True Lovers by Stephanie Teixeira

"When love is real, it finds a way." 

Growing up, this quote by Avatar Roku really resonated with me, as a subconscious force was always pulling me towards the ocean. Was it the clean air, the deep blue, the freedom? I’m still not quite sure, but the feeling of belonging to the sea is too strong to ignore anytime soon. 

Raised on the Gold Coast, everywhere I went there was sand in between my toes and salt in my hair. Surfing only became a part of my life when I was 14 years old and, what's there to say? It was love at first wave.

As my family have a German and Portuguese background, my parents aren't particularly fond of the beach. To be honest, I don’t think my old man has seen the surf in over a year! Evidently, the source of my passion is a bit of a mystery to us all.  

Through high school my bedroom was plastered with snaps from surf magazines while surfy Tumblr accounts had me addicted to my computer screen; I didn't realise at the time that I was slowly falling in love with the intriguing combination of photography and surfing. 

When I became bombarded with career pressure after leaving school, I was a little lost for direction, knowing only that I wanted to head to University. A few years passed and I found that I had been taken away from my obsession with the surf, wondering if the waves and I would ever rekindle our spark. Now, it seems it was meant to be...

I was lucky enough to win an Instagram competition, through which I received a ‘Dead Kooks’ twin fin board. By this point I could drive to the beach whenever I wanted with the best board I had ever ridden (and still rate as the best!)- how could the call of the ocean be unrequited? 

Dive forward another 1.5 years and I acquired the use of a camera with underwater housing at a surf photography workshop for which I courageously signed myself up to.

My love for surf photography was now set in stone, and the very next day I went and bought myself a new camera, lenses and underwater housing. It was the best decision I've ever made. 

It’s crazy to reflect and see how this love of surfing has drawn me back to my true self again, after graduating and leaving the constraints of University life behind.

I’ve only been shooting in the surf for a few months now, but I never see myself stopping! There is nothing like being in my favourite element with the ability to capture the beauty of the water and the surfers through my eyes for the world to see.

True love may hide itself for a while, but it definitely never leaves!