INTERVIEW WITH
SEAN DAVEY

By Wes Baker - Oceanfever
All photographs are © 2001 Sean Davey

1. What were your deep down feelings behind actually doing this book, was it a life long desire, financial or just you really wanted to show off your talent and give the splendid images you created pleasure to thousands of others?  

A:  I guess it's been pretty much a life long desire.  I always been drawn to shoot the waves right from the very first image that I ever took.
Naturally, growing up, surrounded by the Sydney surf scene of the 70's,  I turned to photographing the surfing that was happening all around me.   That has carried me through to the present day and doesn't really look like letting up any time, soon.   It really is the waves, more than anything else that inspires me to shoot.  Everything else just tends flow on from there.   I really enjoy showing the wave images in particular to others as they seem to have the same effect on everyone who views them.  Even people who have never even seen the ocean can appreciate a good oceanic image.  Thebook has been a solid goal of mine for the past decade or so, but I was never in a hurry to produce it as I always knew that the longer it took to happen, the better it would probably be, because of new images always adding to the collection.


2. You must of had some really funny stories over the years can you remember any and if so any chance of sharing a few with us poor little European surfers?

A:  Way too many and yet strangely, my mind is a blank.  Hmmm, there's the poo fish at Lances Rights in Mentawais.  They always come up and fight over it when-ever someone takes a dump off the boat.   Pretty gross actually, but funny at the time. as long as it's not you that everyone's laughing at.      I was in Tasmania a couple of years back with a crew of guys and all these old guys with a collective age of 400 years joined us one night for a few beers at our shack in this small fishing village.  None of them could pronounce Kahea Harts name, so they just called him alphabet.  We all had a laugh at that.  

 I've seen some drama over the years, like the boat that went over the falls at Teahupoo last year.  That was heavy!   Then again later that year, when we turned up to see the Laird session.  Our outboard had a fowled fuel filter, so we were stuck on land, but it still looked radical!    Then there was the Todos 98 event.  That was super heavy .  Definitely a few worrying moments, regarding the surfers that made me think about death.  There must have been at least 20 broken boards collected up against the cliff face, inside.     A trip that I just did to Australia's deep southern wilderness was very humbling also.   After driving hours, it took a few more to walk into the location, down the side of a 1000 ft mountain.   Once there, it took the surfers like 40 minutes to attempt and attempt again the formidable rock jump.  Once out there, they had to contend with what was probably the heaviest waves of their lives.   Just a mutant beast of a thing that sucked up into several lips.   And they did this without any local guide to show 'em the perils.  Total frontier surfing at it's absolute rawest.   They definitely paid their dues that day, but also got some of the best rides of their life's.  It truly can be a double edged Sword at times.      
     I've met a lot incredible people over the years as well.   Pretty much most of my surfing heroes from when I was young have been highlights over the years and it's been awesome to watch most of them surf in real life.    Then there's some people that you just don't even expect to meet, but they leave an idelible impression on you.  I had one such recent experience also recently.  A last minute thrown together trip to a low key location, involving Derek Hynd, Joe Curren, kelly slater and Eddie Veder.   Sure, I'd listened to Eddies music over the years, but it amazed me, what a down to earth and likable guy, he truly is.  It crossed my mind that if he wasn't such a star already, that it wouldn't be long before he was.  The best way for me to descibe it, is  meeting and hanging out with him, made me want to be a better person, even though I'm not  a bad person anyway.   You really can't have any more positive effect on people than that.   


3. What has been the hardest part of creating the book?

A:   Actually, the hardest part has not been the pictures at all, but rather the production process of the book, itself.  First, there was the matter of finding a publisher.  Then there were all manner of delays that set the release back several months.  Being the perfectionist that I am, there are still things that I would change in the book.    

4. How long did it actually take to do from concept to finish?

A:  A bit hard to say for sure as I had it in the back of my mind for many years, but if I had to put a figure on it, I'd say probably 10 years.   Put it this way, I've been keeping my own private stash of un-published images for several years now, in readiness for a day that something like this would eventuate.   In my earlier years, I would submit everything to the magazines, but was always frustrated by the fact that the magazines would never return my wave images and for the most part, they weren't used either.  That's when I decided to start keeping them instead, so that one day, they might get shown to the audience that they deserved.

5. Who in the world of water sports do you admire the most and why?

I'd have to say, as far as the athletes themselves are concerned, both Kelly Slater and Tom Carroll.  Not only because of their awesome ability as surfers, but because they both have achieved their own goals from being super focused individuals and believing in themselves.  Both are excellent role models and ambassadors for not only the sport of surfing, but anyone who has a goal in life.    
In regard to other photographers;  I've been influenced by quite a few over the years.   There are many, many out there, these days, but most are specialists in one area or another.   To me, the ones that truly shine are the ones who are capable of turning their skills to any task and producing not only excellent quality, but also artistically pleasing results.    The ones that inspired me in my early years would include Woody Woodworth for his endlessly perfect and varied array of wave images,  Jeff Hornbaker for his ability to truly capture not only the surfing but the local colour and peoples.  You'd see a pictorial by him and it would immerse you.  Ted Grambeau has always been a technically excellent photographer as well.  
   These days, I'm most inspired by David Puu's excellent imagery.   He strikes me as an extremely dedicated individual.  You'd have to be to be able to produce the excellent results that he does.  He consistently produces pictures with incredible light situations and it's no secret to anyone who's been to L.A. and the surrounding areas that it suffers a lot of bad light, due mainly to smog and fog.    As far as surfing action itself,  Daren Crawford is miles ahead of everyone, especially in waves of consequence like big pipe and Teahupoo.  That guy is blowing up big time!

6. Who would you rather be or are you happy with yourself?

A:  Life is just fine with being who I am.  We all have different paths in life and for many of us, it can be rocky, turbulent ride.  Mine was pretty tough as a youngster, but I believe it made me a stronger person and I was able find my way to where I am presently.  Looking back, I don't think I'd dare to change anything.

7. Any secret women out in the world who you have broken hearts with and will now drive them crazy with such a wonderful book as yours.

Well, I don't know about secret but there have been a couple that broke my heart over the years.  They might look at it differently now.   It doesn't matter anyhow as I've been happily married now for nearly 5 years.  

8. What's you favourite food? and Why?

A:  That's an easy one.  "B.B.King" at Paradise cafe in Haleiwa (Nth Shore, Oahu).   It's an awesome wrap with Bar-B-Cued tofu, lettuce, olives, tomato, avocado, onions, cheese and their special sauce.  Totally awesome feed and really, really filling.     Mind, I've always loved ice-cream, but it makes me fat.  That and beer.

9. Did you do well at school and now in business how are you doing?

A:  Actually, truth be known; I dropped out of school at 16 and went through a bunch of different dead-end jobs before I really went full at it with the photography.   I always took photographs, but because of financial needs, had to work all these different jobs to survive.   I worked in several top end Professional photo labs for around 15 years, where I picked up a lot of technical know-how.   I finally took the plunge and went full time with my work, because I was sick of sitting in traffic, going to work for someone else.    Living here in Hawaii (USA) has been good financially. It's allowed my wife and I to buy our house (us and the bank)  It's a strong economy here, but the downside is that it is ridiculously expensive to live here too.  

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