Mickey Smith's Dark Side of the Lens is a meditation on his work as a surf photographer, passion, and doing what you love. The cinematography is simply gorgeous and his narration will fire up the creative spirit in even the most jaded viewer:
I see life in angles and lines of perspective. A slight turn of the head. The blink of an eye. Subtle glimpses of magic other folk might pass by. Cameras help me translate, interpret, and understand what I see. It's a simple act, and keeps me grinning. I never set out to become anything in particular, only to live creatively and push the scope of my experience, for adventure, and through passion ... I want to see wave riding and document it the way I see it in my head, and the way I feel it in the sea. It's a strange set of skills to begin to acquire, and it's only achievable through time spent riding waves -- all sorts of waves.
The short took home the award for best action sports video at the 2012 Vimeo Festival and Awards. Interestingly, the film was originally commissioned by an energy drink company and has been winning awards ever since.
For more work by Mickey Smith, visit http://www.theastray.com/.
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