Tell us a little bit about the Saturday Project and its evolution:

Hi! I’m Adam, the founder of The Saturday Project.

 I’ve been a hobby photographer for almost a decade now - primarily shooting with film and bringing photography back to its roots. I’ve taken my camera - and surfboard - across the globe in search of empty waves and good times; and although it almost never goes to plan, I wouldn’t change a single thing.

 Together with my good pal Mitch, a self-taught graphic designer, we’ve turned our surf blog into a lifestyle brand with products that tell a story. Whether the story was created in Australia, Morocco, El Salvador, Mexico, South Africa, or our backyard of Vancouver Island, we hope to share a taste of the adventures we’ve been fortunate enough to experience.

Mitch and I met through our shared passion for the ocean several years ago. What began as a creative outlet and refreshing change of pace from our day jobs quickly grew into much more. One early morning on a drive to our local break, Mitch and I were chatting about the shoe boxes full of film negatives we’d accumulated over the years, and how nice it would be to have them all in one place to look back on one day. We began thinking of a way to document our experiences, and from that moment on we began working on The Saturday Project.

How has surfing influenced your lives and your creative process?

Surfing started directing our lives in ways we never could have imagined. We began booking flights to warmer waters and empty waves and counting down the days until we could do it all over again. The sport has taken us to some of the most awe-inspiring corners of the earth, and for that we are truly grateful.

 Surfing is also a fundamental part of our creative process.  We draw inspiration from every new adventure. Each experience teaches us something new about ourselves and the way we want to live our lives. The ocean continues to teach us so much.

 Without being able to travel this year, we’ve been able to enhance the connection with our backyard of Vancouver Island and the surf spots we’ve grown so fond of. The ruggedness of the conditions here makes the experience unlike any other. There’s just something about unplugging from our routines and being completely immersed in nature. Although we can never feel our feet at the end of a good session, we always find ourselves recharged and inspired to get back to our creative projects.

  Photography is a big part of the project. What was the purpose behind documenting your travels?

I’ve always collected photographs as a way of collecting memories. There’s a certain timelessness carried with a photograph. A picture can bring you right back to the time and place it was taken, offering a glimpse into life in that very moment.

 I started shooting seriously about 7 years ago. The motivation was entirely intrinsic and all I wanted to do was to capture the best days of our lives to relive one day.

 So why film? Was there no desire to switch to digital?

Film forces you to be mindful about each photo. Since you have a very limited number of exposures, the focus and attention that goes into each shot is unparalleled. Film photography takes practice and patience. But once you’ve held onto a camera for a while, you develop an intimate connection with it and the images it produces. You learn what light that works best for each type of film, and how to produce the shot you had in mind. There are no shortcuts - it takes time, effort, and practice... but once you get it right, it is so worth it.

 There’s a special feeling when shooting with 50-year-old technology. Nowadays, modern digital cameras are built to do nearly all the work for you, whereas most film cameras bring photography back to its roots. With film, there is no quick check. The element of the unknown makes the feeling of getting a roll developed all the more satisfying and rewarding when you nail it.

 Until recently, I shot exclusively film. While I will never stop using my Canon AE-1, digital certainly has its place. I joined the Sony club a few months ago and purchased an A7Rii (my very first digital camera). Sony has an excellent interface and I’ve loved every minute shooting with my new toy ... even though I often find myself reverting to my trusty film camera.

 The Saturday Project also makes t-shirts. Please tell us a little about the ideas behind the designs and what brought about the decision to make your shirts in a socially conscious manner?

Our product line has recently increased to include clothing, allowing us to combine our love of photography and design in one place. Our goal is to create high quality, sustainable products that align with our personal values.

 The decision to start making shirts was a bit of a happy accident. I always thought it would be neat to scan a film photo onto a piece of clothing, and once we found the right local printer, we were blown away with the result. From then, we developed several designs that drew inspiration from the surf culture of the 60’s, as well as some of our favourite images. The typeface used on all our shirts is 100% original, as are the designs. We had an absolute blast putting these together and going through countless iterations until we got them just right.

 Since the beginning of The Project, we’ve made a commitment to being better; both to our community and to our planet, which is why we’ve chosen to partner with local businesses whenever possible and use recycled / organic material with a vast array of benefits to the planet (and your skin).

Our process is far from perfect, but it is constantly changing for the better – and we are continuously learning how to reduce our impact.

Looking forward, what’s next for The Saturday Project?

One of the most rewarding parts of The Project has been the ability to meet, support, partner and collaborate with local businesses and fellow creatives. We’re constantly on the lookout for our next collaboration and have several in the works at the moment. Can’t tell you too much just yet, but stay tuned to find out more ;)

The first trip on the radar is a cold-water surf trip to England’s south coast, that I’m hoping will be possible near the end of this year. If anybody reading this would like to share some waves and/or local knowledge, feel free to reach out and I’ll be happy to return the favour.

On top of this, we’re hoping to have our shirts manufactured, produced and printed in Canada by the end of this year. We’ve been introduced to a few folks in the industry lately and cannot wait to share what we’re working on!

None of this would have been possible without the incredible support we’ve received from our friends and our community. Thank you.

To find out more about Adam and Mitch’s project, you can find their website here or find them on Instagram here.