Today, we sit down with Nico Ruiz Bry, our Creative Canvas winner, a talented photographer, graphic designer, illustrator, and surfboard shaper from the Canary Islands. When he's not creating, he's out chasing waves and snow.
When did you start photography and what was the spark?
Photography has always been a part of my life in one way or another. Ever since my parents gave me my first analog point-and-shoot camera at around 9 years old, capturing images has been something I’ve loved to do. I don’t recall a specific ‘spark’ moment, but I do think finding my dad’s old Nikon FG-20 film camera about ten years ago was a turning point for me. Going back to analog reignited my passion for capturing moments. The anticipation before seeing the final prints, not knowing how they would turn out, and having to be more deliberate with each shot—since you’re limited by the number of exposures per roll—made me fall even more in love with the process.
Name of Location and why you decided to choose this place.
My ideal paradise is hard to pinpoint, as I’ve traveled for over a decade to many places that feel like paradise to me—whether it's the Austrian Alps, Indonesia, or the southwest coast of France. But if I had to choose just one, it would be the Canary Islands, my home base. It’s the perfect blend of nature, family, friends, and everything in between.
What makes this destination Paradise to you?
What makes this place feel like paradise to me are the small moments that come from living in the present. I feel most grounded on this island, where I find beauty in the little, random details of life. Whether it's the post-surf conversations in the parking lot, driving during golden hour with the wind in your face, spontaneous dinners with family and friends, or the sparkling reflection of the sun on the water—it’s these simple things that make it so special.
During a surfing trip with my girlfriend to the southwest French coast, we decided to park our camper van and check out a beach where we witnessed one of the best sunsets I’ve ever seen. The ocean was perfectly glassy, with small waves rolling in. I grabbed my Nikon F60 and finally tried the long exposure I had been wanting to do for a while. I love how the colors fade into one another and the sense of calm in the frame.
When living in the Austrian Alps, I used to walk past this field to go to work to the ski resort nearly every day, and never really noticed it, but that morning, the mist from the river and the snowfall made this one tree pop out and and the shape just looked like lungs, at the time I used to have my Nikon FG-20 always in my backpack, so I just took it out and shot.
While visiting some friends in Finland, they took us to their cottage on an island at a lake, where would spend the day enjoying saunas, swims and great food, just before golden hour started, I would take my camera and take some shots of reflections on the lake, the way the light sparked on the water just felt magical. This one was made with my Nikon F60, which nearly fell in the water, since I had half of my body in it while I made it.
I spontaneously went on a quick trip to a small not very known family resort, looking for some powder with a really good friend. When we were driving you could see more and more snow on the sides of the road, and you could feel the expectation getting bigger, we ended having one of the best days of the season. For me, this picture represents not knowing whats around the turn, but somehow trusting it’s going to be good. The camera used was the Nikon F60.
While having some post surf conversations at one of my usual surfing spots, I slowly started noticing how the clouds started aligning parallel to the shore, so I got my Kodak Ekton 35af2 point and shoot, which I bought at a second hand shop for 5 bucks, made this picture, and kept on talking about our epic session throughout the night.
Just after getting of the lift at this resort, where I’ve spent most of my winter seasons, you have this fence, which I usually think is in my way of making pictures of the beautiful background, but that day the combination of wind and snow had completely changed the way it looked, and I thought it looked even better than what was behind it, I clicked my F60 and hoped that a few months later the picture would look as I experienced it.
After a great late surf at my favourite home break, with my brother, we were walking back to the car through these banana plantations while experiencing the after surf high, and I just loved the tones and shapes from the leaves of the banana plants, and once again, I was lucky I had my trusty point and shoot in my backpack.
After spending a few hours splitboarding in the Austrian Alps, we arrived back at the parking lot where we started, I saw this stream, the way the shapes of the the snow feel so rounded and “soft”, just caught my attention, I loved the contrast of the white snow with the blue river, the gentle whisper of the water and the lack of any other sound, because of the dampening of the snow, just felt so calming, so I wanted to capture it, and luckily I had forgotten my Kodak Ekton a few days ago in the car, so I was pretty happy about that.
Shop Nico x Slowtide towel here
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Check out Nico's website here
