In the first of a series of profiles on kiteboarding photographers, I chose to start out with Al Nicoll, a Durban based adventure photographer of English descent. His work regularly appears in Blunt, Zig Zag, Saltwater Girl, picture libraries, various overseas publications and Gust.
Al particularly interested me as his work clearly shows a good mix : a strong sports documentary feeling, with a good mix of funk and creative angles. I got lost on his website, and was particularly intrigued by his surfing work.
From an early age he showed an interest in photography, but it was only after finishing a degree in Zoology that he decided to pursue a full time career as a photographer.
He sees himself as a sports, lifestyle/fashion, editorial sports and travel photographer. He is adaptable to each subject matter and loves looking for the unusual photographic angle.
His clients includes magazines, photo libraries, commercial and private businesses .
He describes himself as an outgoing, adventurous individual who loves to be creative. He got his first real taste for travelling when his parents took him skiing for the first time to Switzerland at the age of five. Since then it has been ingrained in him.
Taking photos always seemed natural to him especially when travelling. His photography became serious after a surfing injury, which allowed him to channel all his energy into it. While he was living in the Canary Islands he started shooting for Spanish Surfing Magazines, and since then he has never looked back.
Needing more input, he returned back to the UK and to University to study a Foundation Degree in Photography at the Bournemouth Arts Institute. During this time he won 2 awards. He earned The Observer Newspaper’s Student Sports Photographer of the Year and The Kodak Association of Photographers Award in the Sports Editorial category.
Al is now based in Durban, South Africa - away from the cold and clouds of the UK.
Om eerlijk te zijn vind ik dit helemaal geen "unusual photographic angle" zoals hij beschreef naar op zoek te zijn. De rest ziet er wel leuk uit maar echt denderend...