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Peninsula Gallery features water photographer Christa Funk

September 5, 2019

As part of the Water, Water exhibit opening Saturday, Sept. 7, at Peninsula Gallery in Lewes, Christa Funk from Hawaii will show a series of surfing and underwater photographs, all printed on aluminum. Her work has been featured several times in Freesurf Magazine and on Surfline’s website, among others.

Funk grew up as a competitive swimmer. She was handed an SLR camera in 2003, and after being awarded an A grade for her first school assignment, she was captivated by photography. Fast forward nine years and, fresh out of Coast Guard Academy, she was posted to Hawaii where she had the opportunity to learn to surf. While there, she became interested in surf photography. After finishing her time in the Coast Guard, she transitioned to being a full-time photographer.

Hard work, a punishing fitness regime, discipline and courage have led her to being greatly respected by her peers in the industry as well as the surfing community, Funk, more often than not, is first out in the lineup and will stay out in the water longer than others in order to secure a unique shot.

Her images in the show really tell a story, particularly for those unfamiliar with the surf of Hawaii, in a sequence which starts with a relatively calm ocean, moves to huge curling waves and on to surfers riding those waves. To top it all off, she goes under the waves to film dolphins, goat fish and strange rock formations.

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