Olivia Anderson, shooting with the boys

In our series about female #surfphotographers, meet @oliviaandersonphotography from #CapeTown.

Olivia was always one for 'boys' sports, having played County cricket in the UK as a teen, where she also picked up surfing. Back in #SouthAfrica, it is through scuba diving that Olivia got to shoot in the water. When a patch of bad weather and poor visibility forced her to the surface, her camera instantly found a new subject: "#surfphotography was a really exciting new challenge for me and I just loved being with the #surfers and getting to share their #stoke. The beauty of a #wave breaking is always something that has captivated me and I don't think I'll ever tire of seeing that lip going over and the energy flowing through it!".

Shooting at her home break of #Kommetjie, a #coldwatersurfing spot with fast hollow #barrels that can also churn massive outsider #bigwaves, Olivia was quickly endorsed by the local #surfing community: "being a #surfer really helped me understand the critical parts of the wave. It's really important to be able to predict what the surfer is going to do next to be in the right position to capture it". Not shy to ask for advice, Olivia gained support from top surfers and photographers alike, including national champ @brandon_surfs and legend photographer @alanvangysen, who encouraged her to submit her pictures to national #surfmag @zigzagsurf (now regularly featuring her work!).

Like other #waterwomen we featured (@mariafernandaphoto, @kimhanskamp), Olivia still sees herself as 'one of the boys': "I know a few talented ladies who shoot, but I don't think there's a sisterhood. I think I'm probably more a part of the brotherhood to be honest!" If our brothers are empowering our sisters, long live the brotherhood! ✒: @_laurence_b 📷: Simone Robb (featuring Olivia shooting), @oliviaandersonphotography (others). #reallifestoke #freesurfspirit #swellbound