Interview with Big Wave Cinematographer Mickey Smith

Who says dreams can't come true? A while ago all of us at Surf Bunker drew up a list of five people we would most like to interview in the world. We fired some emails out there and wouldn't you know it, people responded.

I was lucky enough to draw the best card. Yes, that's right, I got the legendary photographer and all round waterman, Mickey Smith. For those of you who's life has not been altered by some of his mind blowing shots and films, I will delay the scolding and insist that you read on.

Mickey is responsible for producing some of the most amazing and innovative surf films in the world, in my opinion. Big deal you may be saying, and you would be right not to take my word for it. I suggest that you watch this and then choose your argument if you still have one.

Right, now we've been properly introduced...

SB: Hey Mickey, where exactly were you born in Cornwall, and when did you first step into the water with a camera?

Mickey : I grew up in West Cornwall, we first lived in Newlyn and later on moved into the heart of Penzance. Once I started riding waves I began to run with the little wild packs of surf rats all around the West Cornish coast. From each place there'd be a few kids into hitching their way round the Penwith coast trying to find a hollow closeout and I was one of 'em. My first experiences with cameras in the sea were just taking little three or four quid waterproof disposable cameras of 36 shots with us out there on our adventures for a while. We'd make one roll last a good month of waves between us.

SB: How did you get into big wave cinematography? Was it a slow progression or was there a time when you thought, let's do this.

Mickey: We'd always hunted hollower waves as kids so that just naturally evolved into seeking experiences with bigger and hollower waves around the world. I started to find simple joy in documenting some of the sessions we would have on our missions and gradually felt more and more inspired by the challenge of seeing what I could do out there with cameras, but I never thought it would end up as a way to 'work', it was all part of pushing myself creatively I guess.

SB: Who or what do you get your inspiration from, what pushes you to do what you do?

Mickey: Inspiration is everywhere really, inside and out, darkness and light. The world really is a miracle, the fact that we're all here and semi conscious at this point in time is crazy. I just try to follow my instincts, read the signs and trust my heart really, I've been lucky.

SB: Have you ever thought, this is it, I'm not coming up?

Mickey: One of the first solid waves I tried to ride at Aileens took me some places. Very humbling.

SB: One of my favourite films is 'Powers of Three', how much did you guys rely on each other out there for the filming of that?

Mickey: We were just on our own mad mission back then. The three of us were so buzzin' on gettin' ourselves into wild situations at sea, everyday was another adventure. The film was a snapshot of the things we would get up to together really. If anything we were mellowing out by the time that was made. We were and are still brothers, and back then we were an unbreakable unit, enraptured by the wild. I still care about them both as much as I did then and I'm incredibly proud of Ferg and Tom, all they've achieved and both their approaches to life. They've influenced and inspired me massively.

Powers of Three

SB: What is your most favourite wave in the world?

Mickey: I love being in or around the sea, wherever that is. There's lots of special memories but the waves we've sought out and shared as brothers in Ireland over the years are very special to me.

SB: You inspire people all over the world, have you any advice to give to those looking to follow in your footsteps?

Mickey: I don't know if that's true, but even so my only advice to anyone in this life would probably be, don't follow anyone else's advice. Find your own feet, walk your own way, learn from nature, read her signs, laugh a lot and often, live compassionately, feel inspired and let yourself evolve, don't let anyone box you in.

SB: You must have seen some sublime things, is there one moment that stands out?

Mickey: Like most people I have seen and felt the bad and the good in this world. I've been so lucky to have experienced the things I have so far. The ocean has given me most of what I know really. Too many memories and journeys out there to single one out, most blend into feelings or emotions. The last few years playing music with Ben has blown my mind with memories, and again they mostly all blend into feelings rather than single moments. The birth of my daughter Eiva was an experience like no other, that's a pretty sublime single memory for me, but then every day with her since has been too.

SB: There are some amazing words and shots in 'Dark Side of the Lens', what's next? How do you top that?

Mickey: Well I guess Darkside was made a while ago now, and I'm no longer exactly the same person, living life at that same point in time any more. My life has changed and I've been through some journeys. Darkside was inspired by my lovely sister Cherry, and her death affected me profoundly. The film was like a way of making sense of my life up to that point I think. Since then, on a personal level I have been trying to deal with her death, and also learn how to be a father and more of a family man. Creatively the film came straight from the heart, it was as honest and open as I could be at that time, so I really tried to pay no mind to how people were going to react, it was just something I had to do. If anything I thought the boys were most likely going to rip the piss out of me, so the way it resonated with people all over the world was unexpected, profound and really humbling. Those reactions kind of led our creativity into some new territory that is still leading us through various experiences and journeys amongst film and music. These past few years personally I've been on a very different journey, as I've been away from the ocean quite a lot making music with Ben, which has inspired me equally in different ways. The same emotions and feelings with music and exposure to the elements are always at play for me. Having all these different dimensions opening up within Ben's music has created an incredible, mad place for me personally to pour all this feeling into, and help make sense of some shit that way. And where I live in Ireland, the ocean and the storms are right in front of me all day long really, so I'm always connected there and dreaming up whatever's next.

A huge thanks to Mickey for sparing the time to talk to Surf Bunker, who at the time of Interview was in tour with Ben Howard but somehow still managed to find the time for one of his biggest fans and answer some questions.