Julie del Mar, to the Ocean

Julie del Mar’s story began on the Argentine coast and eventually took her to Australia, where she discovered a life-changing passion: underwater photography. Using her camera, Julie captures not only the movements of the water and surfers, but she also conveys emotions, telling stories that add layers of meaning to simple images, capturing the essence of the connection between the ocean and ocean-goers. In this interview, Julie tells us her story, from her beginnings in photography to the challenges she faces trying to capture the ocean in its purest form.

Julie was born in San Antonio Oeste, a small coastal town in the Rio Negro province, Argentina, but she spent most of her childhood and teenage years in Tandil, a rural town south of the Buenos Aires province. Although she lived far from the sea, she would always go back to San Antonio Oeste for the summer and winter holidays, where the beauty of the landscape and simplicity of her surroundings helped to forge her deep connection with nature. 

“My great aunt didn’t have a television or internet at home, so all I had was the ocean, the wind and my imagination,” she recalls. “I would observe every detail, from biodiversity to the changes in the colour of the water. I had no distractions so I became a very curious and introverted person, and photography became a way for me to capture what caught my attention and to create a different world through these images.”

Although the ocean had always been a part of her life, photography was something that came to her almost instinctively. When Julie was 13 or 14 years old, she started exploring the Tandil mountains, going on long walks with her dogs. During these outings, camera in hand, she began to photograph the landscapes and sunsets. This was when she realised she could create new realities through photography, but it was in San Antonio Oeste that the sea inspired her to ask herself what went on below the surface. “I always wondered what else the ocean had to show me, and what went on down in the depths under my feet,” she says.

In 2019 she travelled to Cairns, Australia, and the first thing she did when she arrived was to sign up to a diving course. It was there that she met a marine photographer for the first time. “I was amazed. I didn’t think it was even possible to use a camera in the water.”

After travelling along Australia’s east coast and falling in love with its landscapes, she decided to stay and look for work and used her savings to buy her first waterproof case, which she had no idea how to use. “I’m self-taught, so I read a lot, I watched videos, I followed specialised photographers and I practiced non-stop,” she explains. “I’ve always been a good swimmer, so I just had to learn how to use my camera in the water, and as surfing had always caught my attention, I started photographing local surfers.”

 

For Julie, surf photography is about more than just capturing skill on the waves. Her work is characterised by soft and delicate images that reflect how the ocean makes her feel. “I try to take photos that are subtle so that everyone can interpret them in their own way. I like to play with blurring, the chaos of the water, the depths… with life itself.”

One of her most special projects was a series of photos for an exhibition about the women’s surf community in Noosa. “I asked the surfers what the ocean meant to them, and it resulted in an incredible photo series,” she recalls. She also has photos on exhibition at events including the Noosa Festival of Surfing with the She to Sea community and in her home country, Argentina, through a local art magazine called Malas Artes.

 

Taking photos in the water isn’t an easy task, however. For Julie, the biggest challenge is the unpredictability of the ocean. “You can’t control the currents, the size or strength of the waves. You can only prepare yourself physically and mentally for what may happen”. Despite the challenges, each session in the water gives her a story worth telling, like the time she got trapped in a current at Boiling Pot. “The current was strong and it took me 30 minutes to reach the surf break. I was too tired to take photos, so I decided to get out. But the sea had other plans…”

Julie ended up being swept all the way to Noosa Main Beach, unable to make it to shore because of the force of the waves. With the sun setting and darkness falling like a blanket over the water, she tried to stay calm and find help. Finally, she was spotted by some surfers who offered her a board to get to shore. “Before this, one of them said to me: ‘Let me catch a couple of waves first.’ I just laughed and waited.”

Julie finds inspiration in photographers such as Cait Miers, Tom Woods and her own friends and colleagues. “I learnt a lot from Tom Woods when I was starting out, I even got to talk to him in Noosa. He’s a legend.”

Looking towards her future, her aim is to create more of a connection with the lives of the people she photographs. “Sometimes I feel like I always take the same photos without conveying any meaning. I want people to share their stories with me; how they developed a connection with the ocean, how surfing became a part of their lives. That’s what makes a photo more interesting.”

If I could choose a dream destination to photograph surfing, it would be Europe. “I would love to visit Ericeira in Portugal, San Vicente in Spain and, of course, explore more of Argentina.”

Beyond these destinations, what she finds most important is the impact of her work. “I always try to be true to myself and what I want to communicate with my photos. I’m an emotional person and photography is my way of expressing what I can’t put into words. If my photos make someone feel something, then I’m happy.”

Julie del Mar reminds us that the ocean is more than just a place to surf: it’s a space for connection, exploration and stories waiting to be told.

 

 

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