Yes we admit, we’re very much in love with Ryan Tatar. And that’s not just because his analogue photography is so beautifully imperfect and unique, but also because his images shed a bit of a different light on the hyped surf culture. Like this account of the North Shore of Hawaii, which is mostly associated with the beating heart of the surf industry and all the rampant commercialism that now pulses along with it. His pictures show that it’s still possible to find a little piece of something special on that far away island

Words and photography by Ryan Tatar

Campfires & Ukuleles isn’t about those two specific things as much as it is about the feeling one gets when you hear those two words together. That was what I was after…  with my lens and for myself.

We travelled to the island of Maui, listening to jazz under the stars, exploring the land and driving down twisting coastal roads that passed through rural farmland and jungle.  It was supposed to be a short trip, but we found ourselves unable to leave the island. While at a roadside fruit stand we decided to extend our trip for as long as we could. With single fin longboards still strapped to the roof, we went chasing a new south swell that started rolling in from a distant storm. We found solitude and a road less travelled in a familiar place. Living out of your car and having campfires on the beach. This is a new photo essay I am working on.  It is inspired by the islands of Hawaii and a yearning to capture and bring back a small slice of Aloha.