Inside w/ Indoek

A look inside Surf Shacks Vol. 1 & 2 with Matt Titone

Words by Matt Titone of Indoek

I started documenting creative surfers and their homes back in 2013 because I needed a specific project to nurture my love of photography. As a designer who was starting my own small studio, I was craving inspiration and human connection away from my computer screen and "Surf Shacks" was the perfect vehicle for that. As an avid surfer, I have always been obsessed with the lifestyle and the culture. I also love how there's such a unique community of creative people within the surf sphere. Through the series, I’ve had the opportunity to celebrate my talented friends and meet influential people whose work I admire—it has checked a lot of boxes for me creatively over the years. Two books later and a third one on the way this Spring; I have shot and interviewed around 150 subjects thus far. The Surf Shacks series continues to inspire my own creative work and personal lifestyle, as I hope it also does for others.

Vol. 1

Kitchen in the "Zanja House," a backyard accessible dwelling unit (ADU) that my brother Sam, my partner, Courtney, and I designed and built in Mar Vista in Los Angeles back in 2016.

Vol. 2

The rustic outdoor shower of jewelry designer Celeste Twikler in Byron Bay, NSW, Australia.

Vol 2.

The lush indoor/outdoor studio of artist and designer Liam Kaczmar in the Outer Sunset district of San Francisco.

Vol 2.

Photographer Cole Barash's Cape Cod cabin.

Vol. 2

Iconic surfboard shaper and eccentric artist Peter Schroff's patio area in Venice, California. Photographed weeks before it was demolished by a new owner in 2017. Everything changes. Nothing gold can stay.

Vol. 2

The quintessential North Shore A-frame home of Gabriel Tennberg. Shot by our late friend, dear brother Russell Brownley for Surf Shacks Vol. 2.

Vol. 1

House rules at Yoki's in Newport Beach, California.

Vol. 2

Collections of storied artworks, surfboards, and other surf cultural relics overflow from every corner of curator Charles Adler's home in Long Beach, California.

Vol. 1

I randomly met Mitsuo Shimbo in Chiba, Japan through a friend I was staying with in 2013. That’s how this project often goes: one subject will usually introduce me to the next. He didn’t speak any English, but we spent a wonderful afternoon together with no verbal communication. Mitsuo lives in a couple Airstreams with his family behind the coffee shop he owns. Any possessions he has are mostly vintage artifacts. Simple, happy living.

Grab yourself a copy of Surf Shacks Vol. 1 and Surf Shacks Vol. 2, and stay tuned for Surf Shacks Vol. 3, coming soon.