Morgan Maassen

We caught up with the award-winning photographer and filmmaker to find out more about his inspirations, fears and lessons he’s learned while traveling the world.

You once said that your father “instilled an undying love [in you] for the ocean, surfing, and travel”? Would you mind sharing some of your childhood memories with your Dad?

Morgan Maassen: My dad is a Sea Urchin diver, so growing up he always supported me and my friends in exploring the ocean through boating, diving, surfing, and experiencing the sea off of Santa Barbara. He pushed me into my first wave when I was 7 years old, and encouraged me in all of my aquatic endeavors ever since.

Growing as an artist and person, you will always encounter challenges that require leaving your comfort zone to try things that scare you. What scares you? Is there anything new and exciting you’d like to try?

I have an immense fear of failure. Not in the eyes of others, but to myself. I want to do so many things and go so many places… if I don’t make a valid effort to tackle as many as possible, then I will let myself down. Moving forward, I really want to jump into the world of filmmaking, beyond my current scope of just surf / lifestyle videos.

A first publication is a huge milestone in any photographer’s career. Can you tell us about your first published work and the story behind it?

The first magazine that ever published my work was Australia’s Tracks magazine in spring 2009. In late 2008, I had been shooting photos for several months and walked into their office, and asked what I needed to do to have them publish my work. They laughed, but expressed interest in several photos and told me to keep in touch. Shortly after, they ran a full page of 2 of my photos, which was surreal to see come to fruition. Shortly after, Surfer magazine ran several of my photos in fall 2009, making 2009 a very slow but exciting start, until Patagonia ran my photo as the cover of their catalog in spring 2010.

What is the most inspiring place you’ve ever visited? If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you build your dream home?

It’s a tie between Western Australia and Rio. Western Australia has the most wide-open, surreal land and seascapes I’ve ever visited, while Rio has a pulse like no other city I’ve visited. Ideally, I’d call the south of France home, as I am forever in love with the beauty of Basque country.

You’ve had the opportunity to work with Kelly Slater shooting in Hawaii, Mexico and Tahiti – A dream come true for any young surf photographer, shooting the ultimate surf legend. How would you describe Kelly Slater in one sentence?

To describe Kelly in one sentence: The only thing that supersedes Kelly’s surfing talent is his open mind, which allows him to learn and grow at a rate I’ve yet to see in any other human.

On your Tumblr page, you wrote, “The best athletes are sometimes the weirdest” under a photo of Kelly Slater. Who are some of the biggest personalities and characters, you’ve gotten to work with? Any funny stories from those experiences?

Kelly is a spectacular example of this because of his quirky sense of humor and broad interests. We’ve spent car rides arguing economics, only to show up at a parking lot where he picked up a broken pair of sunglasses, popped them on, and posed for my camera. His intelligence is so vast; it has lead to countless conversations that have opened my mind to new and unique things. I’ve also always had a blast traveling with Dane Reynolds, who has an incredibly potent sense of style that has turned me on to tons of new music and art.

You’ve worked with many young and talented surfers, such as Frankie Harrer, and seen them growing up and be the best at what they do. Who do you think are top three young surfers currently to watch out for?

Kanoa Igarashi and Griffin Colapinto are leading the way as young male surfers, both showing prodigal surfing talent and the desire to succeed that will carry them far into the future. Frankie Harrer is a teenage surfer who has the complete package, and always keeps me on my toes when we shoot together.

What lessons have you taken from traveling to your everyday life?

Respect and curiosity will always be rewarded. No matter where you are in the world, be polite and courteous to others, and the more questions you ask, the more you will learn from this massive world.

In addition to surf, you shoot fashion photography. What fashion icons would you like to work with?

I’d really love to work with models such as Lera Pen and Leore Hayon, two young girls that beat to their own drum of style and have wicked looks.

You and Coco Ho shot some amazing photos for ESPN’s Body issue. Nude photography is definitely challenging. What was the biggest challenge in nude surfing action shoot?

The biggest challenge was the fear of the shoot going wrong, for many unfathomable reasons. What if my shots did her no justice? What if I offended her? What if she couldn’t handle me seeing her in the nude? etc, etc… But Coco and I talked constantly during and after my agreement to do the shoot, and it felt right. She also gave me a lot of reassurance that I would make her most comfortable, which circled back to our strong relationship and inspired me to keep the set upbeat and goofy, and sure enough the shoot went off without a hitch.

If you were to sit down and interview any of your favorite photographers, who would they be and what would you ask them?

One of my best friends, Will Adler. He is my biggest inspiration, and we have a blast traveling the world together. I’d ask him some thought-provoking questions to both educate people better about him as well as to just give him a hard time.

Your childhood friend Chadd Konig and yourself, traveled to the Philippines to document “Surf for Life” efforts to rebuild communities after Typhoon Yolanda. You described having a very different outlook on life through that experience upon your departure. Tell us about your experience. What were some key things you learned about on your trip? Were there particular people who inspired you?

The greatest takeaway from the trip was going somewhere that wasn’t idealic, which is something I basically do for a living. To go somewhere where people were struggling and needed help, and to spend time giving back, was incredibly eye-opening to how much more meaningful a trip can be than another lifestyle photoshoot in Hawaii.

You recently started a project documenting Chadd building a self-sustained farm in NorCal. How is it coming along?

We’ve completed two of the three parts of the film, and are finishing it up this December with a final surfing adventure. It’s shaping up to be one of the coolest projects I’ve ever worked on, touching on everything from sustainability to exploring Northern California for massive waves.

Most of your work is dreamy and otherworldly. But I’ve noticed that you listed some pretty dark photojournalistic pictures and videos as part of your inspiration. What strikes you most about that kind of work? If you were to document any event in history, what would it be?

I love dark photojournalism because it’s so real. If I could, I would document the Hindenburg Zeppelin crash… it’s such a haunting disaster.

You are always shooting and blogging, whether it be professionally or recreationally- making some hilarious iPhone videos. You seem to be a great storyteller and anyone who follows you finds your work and thoughts absolutely inspiring. Any plans on writing a book?

One day! I think it will be awhile before I will have the body of work satisfying enough to sit down and make a book.

Could you tell us something about yourself that people might find surprising?

Um, I adopted a bloodhound named Moose. Or, I took my exit exam in the beginning of 11th grade and never stepped foot back in high school again?

If there were a perfect soundtrack for this year of your life, which song would it be?

“Everything Scatter” by Fela Kuti… travel, funkiness, upbeat…

Which current peers of your industry inspire you?

Will Adler, Zak Noyle, Chris Burkard