BEAUTIFUL WIND PORTRAITS NOW

ONNE VAN DER WAL

World class sailor Onne van der Wal is also a world class photographer. He captures the beauty of the wind as it fills and flaps the sails of schooners, catamarans and sailing yachts.

His stunning work has gained him an eclectic array of international awards. His photos have been featured on every major sailing magazine in the United States.

While he’s been sailing for much longer, Van der Wal’s interest in photography was sparked when Olympus gave him a camera to enable him to document his travels during the 1981 Around the World Race.

Born in Holland, Onne van der Wal grew up sailing the waters of South Africa. With an in-depth understanding of sailing, Onne van der Wal began to transfer his skills to photography. Each work focuses on dramatic angles.

From still portraits to motion shots, Van der Wal’s works tell beautiful stories about the wind.

Van der Wal takes 4 digital cameras (Canon 1-DS) on the water each with a different lens, which he keeps in a protective box with a rubber seal to keep out the spray and waves.

The wind has carried Van der Wal across the Atlantic more than ten times, and has powered him through dozens of  trans-oceanic events.

In the winter of 2003 Onne was fortunate enough to photograph an epic journey to retrace the steps of Sir Ernest Shackleton on the Island of South Georgia in the Falkland Islands.

His first book, "Wind and Water," was released in May 2004. Now, based in Rhode Island, Onne van der Wal and his wife run a sailing photography gallery.

Last fall, Onne van der Wal released Sailing, a beautiful book which includes 200 stunning photographs that capture the joy, excitement and glamour of sailing.

Written with Herb McCormick, a veteran ocean racer, the former editor of Cruising World, and sailing correspondent for publications such as the New York Times.

Check out Onne van der Wal’s website to see more of his extraordinary portraits of the wind.

Read more about Beautiful Wind, as they relate to Arts/Design, Nature/Science, Food/Drink,Place/Time, Mind/Body, and Soul/Impact including A Mighty Gentle Changing Beautiful Wind, The Wind as Artist Now, Blown Beauties for Beautiful Tables Now, Wind Art That Will Blow Your Mind Now and Ten Beautiful Places to Catch the Wind.

Enter your own images and ideas about Beautiful Wind in this week’s creative Photo Competition. Open for entries now until 11:59 p.m. PT on 10.05.14. If you are reading this after that date, check out the current BN Creative Competition, and enter!

PHOTO CREDITS:

1. Photo: by Onne van der Wal. Untitled.
2. Photo: by Onne van der Wal. “Six 12 Metres in Newport.”
3. Photo: by Onne van der Wal. Untitled.
4. Photo: by Onne van der Wal. “South Shore of Antigua.”
5. Photo: by Onne van der Wal. “Ranger.”
6. Photo: by Onne van der Wal. “Whitehawk in Antigua.”
7. Photo: by Onne van der Wal. 2014 Key West Race Week.
8. Image: Courtesy of Rizzoli. Onne van der Wal: “Sailing.”
9. Photo: by Onne van der Wal. Untitled.
10. Photo: by Onne van der Wal. Untitled.
11. Photo: by Onne van der Wal. Untitled.