Surf Photographer Goes Up Against 40-Foot Walls of Water to Capture Iconic Shots — Now, He Reveals How He Survives (Exclusive)

• Connor Trimble is a professional photographer who specializes in surf photography, telling PEOPLE exclusively how he survives "death defying" experiences shooting the world's biggest waves

• The Hawaii-based artist photographs professional surfers and Olympians on waves that can be as big as 60ft tall, capturing shots from in the water at renowned breaks like Banzai Pipeline and Waimea Bay on O'ahu's North Shore

• Trimble credits his competitive D1 swimming background as a key to his survival in dangerous big waves, in addition to his decade of experience and time dedicated to the action-packed job

It's easy to imagine that perfect image of a surfer riding a big, barreling wave of turquoise water in what's likely a tropical destination. The feat is impressive and cool — and perhaps, intimidating to many — but have you ever considered the person behind the lens?

That's professional surf photographer Connor Trimble's job — or rather, his passion turned profession that evolved from "screwing around" with a screenless GoPro 3 upon his move to Hawaii over a decade ago to capturing the world's best surfers catch the waves of their lives today.

In an exclusive interview with PEOPLE, Trimble — who dials in from his Honolulu home near Waikīkī Beach, widely regarded as the birthplace of modern surfing — opens up about his "mesmerizing," yet often "death-defying" experiences at sea with a camera in hand amid an epic ride of his own.

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The style of Trimble's surf photography is an action-packed sport in itself, requiring more than just a simple click of a button, as his signature shots are taken from in-water perspectives. Simply put, he submerges himself in the ocean with the surfer as opposed to snapping photos from the land.

Capturing the perfect shot requires more than just a creative eye, but also physical and mental strength as he tackles some of the world's biggest waves to get the perfect shot.

Look at Banzai Pipeline, for example. O‘ahu's North Shore break is equally famous as it is infamous, attracting surfers who attempt to successfully ride what's known as one of the deadliest waves in the world. Its sketchy, underwater mechanics alone make the spot so polarizing, but picture-perfect for photographers like Trimble.

"It's this absolutely death-defying, mesmerizing, beautiful experience that is so hard to describe," he tells PEOPLE exclusively. "And when you're in the water, you can see just this mix of the raw, beautiful power of the ocean mixed with athletes who are just absolutely pushing the limits."

"There's something really magical and captivating and makes us all obsessed with it," he says.

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You could imagine Trimble's obsession with it, given his upbringing as an Ohio native who went from "gray and depressing" winters back at home to a sunny relocation upon committing to swim competitively for the University of Hawaii... with a "rainbow over the pool every morning," he adds.

Trimble's background as a D1 swimmer, meanwhile, is what makes him stand out from the pack as an in-water photographer. His physical endurance combined with his competitive drive gives him an advantage in a saturated field, especially at top breaks like Pipeline.

Notorious for the throngs of adrenaline-seeking surfers who swarm to the famed wave, Trimble points out the mob of cameramen he often has to compete with in the water to get the best shots of them riding it.

"There's up to 30 or 40 photographers out there," he says.

The crowd factor is just one of "three different things [in-water surf photographers] have to worry about," he stresses of the lesser-known variable to onlookers from the beach. The other two, meanwhile, are more obvious.

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Let's talk about the humungous waves that average around 10 feet at Pipe and upwards of 40 to 60 feet at breaks like Waimea Bay, the big wave surf mecca that's also on O‘ahu's North Shore.

"It literally looks like a house coming at you sometimes," Trimble says of his perspective from the water, where he'll strategically situate himself beneath the wave to perfectly capture the surfer coming out of the barrel.

Wearing little for self-protection, Trimble — who simply sports his Oakley helmet, deeming it "the best piece of surf equipment that anyone can have" — is exposed to Mother Nature's beatdowns whether he's prepared or not.

"I've had a leash wrap around my neck and pull me a few yards before," he recalls of the chord surfers use to connect themselves to their boards. "That was pretty crazy. I've also gotten slammed into the reef and then dragged across the bottom."

"And that's part of it!" he fearlessly adds, noting that, for Pipeline specifically, the reef is "so shallow" and made up of jagged, underwater lava spires that create both massive waves and dangerous conditions for those who enter the water.

Of the reef, he adds, "It's essentially concrete!"

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The third and obvious factor Trimble lists as a dangerous variable photographers must consider when out in the lineup are the surfers themselves, an ironic one given that they're undoubtedly the most important subjects in these particular shots.

"That's when it's a lot more intense for me," he says, especially when shooting video.

For Trimble's perspective, imagine this: You're treading water in the Pacific Ocean with reef as sharp as knives beneath you, a wave the height of a two-story house rising above you while a professional surfer is speeding through its barrel and coming "straight at your face" as you're filming.

"Then, it's just sliding under at the right time and getting out of the way," he simply says.

Mind you, Trimble's also juggling his $10K camera and "locked" on his screen as he attempts to steadily pan across the crumbling wave that the surfer is riding to keep the person in focus.

The camera, in fact, sparks a bonus fourth variable on his danger factor list.

"If your camera's out in front of you and the wave clips you, boom, your camera's smoking you in the head," he explains.

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Fortunately for Trimble, he hasn't sustained any major injuries on the job despite the unpredictability of the gig. In fact, some of the most intimidating environments set the scene for a scape that's become his signature style.

"Putting an athlete in just the most beautiful crazy thing ever... that is my dream. I live for that," Trimble says. "I gravitate towards little person, big place. So I love when there's a little person in the most epic, most beautiful, crazy place possible."

Turn your attention to Trimble's Norwegian expedition, just one of his many adventures around the world amid his ongoing quest to capture the visions swirling through his creative mind in partnership with a range of athletes, Olympians and brands like GoPro, Corona Cero, among others.

"That was an absolute dream photo of mine," Trimble recalls of his shoot in Norway with surfer Hunter Jones, who posed with a board in hand beneath the electric-green northern lights just south of the Arctic Circle on Unstad Beach. "We lined it up and nailed it," he says, looking back.

Those are the moments that fuel Trimble, and have since fueled his desire to leave the "gray and depressing" nature he was surrounded by in his Ohio hometown as a kid. Bright, vibrant colors radiate through his videos and photos that some may argue are A.I.-generated upon first glance.

"My whole life, I'm just chasing big beautiful nature — and to me, that was Hawaii," Trimble tells PEOPLE of his continued search for more breathtaking visions and experiences upon his move to the island, along with his often global travels to exotic destinations.

"I want that kind of style to be portrayed through my work because... that's what I was looking for when I was younger," he says. "It's really just pushed me to broaden my horizons and experience all kinds of different cultures around the world."

Having the "freedom to create," though, is among the best parts of Trimble's job — and with his talent combined with his unique perspective and storytelling ability behind the lens, the sought-after surf photographer undoubtedly continues to make waves of his own.

Read the original article on People