Eddie Sawden was a surfer and board manufacturer on the Gold and Tweed Coasts in the 1960s and 1970s, a regular on beaches such as Burleigh, Currumbin, Kirra and Greenmount. He was also a keen amateur photographer. Using a waterproof Nikonos camera, he was unique amongst photographers of the era in that he worked in the surf, capturing the point of view of the surfers, from the wave back to the beach.