Wedge Burn

Sam Duda is a California-based documentary surf photographer, writer, and visual storyteller whose work explores the relationship between people and place. Rooted in Southern California surf culture, Sam creates images soaked in saltwater and inspired by coastal landscapes. Drawing from years spent photographing the natural world, and informed by their lived experience of disability, their work celebrates the beauty of everyday life through an intimate and deeply personal lens.

Working primarily with 35mm film, Sam embraces a slower, more intentional approach to photography. Their pieces are driven by memory, nostalgia, and a desire to capture the world as it feels rather than simply how it looks. Sam seeks to preserve moments of wonder by creating images that remind viewers of the curiosity, freedom, and childlike joy of discovering the world for the first time.