Ryan Heywood is a talented young photographer who resides in Byron Bay Australia. Most of Ryan’s work depicts life in and around the ocean with his images centring on surfing and the characters and lifestyle that ensue. Ryan recently spent some time in the La Casa artist residency house in Byron. Keep reading for a quick Q+A with Ryan by Gabe Cramb. And to check out the video clip on Ryans’ time at the house head to lacasa.net.nz. All images by Ryan Heywood courtesy of ryanheywood.com

You got into photography when you were in primary school. Lots of kids are given cameras but not everyone becomes a photographer. What drew you to it and made you keep working at it?
Where it started was story telling with a disposable camera. I was setting up shots, taking photos I thought were unusual or funny, and getting a feel for it. It was fun but I didn’t have the dough to keep doing it when I was a grom. It got real fun in high school when all the resources where available. I loved it then and I love it now. I kept working at it because painting a canvas took a long time to express what I wanted to show but with a photograph it was instant and true to life.

Finless shredding

Growing up on the NSW central coast, am I right in assuming you were pretty much born in the ocean? And was it just a natural progression that the ocean became such a central part of what you do?
I spent a lot of time in the ocean as a kid. It was amazing. There are really good waves there and when you have a camera out in the water you see some amazing barrels get ridden and taking photos of this going down it’s kinda like having your cake and eating it too. You experience everyone’s waves and then you get to keep the moment. But if I lived in the outback I think that I would be attracted to the weather, colour and characters. It’s just where I was living that shaped my interests.

I’ve been told that you have a great ability to put people at ease so they don’t feel at all self-conscious when you are shooting them. Do you think that in general that ability to read people and work out what makes them tick is important for a photographer?
Yeah, taking someone’s photograph can be hard, to get an image that the subject is happy with, so if you have a good vibe when shooting the chances of a bad representation of the subject is slim. I think that conversation is a great part of a shoot. I think also that some people are kinda conditioned to getting their portrait taken and go on autopilot, so it is also worth shooting when these auto poses are not going down, the moments in between.

Kassia Meador

What about you? What makes you comfortable?
OK, I like music and jokes, ideas, conversation and good vibes.

You recently spent some time at La Casa Artist Residency. How was that?
Doing the La Casa Artist Residency was great. I loved the time I spent there, good energy. I used to live on the beach on the central coast, and La Casa took me back. It’s very inspiring to have a big ocean changing all the time out the front, cool rooms and space. Plus some Coronas on ice!

Jared Mell

Bob McTavish

I watched an interview with you where you said that you loved film because you can hold it. I think you said, “If you don’t print it then did it exist?” Why do you think you have a need to document and create proof of a moment in time?
It’s great to have something to hold, even if you write down your ideas on a piece of paper, it’s a good thing. With technology changing all the time could photography evolve into something different like an implanted memory? Right now we view the majority of imagery online or on a screen. I think it is a good thing to see and feel an image or images as a body of work.

So you love the ocean and you love photography. What else gets you excited?
I’m really into all forms of art… music, sculpture, painting, illustration, everything except musicals and maybe dance.

I know you love music. If you could shoot any band, who would it be?
Grinderman.

Chloe Chapman

And what is your dream location for a shoot?
The beach car park, before a surf / after a surf, it’s so fun to tell stories from the night before or plan something for the evening, and just shoot the shit with friends, make new friends, check out peoples boards / cars, there is always a good vibe at a beach car park.

Chippa Wilson