Finding out he’d won the Sony World Photography Awards in the Sports category came as a bit of a shock to French photographer Thomas Meurot - largely because he had completely forgotten he’d even entered.
While cycling through Scandinavia with his girlfriend, Thomas had put the competition completely out of his mind. That is, until one fateful day when he received a call telling him he’d won. "I was just so excited when I found out, especially because I didn’t remember entering. It was such an intense moment. It was incredible."
The work that won him the award came from Kald Sòl (Cold Sun), a project capturing the essence of cold-water surfing in Iceland. In January 2023, Meurot and a group of mainly non-professional surfers set out on a two-week adventure, chasing waves in sub-zero temperatures. His striking black-and-white photographs from this trip are a stunning tribute to the raw, rugged beauty of Iceland, and the passion of the surfers braving the elements.
Euronews Culture: When did you first start pursuing photography?
Thomas Meurot: I really started photography when I was young, maybe around 8 or 10 years old. My parents would buy me disposable cameras when I went on holiday or on school trips. I loved taking pictures of random things to show them. When I was 18, I moved to Australia, and I took a camera with me. There, I met people who told me I could actually make money from photography. I started shooting manually, and I saw a photographer named Chris Burkard and his surf photography. I thought, "Wow, I want to do this." That was in 2014, and since then, I've been learning step by step.
What was the first camera you had?
The first camera I remember was a small yellow Canon point-and-shoot. My first real professional camera was a Sony A6000, which my friend Jacob sold to me in 2017.
Tell us more about your project Kald Sòl (Cold Sun).
So Kald Sòl started first as a documentary movie, which you can find on Amazon Prime right now. It’s about a group of friends who created a cold-water surfing association. A photographer, also called Thomas, contacted me and said they’d love to have another photographer join an expedition they had planned to Iceland. The idea was to take non-professional surfers there. When you watch surf movies, especially in Iceland, it’s always professional surfers. So I told Thomas I really wanted to make a surfing movie.
We took one professional surfer, Samuel Redon, and the rest of the group were non-pros. The trip started like this: we went there and spent two weeks just chasing waves in January 2023. We were really lucky with lots of swell and waves. As a photographer, I couldn’t stop myself from taking a few pictures here and there, even though my main focus was the film. I ended up with a good amount of pictures and didn’t know what to do with them. I eventually made black-and-white edits of the pictures, which I really liked.
What inspired you to enter the Sony World Photography Awards?
Last year, I was traveling by bike for four months in Scandinavia with my girlfriend. I received an email from the Sony World Photography Awards saying there were only a few days left to enter, so I thought, "Hey, let’s do it." Then, to be honest, I forgot about my entry. I got a call later telling me I had won. I had completely forgotten about it because I was cycling every day and taking in all these experiences. It was amazing to win in the Sports category. It’s a massive competition, and I was just so excited when I found out, especially because I didn’t remember entering. It was such an intense moment. It was incredible.
What did you learn about cold surfing?
I’ve always wanted to surf in a cold country. I come from Provence, really close to the French Alps. I’ve been skiing since I was a kid, and then I got into surfing. Watching Chris Burkard and his work around cold-water surfing, I thought, "Wow, this is the best experience you can have." So, getting there was amazing. We had a great experience with surfing because we got a lot of waves, luckily. We were really fortunate with the swells. It’s freezing cold, but that passion keeps you out there. Even when you're cold, you still want to stay outside, film for the guys, and surf as well.
It was just a really cool experience. I want to do more things like this. You really feel alive. It was just insane. I love the cold. I love the fact that you're completely alone, facing the elements.
What was the most challenging part about the expedition?
One of the hardest parts technically was getting my Sony A74 just before starting the trip. Before that, I had always shot with a different camera, so it was a big step for me to use a new one without knowing it too well. I missed a few shots at the start of the trip. Luckily, nothing too bad happened, but it stressed me out a little. But we had a really good team and great teamwork, which helped make everything work.
The hardest part in Iceland was not knowing what the weather would do. You can have a window of good weather, and then suddenly, it turns into a storm with snow. Driving through snowstorms was tough.
Why did you choose black and white for the photos?
I decided to make some of my pictures black and white because even when it’s sunny in Iceland, you're still really cold. The black and white edit helped convey that cold feeling. It reminded me of the chill in the air. In Iceland, during that time of year, the sun barely sets, and it feels like sunrise all day. It creates beautiful colours, but I wanted people to focus more on the texture of Iceland rather than the colours. You can see the texture in the mountains, the waves, and the surfers. I didn’t want all the attention to go to the beautiful colours.
Do you see any similarities between the art of surfing and photography itself?
Oh that's a good question... They are two very different arts, but some surfers, when they ride their boards, create true art. They draw lines on the waves. There’s definitely a connection between surfers and photographers. The more you understand your surfer’s style, the easier it is to capture the right shot. When you're shooting in the water, you really need to trust each other. Personally, when I take a picture, I like to show a lot of the landscape and only a small portion of the surfer to emphasise the scale. So knowing your surfer helps you frame the shot better.
And in surfing, you have to be patient and choose the right wave, which means waiting for the perfect moment. It’s the same with photography - you have to wait for the right moment to capture the shot.
In what ways can surfing offer life lessons that extend beyond the sport?
It teaches you to be humble. Mostly with the ocean. To be completely honest, I don't really like the vibe of surf culture nowadays. There's too much trouble. Too much selfishness with people saying "this is my wave!". But our cold water surfing association love the sharing aspect. We don't care about finding "the perfect wave", we just want to have fun.
2025-01-22T07:15:40Z