Remi Walsari on Surf Photography with the Simple Use Reloadable Film Camera

For analogue photography, every landscape brings its own challenges. Many take their cameras into the city, but only a few dare to carry them out toward the restless sea. In this interview, multi-disciplinary artist Remi Walsarie shares his tips for surf photography and reflects on his experience with the Simple Use Reloadable Film Camera Black & White and the Simple Use Underwater Case!

Hi Remi, welcome to Lomography! Could you introduce yourself to the Community?

Hi, my name is Remi Walsarie, I’m 36 years old and from Amsterdam. I work in the creative scene mainly as a photographer, videographer, and director. I love to combine my work with traveling and adventure, so at the moment I’m saying hi from Bali.

How did your analogue photography journey begin?

When I turned 20, my girlfriend at the time gave me a Diana Mini from Lomography as a birthday present. That is how I started my analogue journey. After that, I always kept shooting analogue. Not as much as I would like, but I love the handling of film and the cameras. The quality of the images is often amazing and great for my creativity and exploration.

You’re a photographer, videographer, and theater artist. How do all of these passions connect and influence each other in your life?

People always tell me those are a lot of different creative outlets, but in my head they always flows together. I notice that the framing and the shots I take in video and film often overlap with the images I take in photography. Then, directing people or actors is basically the same. Of course, there are technical differences, but the communication of the story is always the most important, basically the same, just with another tool.

Moving to the product, what was your first impression of the Simple Use Reloadable Film Camera Black & White and the Simple Use Underwater Case?

I was very excited. I love to shoot with both point-and-shoot and disposable cameras. This product is based on both. You don’t have to worry about your settings while shooting water sports; that is both great thing AND a challenge. Sometimes you need to guess if the shot worked out, but I like that as well. It is part of the experimentation with film.

Both the ocean and film photography can be unpredictable, and surf photography sits right at the intersection of those two uncertainties. In the water, with shifting light, waves, fleeting timing, and unexpected floaters, how do you decide when to take control and when to simply let go?

This made it a challenge and to be honest, it is also the reason why there are some mistakes or shots I don’t like too much. Of course, you can’t control the ocean or the weather, but you can play into it. I’m a surfer myself, so I can read the ocean a bit. I can see when a set of waves is coming in, and I can predict how strong they might be. Shooting at the end of the day also helps, around the famous golden hour. Because I shot with black and white film, it didn’t do anything for the colours, but in the Netherlands where I took these photos, the sun set in the ocean. This shimmered across the water and also created great silhouettes. This camera has flash, which allows you to counter the backlighting for a little bit of fill.

In that context, how was your experience shooting with these products? Did you encounter any surprises or challenges especially underwater?

The fact that you can’t control the settings is something that I like. The ocean can be rough and will make it difficult to use the camera. Besides that, it is a small camera. Great for traveling but harder to handle in the ocean. I had to double check that my fingers weren’t in front of the lens. Other than that I like it. If you’re shooting in the open ocean, you just need to get used to it.

Unfortunately I wasn’t able to shoot under water. The ocean in the Netherlands is very cloudy, which means that you cannot see or shoot any pictures when submerged.

How does your approach behind the lens change when you’re shooting on land versus in the water?

When I’m in the water taking photos, I’m way more focused on timing. Of course, water sports and the ocean have movements all the time. Though I experience this with some projects on land as well, when you are in the water, the ocean has an effect on you. The waves hit you as a photographer, so you are almost never still. You are either swimming or if you can stand, the waves will still move you around. This makes it way harder to get the right framing. While on land, even when the action is still going fast, I mostly have time to set a frame to anticipate the action so I can take the shot.

What advice would you give to someone curious about these products and photography involving getting into the water in general?

Make sure you can swim or bring tools that can help you like flippers or a life vest. Swimming can be hard in general, especially in open waters like the ocean. But now you are holding gear in your hands. This makes swimming way harder. So please stay safe.

Other than that, have fun! It is a great camera to enjoy photography, be creative, and to explore and experiment with! That makes it very fun to use! When the water is clearer, you can also submerge the camera and take clear pictures underwater. Like I said, the ocean I shot in wasn’t clear and I wasn’t able to see anything. Now I’m in Bali, where the water is clear, so everything is visible which is great for this camera!

Out of all of these photos, is there one frame that stands out to you the most? What makes it memorable?

There is this one shot where the surfer fell off his board and the board shot up in the air. This captured the story perfectly. The current was strong that day and he was really struggling. Surfing is very hard to do, most people don’t realize it because videos of professionals make it look easy. Even the very good surfers still fall, you just don’t see that in their feeds!

I also like the shot of the surfer girl while she is looking out for waves. She is sitting on her board looking away from me. As a surfer you are constantly “reading” the ocean. You are trying to predict when the next good wave will come before it is even there. Every surfer will recognise this image and immediately know what is happening in this shot. This is what every surfer does, more than standing on the board riding the waves.

Where else would you bring the Simple Use Reloadable Film Camera Black & White and the Simple Use Underwater Case?

This is a perfect holiday or travel camera. Now that I’m traveling through Indonesia I see use for it everywhere. From swimming pools and waterfalls, to the ocean, beaches, and jungle rivers even without the Underwater Case. Things happen so fast here, it is great to grab the camera because it is ready to shoot any time without having to fix all of the settings. Because it is so small, I can use it on a daily basis. It fits in my backpack, my fanny pack, and even in my pocket.

Beyond this collaboration, are there any other projects coming up that you would like to share?

The fact that I’m in Indonesia has a reason. My roots are here, my dad was born here. He left when he was 5 and never returned. Together with him and my brother we are trying to learn about our roots. On this search, the three of us have experienced a lot of adventures and bonded as father and sons. I turn these stories into a small series on my social media and I also hope to make it into a bigger and longer documentary style story.

We would like to thank Remi Walsarie for sharing his photos and experience with us! Check out more of his work on his website and his Instagram at @remiwalsarie.

written by maxinecruz on 2025-10-10 #gear #places #people #gear #places #surf-photography #apac #simple-use-reloadable-film-camera-black-white #the-simple-use-underwater-case Share Article