Winners Gallery
Finalist Fine Art Photographer of the Year
Ben Thouard French Polynesia
A powerful wave breaks off the coast of Tahiti, its lip shaped by offshore winds as sunlight turns the spray into a glowing veil. Shot from a jet ski using a long telephoto lens, a moment of ocean chaos is transformed into a carefully balanced landscape, reminiscent of the famous print The Great Wave off Kanagawa by Japanese artist Katsushika Hokusai.
BEHIND THE LENS
Ben Thouard France
ABOUT THE IMAGE
- Accessed site via boat
- Canon EOS 5D IV & 200-400 f/4 lens
- ISO 100, f/16, 1/2500s
Originally from the south-east of France, Ben´s passion for the ocean and photography brought him around the world. He discovered Tahiti 20 years ago and decided to call it home. After shooting watersports for magazines and brands for over a decade he decided to slowly take a turn in his career and shoot water in a more personal style. His goal is to capture what really inspires him. The beauty of nature, the element of water, the waves and more particularly the underwater world. That photographic quest draws a whole new perspective in his photography career. It inspired Ben to create three art books : Surface, Turbulences and Aqua Obscura and it opened doors to art galleries allowing him to pursue his own projects and to shoot what he really loves: water.
MORE IMAGES BY Ben Thouard
AdventurePhotographer of the Year
2026 French Polynesia
Fine ArtPhotographer of the Year
2022 French Polynesia
AdventurePhotographer of the Year
2021 French Polynesia