French adventure and sports photographer Jérôme Brouillet captured an incredible surfing photo in Tahiti that may ultimately be the iconic photo of the 2024 Summer Olympics.
Brouillet’s gravity-defying image of Brazilian surfer Gabriel Medina floating above the Pacific Ocean has captured people’s imaginations and gone viral.
Speaking with TIME, the photographer says he’s surprised the image has gotten so much attention.
The modest photographer says that if the conditions are good and the boat driver — there are media boats in the water for surfing events — is in the right spot, an experienced photographer can get good surfing photos in Teahupo’o, Tahiti.
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However, Brouillet admits that even with the required expertise and experience, the difference between a good and a great shot is “timing, and a bit of luck.” The photographer is selling himself short, though, because he nailed absolutely everything and captured one of the most incredible surfing photos ever. While the perfect moment happening may require good fortune, being able to capture it like Brouillet requires exceptional skill and timing.
Brouillet has another ace up his sleeve — intimate knowledge of Teahupo’o. About a decade ago, the photographer moved from Marseilles, France, to Tahiti, part of French Polynesia, and knows the waters well. There is no substitute for first-hand experience when making fantastic photos.
Getty Images photographer @BrouilletJerome has the assignment of a lifetime: shooting Olympics surfing competition in Tahiti and capturing some of the best sports images you’ll see all year. These are incredible. pic.twitter.com/1qMkW8zOSL
— Matt Norlander (@MattNorlander) July 29, 2024
The photographer also credits his editor at Agence France-Presse (AFP). Brouillet and the other photographers on the boat were all capturing bursts of the same event, so part of what enabled Brouillet’s great photo to spread so rapidly is that it was very quickly out in the world.
Brouillet tells TIME he took four frames of Medina in the air like this and knew immediately that the viral photo was the best of the bunch. Brouillet’s images are automatically sent to AFP editors as soon as they’re captured, and the editor quickly pushed the iconic shot across the wire. The photo instantly captured people’s attention and imagination. During a break in the event, the photographer checked his phone and had a lot of notifications already.
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“It’s very cool, it’s a nice shot and lots of people love it. It’s not really a surf photograph so it captures the attention of more people,” the photographer tells Newsweek.
What makes the image even more remarkable is that not only is the image incredible in a vacuum, but it also has the context and story that elevate it to new heights. Brouillet photographed Medina after he nailed a giant wave during the fifth heat of the third round of the men’s surfing event, scoring an incredible 9.9. Medina earned a place in the quarterfinals, putting the Brazilian sportsman in medal contention when the event resumes. If Medina can surf his way to a gold medal in Tahiti, it will make Brouillet’s image all the more spectacular.
Image credits: Jérôme Brouillet/AFP/Getty Images