In Episode 21 of "Speaking From Water," host Sean Ruttkay sits down with Tasmanian surf photographer, Mathew Tildesley. From his beginnings as a young bodyboarder riding intense slabs, Tildesley shares his journey to becoming a renowned water photographer. After years of pursuing what he deemed a "dead end" in capturing surfers on waves, he shifted his lens to photographing empty waves. But then, a revelation struck - he had to invent a lightbulb. And so he did. Over three years, he meticulously designed an underwater remote-controlled light strobe. The final product was revolutionary. Alongside his photo assistant, Tildesley would venture into the Tasmanian sea at night. They'd anchor near a remote rock slab, and swim out to face a ten-foot crashing wave, positioning themselves on opposite sides of it. As the wave surged and Tildesley clicked the shutter, the strobe would burst into life, revealing a luminous barrel of the wave. The resulting images are unparalleled in their beauty. Dive into this episode to discover more about this fascinating journey.
