Every now and again the occasion arises to look back at images from the ’60s & ’70s. I recently found myself re-discovering old surfing magazines found in my attic, reviewing the (by today’s standards) low resolution vintage surf images printed in them and briefly being critical.

But these are powerful images, many for the time ‘state-of-the-art’, taken by skilled, and dedicated, photographers. Those photographers were working with equipment far less sophisticated than modern digital cameras.

My initial response was along the lines of ‘gosh the image/print quality was poor in those days’. However, I quickly rejected that view as I studied the pictures in more detail, considered the technology available and succumbed to the appeal of the grainy images. They are powerful on many levels – evoking the ocean way of life, reflecting the styles of the period, featuring some of the surfing ‘greats’ of the day, capturing the challenge and thrill of the wave and unleashing a fair amount of nostalgia.

It is, as so often commented, a fact that an image does not necessarily need to be technically perfect to leave a lasting impression.

(If there are any surf magazine collectors out there, these are mainly ‘Surfing’ and ‘Surfer’ issues from the early to mid ’70s. Reach out to me via my ‘Contact’ page if they are of interest.)

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