The Dark Side of the Lens Looks at the Art of Surf Photography

Mickey Smith, director of Dark Side of the Lens, makes a point of pushing his limits every day as a surf photographer and filmmaker. Smith’s haunting yet magnetic voice transports the viewer to the raw and brutal coastline of Ireland, where he is a “silent workhorse” in his industry.

The film is less about surfing and more about the hardships of a creative life—a life Smith chose for the “subtle glimpses of magic” he is occasionally rewarded with. In the wake of Dark Side of the Lens' four-year-anniversary, Sierra caught up with Smith to discuss the award-winning film and his life now.

Dark Side of the Lens reaches beyond the surfing community. Why do you think the film had wider appeal?

I had absolutely no idea so many people would embrace the film and react so positively. It blew me away. It was really humbling for me. It was a very personal deal, so I had almost purposefully paid no thought to what anyone would think. It was just something I had to do at the time, for myself and for my sister. Perhaps people just saw something of themselves or their own experiences and motivations in some of the words.

Maybe it's like picking a favorite child, but do you prefer photography and filmmaking over surfing or vice versa?

Riding waves is something that’s a part of me, just like working with cameras or music or film. It's all part of how I make sense of things in this wild ol' world. I'm lucky—at the moment—to be able to drift between them all pretty naturally. I've also started playing music professionally again, which has helped me with opening up more time for creativity.

You mention your nephews in the film—do you take them out surfing?

I have two lovely nephews, Kalle and Riley, as well as a lovely daughter named Eiva. They light up my life. My family and I take them to the beach a lot. Surfing too. But in reality, it's just too cold here at times, so it's difficult to be completely ocean-oriented [with kids] while they are small. Come summer, they love the waves and getting amongst the salt for missions. It makes me so happy watching them learn and enjoy time in the sea.

The film is short and sweet at six minutes. I'm guessing it took longer to make—how much longer?

It took about a decade of working in that committed way to be able to voice my experiences like that. And then three or four months of solid work on the film itself with Allan Wilson and my partner Rivie Verran.

You're the surf filmmaker and photographer, yet you were the subject of a surf film. Was this role reversal strange for you?

It's very weird, being in front of the lens. I have to completely switch off from the fact a camera is nearby and might point at me. It kinda rattles me, so I just try and get myself to a place where everything is subconscious and I don’t think.

You helped film Snow White and the Huntsman, which is a lot different than Dark Side of the Lens. Did something similar draw you to both stories?

We just shot some second unit seascapes, landscapes, and weather movements for Snow White and the Huntsman. Rupert Sanders and the guys were so gracious.

"If I only scrape a living, at least it's a living worth scraping," is a great quote from the film. Are you still scraping?

Sometimes I am, and other times I have been so very lucky to have interesting, challenging work [like I've had] these last couple of years. But, like any self-employed person, the ebbs and flows of work can always leave you stuck scraping. It's part of the charming challenges of being your own boss.

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Learn more about Mickey Smith at www.mickeysmith.ie.