Graafikko Anna Anundin ja valokuvaaja Giovanni Astorinon Local Surfer Project tutkii ainutlaatuisia surffiyhteisöjä kuvituksen ja valokuvan keinoin. Heidän kiinnostuksensa suuntaa erityisesti valtavirran ulkopuolelle, tarkoituksena löytää monipuolisempi näkemys geneeriseen surffimaailmaan.
On last February I travelled together with my partner Anna in Senegal for three months, to work on our project called Local Surfer Project.
Idea for the project
Our plan was to explore and document the local surf scene through photography and illustration and finally publish a book with the material. Our journey started from Saint-Louis, where we were working in Waaw Artist´ Residency and got introduced to the senegalese world.
Saint-Louis is a beautiful city on the northwest coast of Senegal, very traditional and somehow we felt as we were travelling back in time. So after first days of settling the real work started. Right away I understood that taking pictures in the streets of Senegal wouldn’t be an easy task. Senegalese in general don’t like to get photographed, but others would agree for a money exchange.
Gear tips
A good suggestion is to bring a small camera. I found it very practical and easy to shoot with my cheap Canon EOS 500N camera with a fix lense Canon EF 50 mm f/1.8. In Senegal the sun is very bright and reflects from the sandy roads creating a mirroring effect, so keep the exposure times under control.
After a couple of weeks in Saint-Louis we moved to the chaotic capital of Senegal, Dakar. By chasing the local surfers and exploring the rocky coastline we collected the major of the material for our project. Dakar is an intriguing city with some historical fishermen villages along the coast where old traditions blends with new ways of life creating an interesting mix of cultures.
Travelling in Senegal
After Dakar our exploration proceeded towards the South. We took a boat to Casamance, traveled all night and when the first light of the day came up we couldn’t believe our eyes. The green forest was the main protagonist, which stretched for kilometers side by side with empty sandy beaches. We had heard about the empty waves and a small local surf community in the neighbourhood, so we moved in a little bungalow with sea view in the village called Cap Skirring. The rhythm of the people and the lifestyle were much more slow than in the other places we had seen in Senegal so finally we could relax.
At the end of the exploration we were exhausted, but it was a truly remarkable experience. Traveling with your camera will get you closer with the new surroundings, while discovering the unique places and people.
My film choices for the project
While working on the Local surfer project I used three different films sponsored by Kameratori. Kodak Portra 160, Fujifilm 400H and Kodak T-MAX 400. In total I shot around 500 pictures.
So let’s start with the Kodak Portra 160. I’m very happy with the result of this film. The colour tones are very vibrant and natural. The film worked well in different light conditions reproducing perfectly the atmosphere of Senegal.
The book is due for release in Decemeber. Pre-order the book here: Local Surfers Senegal
Photos with Kodak Portra 160
We would like to thank Kameratori for providing the best analog frames to capture the incredible light of Senegal.
The photographer Giovanni Astorino was born in Sardinia, Italy. He has spent the last 8 years as a traveling surfer and explorer. Along with his partner Anna (Oulu, Finland) he is currently working on the Local Surfer Project which explores the reality of surf culture around the world combining photos and illustration.
