Chasing the 100 Foot Beast
Sunday 2 February
Last week was intensive, three storms in one week.
Did we got the 100-foot monster, or does it take even more? At a certain size, it becomes tricky because you can’t just measure it – it’s all subjective. But I can promise you: it was impressive! And there’s more to come. One of the most fascinating aspects of Nazaré’s giant waves is how they form.
Nazaré is a “beach break,” meaning the waves don’t always break in the same spot. The masses of water surge through the canyon and build up. The exact position varies slightly each time. Every 9 to 12 seconds, new shapes and formations emerge. Some repeat, but there are always surprises. Anticipating these moments, integrating them into a composition within fractions of a second, and capturing them with the camera is what makes Nazaré so special and challenging. In the next few days, I’ll be publishing photos from last week on my website and social media.
All the photos were taken in high resolution and can be printed up to two meters wide, or in some cases even larger.
For anyone who would like to photograph in Nazaré themselves: We still have one spot available for the workshop in Nazaré at the end of February
Saturday 25 January 8:00 am
Right now, I’m at the airport in Zurich, heading to Lisbon and then up to Nazaré, the home of big waves. I’ve been working towards this moment for many years.
These days, we have three strong low-pressure storm systems approaching the Atlantic coast. Winter storms have been growing in intensity over the past few years, and so has the size of the waves. The first weather system hit the Irish coast with winds exceeding 180 km/h. The next one is expected to be even stronger.
Let’s see if I can finally capture a 100-foot beast with my camera.
