JOLI GOOD SHOT
Peter “Joli” Wilson is one of surfing’s best shooters. He has been a professional photographer for over four decades and has logged thousands of hours of shooting around the world. Joli has seen plenty of shifts both in his field and in the broader surf industry. He has worked with some incredible surfers and big brands. He’s been published in every surf magazine in the world. We hope you enjoy our catch up with Joli as much as you enjoy his imagery.
Q: When did you start surfing?
I got my first surfboard when I was 14 years old, and that’s when I figured I started surfing. I started liking surfing before I got my first board. The interesting thing is my dad gave me a photograph of him holding a small plywood board—about four-foot long with a little turned up nose—a few years ago. My grandfather had made it. And when I saw it, I realised I’d ridden it when I was about three or four in little white-water waves. So I’m claiming I started surfing when I was about three or four years old.
Q: When did photography start?
It started when I was around 12 years old (when I was confirmed). My godfather gave me a camera for my confirmation, and my grandfather—the same one who made the surfboard—was a good amateur photographer and filmmaker. He ended up photographing me with my first surfboard when I got it, and I ended up processing the roll
