Elizabeth Pepin was born and raised in the Bay Area and began surfing in 1986. In the mid-1990's she became increasingly dismayed by the portrayal of women surfers in the media. So, in 1997, she decided it was time to show a more realistic photographic portrait of women's surfing. Although she has photographed many professional surfers, she has always been more interested in celebrating the everyday surfer as an athlete and enthusiast. In nearly ten years, she has photographed more than 400 women surfers around the world, and her images have appeared internationally in magazines, museums, galleries, and in several women's surf books - the latest - Sister Surfer by Mary Osborne and Kia Afcari was released in 2005.  

In recent years, Elizabeth has returned to an earlier photographic interest in shooting the people she meets on the street, as well as detail shots of everyday objects such as the sides of buildings, chairs, and flowers. As in all her work, Elizabeth's images tend to be raw, grainy, and sometimes almost abstract. This aesthetic is also found in my latest documentary film, One Winter Story, an hour long, experimentally shot movie about Sarah Gerhardt, the first woman to surf Maverick's.

The film, which Elizabeth produced, directed and filmed with Sally Lundburg, will be released in the fall of 2006.   Current projects also include shooting photos for a new women's surf book and a book on coastal homes, both to be releasedin 2007, and beginning pre-production on a new documentary which will follow girls participating in wilderness and envirionmental courses organized by GirlVentures. To see a clip of One Winter Story go to www.frankfilms.net.  

Stop by Paradise Surf Shop and take a look at Elizabeth's wonderful collection of photos. All pieces at Paradise are available for sale. Prices range from $30 - $300.   Elizabeth's photos will be on display at Paradise for the entire month of May.