By Erika Scafuro

Surf photographers gave us the opportunity to admire extraordinary shots of surfers intent on crossing a tube, performing aerial maneuvres or riding massive waves.
It has been precisely the desire to share these moments with everyone and to share the big passion for ocean and surfing that led the young Leroy Bellet, from New South Wales – Australia, to become a surf photographer.
What do you need to undertake this profession? First of all you need to be a surfer, since you have to follow the surfer you want to portray, then can not miss the spirit of adventure and a good dose of courage.

What do you need to undertake this profession? First of all you need to be a surfer, since you have to follow the surfer you want to portray, then can not miss the spirit of adventure and a good dose of courage.
As we can see in Chasing the shot, a Redbull documentary that tells his story, Bellet takes POV (point of view) surfing pictures.
Bellet wants to go further in creating surfing contents with which really documents what happen within a wave. He takes the photos in motion, just staying behind the surfer who is inside tubes or is riding waves. He puts no limits to his fearlessness knowing that the wipe -out is guaranteed.

Despite being so young, Bellet is 20 years old, his images have been published on the covers of several specialized magazines since 2015.
In 2016 he won the Nikon Surf Photo of the Year award: a surfer riding a barrel in South Coast of Australia.
Since two years ago Bellet began very famous in surfing world for taking an amazing photo inside a Teahupo’o barrel.
Connected with a rope to a jet ski, not to waste time, Bellet entered into a wave together with the surfer Michel Bourez. Just behind the surfer Bellet photographed him sliding down the tube, with an arm in the air, with the stunning view of Tahiti mountains in the background.
The picture was first published in 2019 as a cover of Surfing World magazine and soon it became viral. Just know that Kelly Slater commented on photography “Insane shot. One of the best ever”.

Bellet has worked long time on this project, the Teahupo’o POV picture was taken two years before being famous, because the documentary Chasing the Shot should have told the behind the scenes of this challenge.
Thanks to Bellet and all the surf photographers we can marvel at the perfection of surfing and surfers.