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74 MOST MAGAZINE - ISSUE 68THE OCEAN PLAYS A CENTRAL ROLE IN BOTH YOUR LIFE AND ART. HOW DOES YOUR LOVE FOR SURFING INFLUENCE THE WAY YOU SEE AND CAPTURE THE WORLD?Before finding her voice in music, Angelica The ocean has always had my heart, thanks to my father and my godfather. My love for the sea began when I was barely six years old during a holiday on a tiny island called St. Pietro, off the southwestern coast of Sardinia, Italy. My dad was snorkeling, and I wanted to join him, despite hating life jackets and arm bands. According to my mother, I simply said no and jumped in. Nino, who was close to the boat, grabbed me to ensure I didn%u2019t sink. That moment sparked my lifelong connection with the ocean.Jacques Cousteau was my idol, and Le Grand Bleu is my favorite movie. I%u2019ve read The Girl of the Sea of Cortez by Peter Benchley every year since 1982. I only started surfing at 44, ten years ago, on a single-fin longboard, also known as a log. Learning to surf in the world-famous Muizenberg, where Agatha Christie surfed her board, Fred, in 1922, was incredible. My inspiration and dear friend, Bernie Shelly, one of the pioneers of South African surfing, still glides like a ballerina at nearly 78.The ocean has taught me patience and is where I go to seek solace and connect with my late father and Nino. Whenever I enter the water, I greet all those I love who are no longer here. This may seem odd, but it%u2019s my way of connecting with people, animals, and my surroundings. The ocean%u2019s lessons in patience, strength, and tranquility deeply influence my photography. It shapes my perspective, guiding me to capture the world with a sense of calm and reverence. Surfing and the sea are integral to my creative process, reminding me to find beauty in every moment and capture it through my lens. THE PANDEMIC MARKED A SIGNIFICANT TURNING POINT IN YOUR CAREER. CAN YOU TELL US MORE ABOUT HOW LOCKDOWN SPARKED YOUR TRANSITION TO PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY?Angelica%u2019s leap into music was driven by an Lockdown began just a few days after my friend Bernie%u2019s birthday. We had been surfing up the coast in cold water, knowing it would be our last surf for at least a few weeks%u2014little did we know it would be three months before we could surf again. I spent lockdown at home with my two dogs and two cats, determined not to fall into a routine of watching TV all day. Luckily, I have a garden, so I set up a makeshift gym, trained daily, kept the dogs fit, and worked on puzzles to stay busy.In August 2020, I faced one of the most difficult decisions of my life when I had to say goodbye to my soul dog, Charlie. He was a rescue with a history of being used as bait for dog fighting, and after serious malpractice a year earlier, he became a special-needs dog. Losing him left a huge hole in my soul, one that I began to fill by picking up my camera again after years of only using my smartphone.Soon after, I went on a much-needed girls%u2019 trip to St. Francis Bay, a special surf spot made famous by Bruce Brown%u2019s 1966 movie The Endless Summer. I started taking photos again and sharing them with friends, and the rest is history. The pandemic and my personal loss reignited my passion for photography, helping me transition into a professional career. It taught me to find solace and purpose through my lens, capturing the beauty and emotions of the world around me. STREET PHOTOGRAPHY, BLACK-AND-WHITE IMAGES, AND NOW VIBRANT COLOUR%u2014YOUR STYLE SEEMS INCREDIBLY VERSATILE. WHAT DRIVES YOU TO EXPLORE SUCH DIVERSE APPROACHES?Angelica%u2019s leap into music was driven by an Street photography began for me in Cape Town, a melting pot of cultures brimming with stories and lessons from daily life. Growing up, my father dabbled in photography as a hobby, and our home was filled with photography books and a massive collection of National Geographic magazines. I was always drawn to the work of Robert Capa and Henri Cartier-Bresson, whose photos left a lasting impression on me. Black-and-white photography has always captivated me with its timelessness and ability to distill emotion.MOSTMAGAZINE74 MOST MAGAZINE - ISSUE 69