Jury 2010
Peter Taras
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY, SURFING MAGAZINE (USA)
Once upon a time, or just in a moment of need, pizza - for some people - was worth more than a camera. "I was going to college and working. I was delivering pizzas and babysitting all the local kids around my town in San Clemente. One day, a local news photographer said he would trade me an old camera if I delivered him a couple of pizzas. The camera sat in the back of my car for two months untouched before I picked it up. Once I ran a roll of film through it, I was hooked. It was the perfect escape for me. I just kinda fell into photography by accident I guess."
Peter Taras rise to director of photography at Surfing Magazine is no accident of good fortune however. Much respected in his field, or on the beach rather, he’s just happy to be doing something he’s passionate about.
"Just getting to where I am in my life is a great feeling. I don’t really have any career accomplishments other than being where I am right now which I feel very fortunate about." For Peter, it’s all about keeping standards high. "As long as the magazine I work for is putting out the best material it can, I feel accomplished. I live through the execution of my photographers and their imagery. As long as that continues, and remains at a high level, then things are good."
Before joining Surfing Magazine two years ago, he was the photo editor for Transworld Surf for seven years – and he also reached the finals of the Telus festival. A typical day in California includes "blackberry emails on the way to work, phone-calls till about noon, cold tecates in the afternoon and picking photos until late at night."
Considering that he is wary of his magazines publishing generic photos of surfing, even if generic could still make good copy in most magazines, what makes a great shot then? "You know, I don’t know anymore. Everyone is shooting such amazing photos these days, it’s hard to figure out what is great from brilliant. I mean yeah, of course, composition, light, feeling, mood and dynamic are all signs of a great photo."
"Photographs shot on film also have a unique personality to it, so I like seeing film shots these days. A darkroom, processing pictures, a huge 20 inch black and white print, burning and dodging with my favorite music blaring from the speakers and a signature from one of my close friends on the bottom makes a great photo for me. A brilliant photo is something very personal, like a gift. As long as its personal and heart-felt, that's where the brilliance lies."
This is not to say that Pete is a nepotistic photo-editor, godfather-like with his own surf-mafia clique. He just respects stunning shots from photographers he’s been fortunate to work with over the years.
Indeed, he’s well aware that there’s a new generation of surfers already shaking things up who are challenging photographers in new ways. "I like a lot of the up and coming kids like Kolohe Andino, Andrew Dohney and the whole under-21 crew. I’m pysched about all the young guys right now. People are still pushing the limits of photography in a way we’ve never seen before." As for his own photographic style, he’s leaning towards portraiture as a way to express his subjects.
Red Bull Illume 2010 will show just how creative the action and adventure sports photography scene is right now. For Peter, it’s all about how the variety the competition offers. "I love seeing all the other sports and the photographer’s approach to their craft."
