Moody Captures of Skate and Surf Culture Worldwide

Let's face it. Photobooks are everywhere and cover just about everything. From publications covered with just butts to ones filled with street captures of New York City during the '60s, any broad or niche interest an image taker may have can be turned into a visual centerpiece for someone's future coffee table. French photographer/director Sebastien Zanella may have chosen a common theme for his photobook, but the vision behind the subject matter and execution is what separates the his work from others. While we've covered several surf and skate publications, we haven't quite seen one as emotive as Zanella's Wave Melancholia.

Although touching on a popular theme, Wave Melancholia holds an unusually expressive edge to its visual narrative of surf and skate. Whether it be in Latin America, Australia, the European Atlantic Coast, the United States or Indonesia, Zanella uses the dramatic essence of shadows and natural light to highlight a sort of moody side to the subcultures. Spanning 196 pages and made complete with an equally artistic hardcover, you can cop your own copy of Wave Melancholiahere after browsing through some of Zanella's bold imagery below.

Words: Vanessa Feder
Photography: Sebastien Zanella