The ocean has been a source of fascination for photographer Peter Jordan for as long as he can remember. In 2024, he took his love of the sea to Vero Beach, where he now resides year-round.

South Beach Park is the chosen location for the majority of his photographs, many of which illustrate the constant movement of the waves, although his portfolio does also include coastal flowers and trees.

“It’s amazing how much the ocean differs in one place like South Beach Park from day to day,” says Jordan, owner of Ocean Surf Photography.

As it also fluctuates throughout each day, he shares that while he does enjoy taking shots during the sunrise “golden hour,” he also brings his camera to the beach at off-peak times.

“I’m not really a morning person. And I really like going in the summer months of June through September because you have the beach all to yourself. I love when the sun is low on the horizon in South Beach. The sun goes through the waves and gives you translucency.”

Some of Jordan’s photos, such as “Waves of Sunshine,” reflect this color phenomenon, showcasing the sun’s yellow glow against the crystal blue contrast of the water. To capture such nuances, Jordan shoots much of his photography immersed in his subject, standing in ankle-deep water.

“Being in the water is a real challenge. I get pounded with the waves. My lens is constantly getting wet. If I had a nickel for every picture that has a water spot on it, I’d be rich!” he says with a laugh.

Jordan admits to being a “computer guy,” juggling his coastal photography with a remote technology business, Computer Services Center, that maintains clients throughout the United States.

However, he is adamant about not digitally retouching any of his shots.

“I don’t edit pictures because it forces me to be a better photographer,” he explains.

Using a 10-year-old Nikon camera, Jordan enjoys experimenting with different photography techniques, especially long exposures. He asserts that long exposures create more interesting and dynamic pictures while at the same time posing certain challenges that he has mastered.

“The difficulty for some photographers is holding the camera steady. But I don’t have a problem with that. Photographers ask me, ‘Do you use a tripod?’ I always say no.”

Through his long exposure photography of the Atlantic waves, Jordan hopes to communicate a sense of peace and relaxation. His childhood memories of the beach were a springboard for his inspiration, as was science.

“As scientists say, the ocean is the source of all life on the planet. The beach has a rhythm which equates to your heartbeat.”

Jordan’s initial love of ocean photography began an ocean away from Vero Beach, when in 1966 his father accepted a job with IBM International and the family moved overseas.

“We boarded the SS United States from New York to Paris and traveled through Europe. My parents were very smart; they bought my brother and me cameras. I took my first pictures in Paris, at 6 years old, of the Montmartre Artist Market. That launched my passion for photography,” he shares.

Jordan’s precocious interest in photography blossomed around the globe, including in Lebanon in 1968 before a 15-year civil war wreaked havoc on the country and they returned home.

Back in the U.S. he was raised among the rolling hills and horse country of Hunterdon County, N.J., a place he compares to Ocala. As a child, he enjoyed trips to the Jersey Shore, especially Ocean City, where he would bring his camera.

He is primarily a self-taught photographer, noting that he has only taken one photography class in his life.

“In high school, I took a class with a shoebox camera with a piece of copper in front and a pinhole. The class taught me how to work with negatives and do dark room transferring,” he recalls.

In 2021, he moved to Leesburg to care for his ailing mother and took advantage of Central Florida’s access to some of the state’s finest parks.

“I did a bunch of lightning shots in the parks. I also started going to the Gulf beaches.”

It was while exploring the Gulf Coast, notably Sarasota beaches, that Jordan developed a preference for ocean photography.

“What attracts me to the ocean is fluid dynamics, which applies to both air and water; the unique shapes, the fast action. As a photographer, you’ve got to crank up your shutter speed because things happen pretty quickly,” he explains.

The process might be complex, but Jordan keeps his photograph titles simple.

For instance, “Sea Foam 3” depicts the chaotic nature of the ocean and its moment-by-moment evolution; “Cotton Foam 1” tricks the eye into wondering if the photograph is of rolling waves or clouds; and “Palm Tree Thoughts 1” is another optical illusion, with a tree silhouette nestled within a raindrop.

Although Jordan only moved to Vero Beach last year, he has quickly integrated into his new hometown. A member of the Vero Beach Art Club, he runs its Art ’Round Town (A.R.T.) initiative, procuring works from artists to be displayed at local businesses. He is also highly active in the creative community through the Indian River Photography Club and the Treasure Coast Photography Club.

Currently, Jordan’s photography is on exhibit at the North Branch of the Vero Beach Library and, through the Cultural Council’s Art in Public Places initiative, the Indian River County Administration Complex and the IRC Intergenerational Recreation Center.

Ultimately, Jordan’s goal as a photographer is to record the beauty of his adopted hometown and its ever-changing waters.

“It’s 10 minutes in the car to get my toes in the sand. It’s just so beautiful here.”