Coming off one of the biggest projects of my career, I found myself at a cross road. I was unsure of what the future held after investing all my focus into a
project. I had lost direction and motivation to pick up the camera and create. I reached out to mentors expressing how I felt and was encouraged to learn it wasn’t unnatural. I was advised to take time out and just enjoy the accomplishments, and that the drive would come back.
This is the image that helped bring my focus back. I spent the afternoon in large, windy conditions on a remote stretch of coastline. I had just upgraded my camera gear to the Canon R5 and Aquatech
housing. I was using the 70-200 with a prototype zoom gear that was 3D printed. I don’t usually have moments (while shooting) that make me look at the
image in the water. I remember as this particular wave broke, the incredible blue colour that was displayed in front of me.
This is the moment that brought me back. The ocean rekindled my desire to continue to capture these heavy ocean moments on some of the most remote
stretches of coastline in the world. A fresh direction and motivation to not give up.
You got this.

Anj Semark.

Dreams

Pushing boundaries comes at a price and the ocean will always make you pay. 

This is the day that I was truly humbled. I had let myself fall into a comfort zone in a place that was unforgiving. In a lapse of judgement, I decided to shoot an angle that only a handful have tried and even less, have succeeded at. 

I failed. I fell early on the wave and was at the mercy of one of the biggest swells I had ever captured. The violence of this wipeout was nothing I had experience before. It felt like my head was in a vice and my limbs were being torn apart. All I wanted to do was scream. I had an inflation vest with 2 canisters that I released to help bring me to the surface. What felt like a lifetime underwater was only 45 seconds and I surfaced to blinding light. Dazed and confused I was picked up and placed in the safety of the channel. With two blown ear drums and blood flowing from my nose, I was quickly put in my place. 

As I sat and continued to watch the waves roll through that afternoon I was really bummed at myself for allowing my mind to fall into complacency. At what cost is a photo? I reloaded my camera and got back in the water to shoot. Each wave I swam through was extremely painful on my face, but I did not want to give up. 

After another couple of hours swimming and not shooting anything I was happy with, I started to make my way back to my ski. I turned my back for one last look, and out of the deep blue arose the above image. I lifted my camera, set my focus and captured this moment I will never forget. 

Anj Semark

Defeat

Finding moments of clarity amongst the chaos of a large ocean can be hard. So many various elements are at work to capture the ocean in its purest and rawest form. Swimming makes these elements even harder to capture.

Positioning, timing and dedication to maintain your composure during these moments are a part of a lifetime of experience in and around the ocean. After this image was captured I found myself in a position that you never want to be in. I had pushed myself closer and deeper to capture the beautiful details this particular wave produces. As I looked towards the horizon, the second wave was the biggest wave I had seen all day. I was at the mercy of the ocean, I was swimming as hard as I could but wasn't moving. All I could do was brace myself.

In those moments its crazy the clarity that you find within yourself. Nothing but the moment in front of you matters. The ocean has always been a place of solace for me. I am always grateful for the opportunity to showcase it to the world, even when it is terrifying.

Anj Semark

Clarity

The safety of land behind disappears, dark ominous clouds surround me and a small glimmer of light shines down amongst the chaos. 

This day I made a choice to venture into the unknown. There was a promising forecast, so I took the risk. Some called it the swell of the decade! I travelled to a remote coastline that had captivated me for years but was unable to make the journey before this point. 

To this day, this trip was the most rewarding few days of ocean images of my career. It's easy to get caught up in the vortex. The hype around swells can have you second guessing even the most seasoned veterans. I took a risk and this time, I was rewarded.

Vortex

The Great Wave off Kanagawa has always been a massive inspiration of mine. This piece pays homage to Hokusai the Japanese artist who created a piece of art history.



The Great Hokusai

'Finding focus' is an accumulation of imagery that has shaped the direction of my work. 

Each image is unique within itself. Little details that draw the focus of the eye. These details showcase the beauty within an otherwise intimidating ocean. 

Throughout my career I have continued to develop my process to really showcase the sheer volume of the incredible ocean I am surrounded by. These huge southern ocean swells smash the Western Australian coastline with such violence that it's easy to miss the small elements within. The images capture a moment in time that draws your attention to an incredible volume and weight of water. 

'Finding focus' is not only a collection but a mindset that I have applied over the years.  Years of oceanic knowledge and passion for the environment has sculpted my work. I want to showcase the ocean to the world in a way no one has seen before. 

Thank you for being a part of this journey.

Edge

Large Southern ocean swells charged from the depths of Antarctic storms, find their way to the bottom of the Australian coastline with unmatched power. 

They land on small limestone shelves, exploding in spectacular fashion. No wave is the same, each unique with its own characteristics.

This is as 'Hollow' as it gets. Surrounded by storms and small patches of light to highlight the incredible details of the ocean.

Hollow

Thank you for the continued support in my journey. You have backed me as an artist and I will forever be grateful. I will continue to push the boundaries in my artistic pursuits thanks to you.

Thank You

Life at Sea -

SuperRare Semark

Flicker

Finding Focus

Swimming in new places is always a little daunting. Water that moves across shallow shelfs of reef can create unique underwater currents. They can move in uncertain ways, sometimes to your benefit other times to your detriment.

This particular wave was the latter. Dragging you into the impact zone, forcing you to continually swim against the constant pull of the ocean. Scary shooting conditions.

This image was from the first swim I had at a crazy little wave here in Western Australia. It is titled "Face off", not only because the wave appears to have faces but also due to the back and forth battle I had with it to capture this image. 

Enjoy.


Face off

Bombora

SuperRare

The pursuit of capturing the fleeting moments when the sun kisses the horizon becomes a dance with determination. The creative process of capturing waves in extreme conditions, every element converges in a harmonious struggle against the forces of nature. The camera lens becomes a portal, freezing the dynamic interplay between light and liquid, I seek to encapsulate the raw energy and undulating beauty within the frame. 

As another year comes to an end I am reminded of how incredibly lucky I am to be surrounded by such an incredible environment and even better humans. The ocean continues to teach me lessons in humility, determination and respect. 

'Yawun' comes from the indigenous name for sunset. As the sun sets on 2023 I wish you all a safe and blessed 2024.

Much love. Anj

Yawun

Raging Abyss

The unbreakable bond of a brother.
 
We became each other's pillars, standing tall and resolute, supporting one another in the face of life's challenges. Where one faltered, the other provided strength. We were two halves of a whole.

For in the unbreakable bond of a brother, there lies a love that endures through every season of life, a love that can weather any storm, overcome any obstacle, and illuminate even the darkest of days. It is a love that transcends the boundaries of this life. 

"Its going to be ok" Gav Semark


AnjSemark

AnjSemark

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