Surf photography from Saltburn-by-the-Sea
The Saltburn Open Surf Competition 2023 brought surfers together at Saltburn-by-the-Sea on the North Yorkshire coast for another day of competitive surfing.
Saltburn is one of Yorkshire’s best-known surfing locations, and when a competition is running the beach becomes a great place to watch local surfers, visiting competitors and members of the wider North East surfing community battling it out in the waves.
I was at Saltburn with my camera to photograph the competition and capture the action from the beach.
Photographing the Saltburn Open
For me, photographing a surf competition is about more than simply taking pictures of surfers riding waves.
I was looking for the moments that tell the story of the event — surfers paddling out, waiting for the right wave, taking off, turning on the face and finishing their rides.
Saltburn’s pier also provides an excellent viewpoint for photography. From around the pier and seafront it is possible to get different perspectives of the surfers, the waves and the coastline.
I was able to use the location to capture both the competition action and the atmosphere around the event.
Surfing at Saltburn
Saltburn has a long connection with surfing and has become one of the most recognisable surf spots on the Yorkshire coast.
The beach can produce a range of conditions depending on the swell, wind and tide. When the waves are working, Saltburn can provide some excellent opportunities for both surfers and photographers.
The town, beach and pier also make Saltburn a particularly interesting location for surf photography.
For a photographer, the pier gives a great opportunity to include the structure of Saltburn Pier within the composition while keeping the surfers and waves as the main subject.
The competition
The Saltburn Open is part of the competitive surfing scene on the Yorkshire and North East coast, bringing surfers together to compete in the waves at Saltburn.
The 2023 event provided plenty of opportunities to photograph the surfers as they competed in the water.
2023 Saltburn Open photographs
Below is my collection of photographs from the Saltburn Open Surf Competition 2023.
My Saltburn surf photography
The Saltburn Open 2023 was another opportunity for me to develop my surf photography and learn more about photographing competitive surfing.
Surf competitions are particularly useful for developing photography skills because the action is unpredictable. You have to anticipate where a surfer is going to take off, choose your composition quickly and follow the surfer through the ride.
Getting the timing right can make the difference between an ordinary photograph and an image that really captures the power and movement of the wave.
More Saltburn surfing photography
I’ve photographed surfing at Saltburn on a number of occasions, including other competitions and general surf sessions.
You can explore more of my Saltburn and Yorkshire surf photography here:
- Saltburn Open 2021
- Saltburn Open 2022
- Saltburn Autumn Open Surf Competition 2026
- A Guide to Surfing at Saltburn
- Yorkshire Surfing Guide
About the photographer
I’m Howard, a Yorkshire-based amateur surf photographer with a particular interest in photographing surfing around the Yorkshire and North East coast.
I started photographing surfing because I wanted to combine my interest in the sea with photography and capture the people, waves and atmosphere of the local surfing community.
I’m not a full-time professional photographer, but I’m continuing to build my experience by photographing surf sessions, competitions and surf clubs around the region.
Want your surfing photographed?
I’m currently looking to build my surf photography portfolio and am interested in working with surf schools, surf clubs and surf events around Yorkshire and the North East.
If you’re organising a surf competition or event and would like photography coverage, get in touch.
Contact Howard about surf photography →
Explore more Yorkshire surf photography
If you enjoy surfing and surf photography, take a look at some of my other Yorkshire surf guides and galleries.
Saltburn-by-the-Sea • Cayton Bay • Scarborough • Tynemouth • Whitby
All photographs on this website are my own unless otherwise stated.