Local surf photographer Justin Morris captures the spirit of Folly
by Miranda Steadman | Contributing Writer
I like walking out on my block and surfing,” says Folly resident and photographer Justin Morris. “But I try and have freedom to travel and get away for a bit, too.”
Morris recently returned from a visit to Death Valley after a trip to Utah for a family reunion. He grew up on the Gulf Coast of Florida and began surfing Folly waves while attending the College of Charleston in the early 2000s. For the past 15 years, he has shared his passion for photography, surf, and travel with the Folly community through his blog named Follyhood.
One time, while surfing in Mexico, Morris snapped an incredible shot of his friend wearing a mask while riding a motorcycle on a mango farm. The image was featured at a previous Animal Shred art show downtown at Hed Hi Studio on upper King Street. The show returns again with new work on Aug. 29. It will be the last of the Animal Shred art shows and will feature several of Morris’s prints alongside art from local artists like painters Kate Barattini, Taylor Faulkner, and Chris Kemp.
“I’m excited to see the range of art at the show,” Morris said. “We all use different mediums, have different backgrounds and social circles so I’m not totally sure what to expect.” Ten years ago, the first Animal Shred was organized and hosted by Barattini, who frequently fuses surfers and animals in her paintings.
“It’s going to be an epic night,” said Morris, who, aside from shooting around Folly, has traveled to Indonesia, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and Mexico for photography and surf, including the Mexi Log Fest. This surf festival features the world’s best female and male longboard surfers in Mazatlan, Mexico, known as the “Pearl of the Pacific.”
Locally, Morris enjoys using drones to capture aerial views of the Morris Island Lighthouse and the Folly Pier.
“Killer light conditions occur right before a storm or after it’s passed on Folly and early or late in the day at sunrise and sunset,” he says.
For surf photography newcomers, Morris recommends, “Keep shooting and keep evolving.” In addition to surf photography, he works as a photographer for live music and real estate. He even transferred some of his photos to wood, which hangs at McKevlin’s Surf Shop on Center Street.
“I want to put an emphasis on creating art that people want to put on their walls,” says Morris.
