Tal Lemmens

Tal Lemmens (b. 1991) is an international award-winning ocean and seascape photographer based in Torquay, on the Surf Coast, Victoria, Australia. Tal heralds from Warrnambool and relocated in 2017, where he still frequently visits the Great Ocean Road and other parts of the Australian coastline. His photographs document the wild, windy and rugged atmosphere of the southern hemisphere’s oceans.

The ocean has always been something that Tal has been connected to from a young age. He speaks of gratitude to his father for indoctrinating him to the sea and body boarding. Stumbling across old film photos of his father’s surf trips, intrigued and showed Tal that photos could promote a story – a lifestyle, triggering his interest in photography. Tal would spend the majority of his youth taking photos of his friends surfing. This was the precursor to Tal beginning to develop and hone his photography skills, beginning his career in capturing his iconic seascapes.

Tal’s craft is unique to a few. What makes Tal’s photography different to most, is the donning of a wetsuit and flippers before immersing himself in the ocean brine with his camera. He is exposed to the very real-life dangers – he is at the mercy of the uncertainty and unpredictability of the swells and its plethora of creatures. He aims to promote inquisitiveness and emotive feelings through his images, encouraging the viewers to connect with nature and submerse themselves in the moment with him. No matter what, the ocean will always be a part of him – Tal states the ocean is his lifeblood, “I am consigned to the sea.”

Tal’s photography endeavours have led to his images being recognised on a global scale and well ranked in both national and international photography competitions.