Rolling in the deep

At just 16 years of age, Ocean Grove’s Johnte Lange is making waves behind the lens as he paddles out to capture some of the local coastline’s most spontaneous moments.

Three years since Johnte first picked up a camera, he says time has seen him better his skills. Here’s what else he had to say about his work:

How and when did you get into photography?

I was about 13 when I first picked up my older brother’s camera. He was at the beach and he let me have a go. I don’t know why but it triggered this passion of mine for photography and a few months after that day I got my hands on a little Canon 1200D which did the job to get me started. I was always so frustrated because I had to share the camera with my younger brother and I would miss out sometimes on getting shots because he was using it! Then as the years went on, I got my own camera, upgraded and got a water housing for it. I rarely visited the beach as a kid, then getting into photography sparked my love for the ocean and its waves.

Some of Johnte’s work is on display at Parade Espresso Bar in Ocean Grove.

A lot of your photos are close-ups of waves rolling in. Tell us a bit about your fascination with the ocean.

I think my fascination with the ocean is how raw and powerful it is here in Victoria – from how the winter storms create swells that travel thousands of kilometres to hit this little piece of coastline. You would be intrigued if you put in the hours to see some of the perfect moments in the ocean. From all the elements aligning, wind, tide, swell and light, you can witness perfect curling waves, an epic sunrise/sunset in the water and so on. My passion is to be able to capture these special moments and to share my work with the community in the hope they can see something they might not have ever seen before. You can put in the time looking at the surf forecasts and weather maps but you can only plan so much; Mother Nature is always in control.

What equipment and editing programs do you use?

I shoot with a Canon 80D accompanied with an AquaTech water housing. I use Adobe Photoshop to edit my images.

Where do you go to take photos? Any favourite spots we might know of?

For now, as I don’t have the privilege to drive with my age, the bike is the go for me unless I’m lucky enough to get a lift. I take my photos at my local breaks around home and along the Great Ocean Road. My favourite spot to shoot is probably the coastline at Barwon Heads. It offers a range of possibilities for imagery with different breaks and it’s local.

Where can people find your work?

I’m on Instagram @johntelange. I have some work in at Parade Espresso Bar in Ocean Grove as well (the coffee there is the best in the state). I also have a website in the works. For any questions or queries, my email is [email protected].