Portuguese Photographer Andre Silva: Let the Good Times Roll

Praia do Norte in Nazaré, Portugal, is home to the biggest surfable waves on the planet. In 2017, Brazilian professional big-wave surfer Rodrigo Koxa became a Guinness World Record holder when he rode an 80-foot Nazaré wave, the biggest ever surfed in the world. And the waves just keep on rolling. The once small-time fishing village is now the epicenter of surf, and Portuguese UK-based sports and lifestyle photographer, Andre Silva, captures it all on camera.

THE NAZARÉ WAVES ARE INSANE – WHAT EMOTION BEST SUMS UP BEING THERE IN PERSON?

When I think of Nazaré, I think of respect. I have a lot of respect for the sea in general, but Nazaré is a beast. From up on the hill by the lighthouse looking down, you can see the waves form and the different routes you can take to avoid them. It’s easy to think, “that looks pretty mellow and reasonably safe” only to then go down to the beach and see walls of whitewater, relentlessly breaking one after the other. When you see that much water moving around, it’s a humbling experience. The waves are beautiful and menacing, consistently reaching around 16 feet or more.

HOW DID THE NAZARÉ PHOTOSHOOT HAPPEN?

I’m originally from Coimbra, a city about an hour and a half from Nazaré. I’m friends with some of the brave surfers that take on these waves, so I was able to document the whole process. They’re pretty special athletes, physically strong but also mentally prepared to face waves of that size. They have specific skills, from breath-hold training, driving jet skis in huge surf, being able to read the charts and forecasts, to the actual physical training and elite-level surfing. They also develop equipment in the process, such as heavier surfboards dedicated to tow-surfing (towed by jet skis), and floatation vests inflated by CO2 canisters that bring them back to the surface! It’s incredible.

DO YOU GET OUT ON THE WATER WHEN PHOTOGRAPHING BIG WAVE ACTION?

I don’t surf. But I have been bodyboarding since I was a kid, which has helped me understand the sea and how to go under the waves. I’m also accustomed to wearing swim fins, which are necessary to shoot surfing from the water. I have been out in big seas, mainly swimming with the camera, and sometimes on the back of jet skis too, but not in huge Nazaré days. I’ve thought about it…and made the conscious decision not to risk it. Even with jet skis you must be prepared to swim back to safety, as the skis often get rolled over by the waves. It’s carnage.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE SUBJECT MATTER TO SHOOT?

Ultimately it’s light, in its many forms. The way it affects portraits, sports, boats in rough seas, anything. Even if you’re shooting underwater, light has a huge influence on the outcome. You need a fast shutter speed to produce a well-exposed image (for action I shoot at 1/1000s or faster). The higher the ISO value the more sensitive to light it is, but also the more grain it adds to the image. Light plays such an important role in photography, and sometimes less is more. A perfectly lit image can look flat, but shadows can add a lot of drama.

WHERE IS YOUR HAPPY PLACE?

Having a nice cuppa watching the sun set over the sea somewhere on the west coast of Scotland, with my girlfriend. And if I’m lucky, with a stomach full of seafood! I recommend the Seafood Shack in Ullapool, the haddock wrap is out of this world, as are the langoustines.

MOST TERRIFYING MOMENT BEHIND THE LENS?

It’s never fun to realize you’ve been caught inside a big wave undergoing a violent underwater spin cycle, especially when you’re already out of breath and holding a heavy camera. It doesn’t usually last too long, but it can feel like an eternity, so you have to calm yourself down and try to enjoy the ride.

WHERE IS THE NEXT DESTINATION ON YOUR PHOTOGRAPHY BUCKET LIST?

I really want to go back to Lofoten in northern Norway, and the Azores in the Atlantic. I would also love to spend a few months traveling around the Pacific Ocean – Hawaii, Tahiti, Fiji, Tonga – and the Pacific Northwest; the scenery looks beautiful in that part of the world.

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