Swansea photographer wins renowned surf photography competition

Welsh photographer, Sean Michael Pritchard from Swansea, has been named the winner of the 2022 Carve Magazine Surf Photography Competition.

The award is judged by the magazine editorial team who must choose one winner from a vast range of talented entrants.

“I am incredibly stoked to take out the 2022 competition with so many incredible photographers taking part,” said Sean Pritchard.

“The standard of photography within surfing is high, and this is a true honour to be recognised in this way. Being from Wales and having lived in New Zealand for over 7 years, I am especially proud to have showcased the incredible scenery and surf of both countries.”

He added: “I only started properly pursuing photography as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. This was actually the first year I have entered the competition.”

Carve is Britain’s number one surf mag with five issues a year of top action and incredible photos from around the world. They run the competition once a year and receive hundreds and hundreds of high-quality photography submissions taken at surf locations all over the world.

“Our favourite time of year is when we celebrate Britain and Irelands best photographers and their photos,” said magazine editor Steve England. “You don’t have to be a pro, you don’t have to have the best gear, you just have to have an eye for the moment.”

The photograph that initially caught the eye of the judges was taken by Sean whilst he was living in Christchurch, New Zealand. The shot, titled “Shoot the Pier”, of a surfer riding through the New Brighton Pier at sunrise, stood out from the crowd.

Other images in his competition portfolio included surf inspired shots taken throughout the South Island of New Zealand and Wales. Sean has written this helpful guide to learning surf photography.

You can get a sneak peek of the winning shots on his website seanmichaelpritchard.com or his Instagram page @pritchardsean

“Having recently relocated back to Wales, I’m looking forward to getting out there and exploring my home country in more depth. Winning the competition has been an awesome way to end 2022 and I’m looking forward to what 2023 has in store,” said Sean.

You can view his full interview and winning photography portfolio in issue 215 of the Carve magazine now. Available in stores, through the Carve website or online.