Prolab Digital was honored to produce a number of Quinn Matthews’ amazing surfing shots for Casco Contractors in Irvine, California. We spent some time with Quinn recently to learn his story.

Quinn Matthews is a lot like your average 18 year old . He is into surfing, Photography, and travel. The difference is, Quinn does them professionally.

His work has appeared in the likes of Surfing Magazine, STAB Magazine, and others, he’s been hired as a professional photographer for big name brands like Hurley and Ripcurl. He has even had own solo exhibit in Laguna Beach, California.

It all started when Quinn was 15, freshly transplanted from Idaho to Southern California. He was always intrigued by surf culture as a kid, so he dove in and tried to learn as much as he could. His interest in photography blossomed around the same time.  His father had been a photography major in college and showed Quinn the ropes.

One day, when he was bobbing in the water next to professional photographers at a surf event in San Clemente, it suddenly clicked. Quinn knew this was what he wanted to do.

His process is fairly straightforward. He arrives early to get a feel for the light and tides, then works at creating a simple composition from a unique angle. Quinn quickly gained acclaim for his pictures, earning him a spot among the sport’s professionals.

But being one of the youngest photographers on a surfing circuit isn’t easy. Aside from needing to prove himself professionally, some surfers resent having any photographers in the water with them at all. “It’s about 50/50,” Quinn says, “some surfers love having photographers out there, so they do their best to show off and get a good shot. Other’s feel like you’re in their way.”

Then there’s simply the peril of trying to shoot in the water itself. “I’ve been hit in the head by a few boards before, and had a couple scares with sharks and sea lions charging me. Fortunately I can get out of the water pretty fast.”

Travelling with a surf competition isn’t always romantic either. Being out on the road can take its toll. “One of the toughest things is just the travel over long periods of time. After being away for a couple months, you want to get home and be with your family. It gets old after a while. You miss home.”

He recently returned from a trip to Europe with a travelling surf crew. While there he spent some time wandering the city taking pictures for the people and sites. When he’s not in the water, Quinn’s perspective on photography is a little out of the mainstream, even old fashioned.

“I like to shoot film with the lifestyle stuff. People are more comfortable with it. People aren’t immediately critiqued or anything. It’s more raw and candid.”

Quinn eventually wants to work full time as a professional photographer for a surfing publication or brand. He will be travelling soon to Hawaii and Australia to continue building his portfolio.

Aside from his previous work with publications, he’s had a couple brushes with deeper success, just this year he was the youngest ever semifinalist for the prestigious “Follow the Light” surf photography competition. As a rising star so early in his career, it’s pretty clear, he’s got nowhere to go but up.

Here is a video featuring of some of Quinn’s recent acrylic prints.

To check out more of Quinn’s photography got to: quinnmatthews.com.

To learn about professional quality photography prints please visit: prolabdigital.com. Thanks!