Mick Fanning at Snapper Rocks, Andrew Maccoll, 2010.

This photographic portrait of surfer Michael ‘Mick’ Fanning AO stands 101 cm tall and 152 cm wide.

Mick Fanning is pictured standing on the sand at Snapper Rocks beach, positioned slightly left of centre from the knees up. He appears studio-lit from above, casting a shadow under his strong brow and square jaw.

Fanning stares straight into the camera and his blond crew-cut hair appears gold when lit from above. His nose is long and straight and faint blond stubble peppers his chin and jaw. His right shoulder is raised slightly, his right hand tucked into his dark jeans pocket. His left shoulder is lower and in his left hand he holds shiny black plastic sunglasses against his leg.

On his left wrist a large sports watch and narrow wrist band catch reflections of the light and he wears a wedding band on his left ring finger. Fanning wears black jeans and a black t-shirt which shows a large stark white ‘RIPCURL’ logo on his chest; a stylised wave set in a rectangular frame. The small text ‘RIPCURL’ is just visible below the logo and on his left sleeve cuff.

Behind him, the dark foreboding grey clouds and the dark sand of the beach stand in stark contrast to the warm studio light of the foreground. The ocean horizon cuts directly across the middle of the image. Amongst a strip of frothy waves that line the horizon, 2 tiny surfers on the left and right are visible only as silhouettes. To the far right a small belt of rocks protrude from the sand as water washes around them.

Audio description written and voiced by Amy Middleby