Making waves: Photographer braves the Durban surf

AN AVID surfer is making waves with his stunning shots of seascapes in the Indian Ocean

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A jet ski tries to out run a massive crashing wave in Durban, South Africa

Taken off the coast of Durban, South Africa the pictures, shot by Marck Botha, show the power and colour of waves rising and crashing.

A wave breaks at sunrise, with a view of the beachfront buildings in Durban’s city

When taking these shots, Marck has to think carefully about what beach to choose and what waves to surf and capture for the day - with the main factor being the weather.

The coastline of Durban's Umhlanga resort from inside the barrel of a wave as captured by photographer Marck Botha

Marck, 29, said: “There are number of factors to consider; swell, wind, tide and cloud cover, forecasting tools have remarkably improved over the years, and can normally see a couple days before when everything is going to line up together for something special.”

Due to the precision of Marck’s photography, some of the waves look as though they were sculpted by glass

A beach is chosen depending on the swell and wind directions. along with the current tide.

Marck said: “If it looks like there is potential for everything to line up, I like to be in the water just before the sun starts to rise in order to capture all the beautiful colours of the early morning.

Botha for more than 20 years uses his experience to get in the best positions

"The timing of pulling the trigger to take the shoot happens rather spontaneously. When I am in the water I am always pre-empting what is going to happen.

Marck chooses the beach depending on the swell and wind directions along with the current tide

“I try capture the moment when the ocean is displaying its most power and beauty, which is normally as the wave begins to curl or break. At the point of taking the picture I am more conscious of my position in relation to the wave, and the angle of my camera. Once I feel I am perfectly lined up for the desired shot, the firing of the trigger happens instinctively.

The combination of the surf's beauty, being immersed in nature and the raw power of the ocean keep bringing Botha back

"Photographing with a fish eye lense means I have to be extremely close to the action I wish to capture, often swimming or fighting against the rip up until the point I take the photograph.”

Botha advises that the best time to take photos is early in the morning when the lighting and colours are best

The surfer and photographer took the images with the help of his brother, Andre Botha and sister-in-law, Trish Waters between April and May 2016, and has always had a passion for the ocean.

He said: “My favourite part of taking pictures of waves is being able to experience the beauty of the ocean, and the bonus is being able to share this experience with the world.

Marck encounters a few difficulties such as staying in position during big waves and strong currents

“Photographing waves is a completely different experience to surfing waves. I found the brain is able to process more information and slow the moment down when you are photographing waves as opposed to surfing them.

The 29-year-old captures the colours and formations of the waves as they rise and fall from above and below the surface

"While surfing you are travelling at such a high speed along the wave it is difficult to truly absorb all the beauty, when you are photographing waves you are stationary, and focusing on one section of the wave."

Due to the precision of Marck’s photography, some of the waves look as though they were sculpted by glass.

He said: “My favourite part of taking pictures of waves is being able to experience the beauty of the ocean"

Marck said: “I love capturing light as it bends through the water when photographing waves. Each wave and session is truly unique, as the angle of water and light will always be different.”

To take a look at more of Marck’s work follow him on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marckbothaphoto/