I am an ocean inspired photographer. My primary goal is to showcase the beauty of the world’s oceans through my photographic work in hopes of helping preserve all that exists above and below the surface. I grew up in a small town called Knysna, South Africa. As a kid I was always surrounded by the sea and so I quickly developed a passion for all things to do with the ocean. Today I travel the world in hopes of finding a few moments to capture along the way.

My dad was a photographer and so photography has always been around me. I got my first camera when I was 15, it was an underwater Olympus. I was lucky enough to photograph the barrier reef with it and that’s where my love for documenting the ocean started. Since then I have been taking photos in and out of the water, searching for what this amazing planet has to offer.

My experience in the ocean grew when I moved to Cape Town. The cold water, howling winds and the various slabs, beachies and points were a big contrast to the waves that break along the shores of the Garden Route. I fell in love with shooting heavy water waves. The energy, stoke and images that come from being in the water when the sea is heaving are unmatched. I always find the heavy sessions to be the scariest, the ones I push myself the most in and the ones that leave me with the biggest smile on my face. When the swell drops off a bit I can’t resist the pull of the ocean and will find a fun wave to play around on or go for a dive to explore life below the surface.

I run an online print store www.jontyandrews.com and exhibitions to showcase my work and the beauty of our natural world.

Last year, 2022, I embarked on a 6 month photographic road trip along the entire coastline of South Africa, east to west. I got to document and experience the beauty of the South African ocean and its incredible waves. It was a magical experience that gave me a true appreciation for this amazing country and its unique surf community. This year I am pointing my camera overseas and will be based in the Maldives.