These artistic shots show surfing from a whole new angle

An Israeli photographer has captured a group of surfers from a whole new perspective. Ido Meirovich lives ten minutes from Herzliya, a coastal city that’s home to Israel’s largest marina.

“I’m a licensed yacht skipper, divemaster and alumni of the Herzliya Sea Scout Sailing Club”, Ido tells Lonely Planet, “so my connection to the sea is strong. The water’s temperature in Israel is great for surfing; around 30 celsius in summer and no less than 15 in winter, so people surf all year round.”

For this series, Ido wanted to find a new way to capture ocean imagery. “I have lots of experience in sea and underwater photography”, he explains, “but I wanted to take my skills to the next level, and find other angles and opportunities to take shots. I was debating for a long time whether to buy a drone, as my schedule is tight. Once DJI introduced the Mavic Pro though, I knew that this is the drone for me! It’s small and flexible – I can carry it to work and take shots early in the morning, and the ease of flying and handling leaves 100% of the time to focus on photography.”

The pictures in this series were all taken on Herzliya beaches, with Ido flying his drone over the surfers and waiting for the opportune moment to snap. “The main challenge”, he says, “is to get the precise timing and altitude right. Too low means you risk the surfer and the drone, too high and you’ll lose detail. Each time, I have to find the exact location through trial and error, wait in position for the right moment, tilt the camera forward to see whether the surfer has started riding the wave and, in a split second, tilt downwards and take the shot.”

The results are stunning aerial shots that look like pieces of art, perfectly showcasing this beautiful part of the world.