Renowned artist, photographer, graffiti artist, & adventurer Zuzu had never done a photo shoot like this before. A foggy day out on the water in Austin, TX, Zuzu got to experience her very first SUP photo shoot. Having to deal with moving paddle boarders while maintaining balance on a ladder surrounded by water and all without a waterproof camera housing. Not a big deal for Zuzu who tells us more about her shoot.

Zuzu shooting from ladder

Was this your first SUP shoot?

Indeed! I just recently began working with Austin Paddle Sports. I'm honored to be part of the APS family and paddle boarding community.

Talk about the experience. Where? When? Why?

The APS shoot took place on a gloomy Friday morning at the new dock downtown. Not exactly ideal weather for what we had planned to shoot. Andy, the owner of APS wanted some sick shots of the new deck, so we made it happen regardless.

How did you get it done?

Lots of the shots taken were of the crew hanging out, laughing and boarding on the lake. Naturally, to get the best shot of the deck, I needed to be next to the subject and not shooting from the safety of a dry dock. I had to paddle out to a ladder and climb up and shoot from the middle of the lake. Pretty dope if you ask me! It was definitely scary to have my camera over water, but it all worked out. I was hanging out on a ladder in the middle of Lady Bird Lake! It definitely doesn't compare to anything I've shot before.

What about working and dealing with weather for outside shoots?

As a photographer you have to roll with what comes at you. It's not always realistic to think I'll always be shooting in beautiful weather. I'm a big proponent of experimentation when it comes to photography. I play with my settings until I figure out how to overcome whatever obstacles I come across. Blue hour is always the best time to shoot. It's the period of twilight every morning and evening where there is neither full daylight nor complete darkness. Unfortunately there was no sun during the shoot. Just my luck! The sky was grey and the whole downtown skyline was covered in gloom. It would have been nice to have a sunny blue sky background, but we ended up with some nice shots despite the drab conditions.