[J-BAY OPEN 2014] 15 MEMORIES MADE IN JEFFREY'S BAY

POSTED ON 21 JULY 2014 BY CLAIRE BUTLER

Believe it or not, I don't follow the World Tour to watch or shoot surf contests. I go for the moments in between the competition surfing; the moments that aren't often shown on the webcast or in the galleries on surf media. This past week in Jeffrey's Bay during the J-Bay Open 2014 was a trip filled with many such moments. When I look back on the week, I won't be thinking about Mick Fanning having won the title or the mass crowds on the beach; instead, I'll be remembering the insanely beautiful sunrises that greeted us on all four consecutive lay days; the lone longboarder who enjoyed a small dawn-lit surf in an empty supertubes line-up; the anticipation of standing in the dark waiting for first light to see what the day would offer; waves booming down the point in perfect synchronicity against the backdrop of sunlit wind turbines on the horizon; hundreds of dolphins surfing 6-8ft sets at Supertubes as current world number 1 Gabriel Medina paddled out; and the endless sunrise boosts performed by Kolohe Andino every single morning no matter how big or small the surf. Here are 15 of my personal highlights from the past week. Thanks for the memories J-Bay. Until next time...

P.S. Check out my instagram feed for more pics from the week (@clairebutlerphoto)

PURCHASE ANY OF THESE IMAGES IN DIGITAL OR PRINT FORMAT. CONTACT ME FOR MORE INFORMATION. 

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © CLAIRE BUTLER.

[J-BAY OPEN 2014] GOING FOR GOLD - FREESURF SESSION

POSTED ON 13 JULY 2014 BY CLAIRE BUTLER

Woke up this morning in Jeffreys Bay to a layday for the 2014 J-Bay Open; the pros weren't put off by the smaller conditions - Kolohe Andino, Joel Parkinson and friends went to work in a sunrise that only J-Bay can turn on. Jeffreys Bay really is a surf photographers dream, and I'm looking forward to an inspiring 10 days here and catching the guys in action during the remainder of the J-Bay Open. Here are 8 of my favourite shots from this mornings freesurf at Supertubes.

PURCHASE ANY OF THESE IMAGES IN DIGITAL OR PRINT FORMAT. CONTACT ME FOR MORE INFORMATION. 

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © CLAIRE BUTLER.

#ADVENTURESUNDAY: THE CONCEPT

POSTED ON 6 JULY 2014 BY CLAIRE BUTLER

Today I'm kicking off a new weekly feature on my blog called #AdventureSunday. Find out more about the concept below.

As a kid, I hated Sunday. It was the day I was dragged along to family lunches, only to get home to the fate of an early night in preparation for school on Monday. As I got older, Sundays reputation only seemed to worsen. School was replaced with varsity, and then work, and Sunday maintained its purpose of being nothing more than that day at the end of the week where I was forced to prep for a long week ahead. As a result, I usually ended up doing sweet bugger all on a Sunday, with the exception of a morning surf, followed by home chilling, series watching, and a slow descent towards full blown pre-Monday Blues.

That all changed when I started taking photographs. A second spent indoors became a wasted opportunity. My desire to explore and document every inch of my beautiful city became greater than the threat of an unprepared Monday. And so, Adventure Sunday was born.

#AdventureSunday is a challenge to my fiance, Nick and I, to do something adventurous every single Sunday. It's not a showcase of professional photographs, but more a personal account of the adventures and experiences behind taking my shots. The past month has seen us chasing surf through the Boland, exploring the Atlantic Seabord on a SUP, and most recently, searching for snow along the R46. I'll be doing a few retrospective posts on these adventures.

Check back every Sunday evening to see what we got up to, view a map of our route, and read our thoughts and recommendations from our experience. Follow our Sunday adventures on Instagram (@clairebutlerphoto) or take part in your own adventure and share your images on the hashtag #adventuresunday_CT.

Yours in adventuring, because life's too short not to.

Claire

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © CLAIRE BUTLER.