story

MARIA BASTIDAS

“When I just leave it to God, it actually works better than if I would have done it in my own terms.”

What were you looking for in life, and how did you discover your passion for surf photography?

I wanted more, I wanted something different than what I grew up with. I always felt different, I had this desire to be more athletic, competitive, even tomboyish.

And then after college I was a little lost, I didn’t know what should I, like what path should I take.

I started high performance swimming since I was 7 years old and for me that was kind of like my school since I grew up kind of in a homeschooling system.

I had the opportunity to go to Hawaii to volunteer at Surfing the Nations and it just, God placed people in my life, like key people in my life that got me into the path where I am today.

For example, I got to meet the surf photographer Peter Sterling that he offered to show me what he knew and then he came to me and he was like, are you sure you want to do this? Like this is dangerous and you’re a woman, you could die.

I also met Bethany Hamilton that told me that if I wanted to pursue photography I could come and practice with her.

Okay, what girl from Mexico City gets an opportunity to shoot and practice with like this surfer that I look up to and like she is one of the most famous surfers in the world.

And all these pieces fell in place and that’s when I was like, okay, I think God wants me to pursue this path.

What made you decide to pursue surf photography, even when it meant taking a big leap of faith?

Something clicked there and I remember I was like, okay, so I sold my car, bought my housing, my camera and bought a one-way ticket to Hawaii and I went again for the next season.

And I feel like that’s when I fell in love with it and I was like, okay, I won’t leave the islands until I get to shoot at Pipeline.

And I swam at Pipeline, it was a small day, but then I was like, no, I have to swim bigger and like just pursue this passion and dream that I had to the point that it became my career a decade later.

“All these pieces fell in place and that’s when I was like, okay, I think God wants me to pursue this path.”

What has God taught you about trusting His plan instead of your own?

Proverbs 3, it also talks about how we should not lean into our own understanding and like God will straighten our paths. And that actually has been like repeatedly a pattern in my life. Like every time I try to make a decision or try to do everything by my own efforts, it doesn’t work as I thought it would and then all of a sudden God has a better plan for me.

So when I just leave it to God, it actually works better than if I would have done it in my own terms.