HER WAVE: AN ODE TO FEARLESS FEMALE SURFERS
Growing up on the popular surf beaches of the Mornington Peninsula, Caitlin Miers was naturally drawn to the ocean. It was only a matter of time before she fell in love with surfing, finding beauty and poetry in riding the swell. After graduating with a degree in Photography from RMIT, Cait merged both her passions, quickly becoming one of the world’s top leading women’s surf photographers at just 24 years old. She has recently published ‘Her Wave’, an ode to fearless female surfers all over the world, captured through her empowering lens. We took some time out to ask Cait about her passions and her inspiration :
What has your personal journey been in water sports/surf/outdoor sports?
I grew up swimming, it was my favourite sport as a kid ! I also grew up surfing too, dad taught me from a young age and all our family holidays were to the coast.
What inspired Her Wave?
My passion for women’s surfing and sharing it in such a elegant light. I also want to inspire young women to be themselves and show them that they can do anything they put their mind to, even in male-driven sports! I have always dreamt of shooting for the biggest surf brand in the world and I got there, so if I can do it, anyone can.
How do you select the subjects of your photos?
Selecting the shots was so hard ! I had so many great images from my shoots with Roxy so I guess I just narrowed it down to the shots I thought were the best and conveyed the most depth and emotion.
What message do you hope to convey through your book?
I really want it to inspire people, and show them the beauty of the ocean. I think women in the surf industry play a key role in being positive role models for young girls so I think Her Wave is a great book to reflect that. It’s a toast to being feminine, elegant, fierce and courageous. It’s a celebration of strong, inspiring females doing their thing. It’s the type of book you don’t need many words to describe, and it’s the type of book that any woman of today can relate too, whether they surf or not
How do you feel that ocean and femininity are linked?
They’re intertwined in more ways than people think ! Surfing is naturally a beautiful sport to watch, so when women surf, they glide and they dance and I think the two just go hand in hand!
How does photography alter the way you look/think about femininity?
I think it just enables me to express my views and feelings and I think also being a woman capturing other women doing their thing in the ocean, it gets portrayed differently to when a guy would shoot it. There’s a special female bond there and I think it comes across in photos.
Do you have any special anecdotes from your travels you want to share?
I’ve have a lot of precious memories and amazing times traveling and shooting! Especially with the Roxy crew, always so much fun and no one takes anything seriously. My best shoots have been with these girls for sure !
“I want to inspire women. That’s my main goal. To be brave, to chase their dreams, to live life to the full. It’s not just about photography, but the stories behind the image, the tougher moments, the travel, the lifestyle. I want my images to make you feel something, anything.”
*all images courtesy of Cait Miers
http://www.caitmiers.com/
