Surfing Print 8x10 Testing The Water Wall Hampton

Time-Less-Image is proud to offer our collection of Christmas cards, Note cards and Prints. This piece, "Testing The Water, was taken during 2007 in Hampton, New Hampshire, at the Eastern Surfing Association's Northeast Surfing Championship. The image began as a photograph and was enhanced digitally, using Corel Painter, the world's leading natural media painting application and Photoshop. This image was designed with digital tools to replicate the appearance and texture of pen, ink and watercolor.

When a wave reaches the shallow shoreline of an ocean or other large body of water, the upper portion of the wave pitches forward and the wave begins to break—a motion often indicated by crests of foam called whitecaps. The size and forward motion of the wave subsequently diminish. The basic idea behind surfing is to ride the unbroken portion of a wave for as great a distance as possible, using a variety of maneuvers to speed up, slow down, and maneuver around the breaking portion of the wave. Proficient surfers continue to ride until the entire wave has broken and become whitewater.

The process I employ in the computer darkroom does not involve heavy plates, long exposure times, nor toxic chemicals. However, as with the early pioneers, the final image is a function of light, tone and composition. Relieved of the dangers associated with the original process, I can only hope to some day master a technique that "mirrors the truth". At Time Less Image we continue to seek exquisite beauty in our images, exploring all techniques, old and new.