Junior Carter Rote, an avid photographer, spends his days making his dream into a reality.

Rote’s interest in photography stems from his childhood. “I first got into photography when I was really little. My dad always had cameras and my mom did and I was always messing with them, trying to take photos. It all kind of just snowballed [and] eventually, I started to get good at it,” Rote said.

Although he photographs a range of subjects, Rote’s main focus is surf photography. “It’s my real passion. I enjoy all types of photography and take pictures of everything, but at the end of the day, that’s what I love most,” Rote said.

Despite being a surfer himself, Rote would rather be taking photos of others surfing than be on the board. “I don’t really care if I’m missing the surf. I just want everyone to be stoked on the shots and having a good time,” Rote said.

Surf photography, however, does have its own challenges. “[The most difficult part is] definitely the physical aspect. It takes a lot of endurance because you’re swimming with thirteen pounds of camera … In whatever size surf, it’s hard and it gets scary at times, especially with shallow reefs. You’re so close to the surfers. You’ve got boards flying past your face and you’re always worried you’re going to get hit by their fins and getting cut up by fins isn’t fun … That’s definitely the hardest part of it other than the market itself being really competitive  … It’s all about speed and being known,” Rote said.

Even though there are risks, Rote isn’t afraid to take them and pursue his passion. “[The most rewarding part of photography] is how excited people are when they see themselves in a photo … As a surfer who’s seen pictures of myself surfing, it’s a weird feeling to see yourself like that. It’s like your immortalized in that moment. On whatever wave or whatever day, it’s really the memories that carry on with it,” Rote said.