead waves. With this in mind, I set out in search of a location that would offer a similar setting. However, the perfect spot found me instead. Crossing a small bridge on our way to shoot the 2010 Radar brochure in Clermont, Florida, I noticed this small outcrop of cypress trees in the water that looked to be perfect. Early the next morning, we set out to get a closer look at the set-up. After swimming the area, we realized there was only a few inches of water in places, as the Cypress roots were nearly breaking the water’s surface at the entrance to the collection of trees. After a few high-speed whip-in attempts, Doster , as usual, captured the perfect shot. — Trent Finalyson
I thought Trent’s idea was a good one — I just had to come up with the right angle to make it a great one. So I put my 14-mm super-wide lens on the camera and became one with the gators. The toughest part about this shot was trying to get close enough to Trent and not get the camera wet. I had no water housing that would fit my newest lens. After a few good rips through the trees, I told Trent to really lay one down and drag his hand to give kind of a surf carve feel. Thanks to Trent and Sully at Radar Skis for always having an open mind. One of my all-time favorite shots. — Bill Doster
Photo: Bill Doster
