The Solomon Islands: a country perhaps better known for being the location of a brutal World War II battle between the US Marines and the Japanese Imperial Army than for its idyllic beaches.
But to surfers, this tiny sovereign nation – which lies in the Pacific Ocean, roughly 2,000 miles from Australia's northern coast – is a dream destination.
“We were in one of the most remote parts of the world,” said surfer and photographer Beatriz Ryder, speaking to the organizers of The Illume Awards – a major adventure photography contest.
Ryder, a Portuguese creative, has just been announced as the winner of the Surf category at the 2026 edition of the contest, having snapped her winning frame of professional surfer Shaley Mercado straddling a wave at the dreamy Pacific island nation.
“The Solomon Islands felt so remote and untouched – some of the most disconnected, unspoiled places I've ever visited,” she explained.
Beatriz Ryder's gear and settings
- Camera: Nikon Z9
- Lens: Nikkor Z 24-70mm f/2.8 S
- Focal length: 30mm
- Exposure: 1/4000 sec, f/4, ISO500
Ryder took the photo while on a commercial shoot for surfing brand Rip Curl. “Right in front of where we were staying was this little wave – shallow, fast, and with short, fun runners,” she said.
While the photographer admitted that the crew didn't “score the best waves” in the Solomon Islands, the idyllic location and the group she was part of made it, in her words, “probably my favorite work trip” she'd ever done.
“The trip was also special because it was an all-girls crew, with athletes at different stages of their careers – world champions, new team members, and up-and-coming talents,” the photographer said.
“We had the best time together. Any excuse we had to get some photos, we'd paddle out.”
As the Surf category winner at the 2026 Illume Awards, Ryder took home a suite of surfing and photographic equipment prizes including a Leica D-Lux 8 camera.
Her winning image will also be featured in The Illume Photobook 2026. Head to The Illume Awards 2026 gallery page to see all the finalists and winning images from this year's contest.
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