IN THE FIELD WITH ANDREW SHIELD
Would surfing have such a high impact if masterful sharpshooters didn’t capture that split-second moment? They’ve gifted us time to pour over the details: an aggressive power hack with spray tagging the sky in graffiti-artist attitude and muscles rippling in that gravity-defying flash of athletic power and prowess.
Andrew Shields is one of those masters who’s been gracing pages of surf mags for decades. Join us as we quiz Shieldsy about how he got to this juncture in his professional life.
When did you start surfing?
15 years of age. Grade 10 at school. I went to school in Brisbane (until Grade 12, when I moved to the Gold Coast) and was heavily into tennis until the surfing bug took hold.
When did photography start?
I got a Canon camera and 50mm lens for my eighteenth birthday and already had a little Minolta water camera.
When did you marry the two?
The two came together pretty much right from the start. I used to nearly always grab a quick lineup shot before I went surfing and often shot my mates if they were still out after I came in. I never used to let photography
