Photographer 'blown away' by response to his picture of face in a breaking wave at Roker Sunderland
A North Tyneside photographer has "been blown away" by the reaction to one of his photographs which captures a face in a breaking wave.
Ian Sproat from Tynemouth, captured the image at Roker pier in Sunderland while carrying out a day-long shoot on Saturday 25 February.
The amateur photographer took over 4000 pictures over the course of the day which began at 6am in his home town. He then headed to Roker, Seaham and Blyth only finishing at around 7pm.
Mr Sproat said: "I headed to Roker and I was pretty much on my own. I started taking pictures and then the waves just started getting bigger and bigger.
"I was really impressed with all the waves but it was only when I got home, I noticed a few faces in the waves and it was bonkers.
"My friend who was in the same spot got a few pictures of faces in the waves as well. There was some crazy stuff going on in the sea that day."
Since posting the picture on social media site Instagram, Mr Sproat says he has gained over 1,000 new followers, a reaction which has blown him away.
The 41 year-old only took up photography during lockdown after struggling with his mental health during the coronavirus pandemic.
As an electrician by trade, Mr Sproat said not being able to work during lockdown was "pretty stressful."
He told ITV Tyne Tees: "I needed an avenue to direct my stress and basically just to give me some peace.
"I spoke to a doctor and they suspected that I had ADHD which went undiagnosed when I was a child. I get hyper focused on things, and obviously the photography for some reason channels my stress.
"When I’m doing photography I just completely forget about the world. All I can think about is the pictures, I’m in the moment. It’s helped my mental health, it's helped my stress, it’s helped everything in my life to be honest, family life, the lot. Photography's been a really positive thing."
Capturing images along the coast and of seascapes is Mr Sproat's speciality.
He said: “I think the waters are magical, some of the stuff that goes on in the water, it’s godly. I believe the water is godly.
"Some of the shapes that it makes are crazy. When I first looked at it [the face picture] I thought it looked like a Native Indian with the head dress.
"Then I looked and I thought actually it looked like a woman's face and I started researching pictures to Aphrodite the goddess of water. "
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