Thank you to the 3.5 million people who watched our video. Not quite Beyoncé but we cruisin'
If you haven't already checked it out, you can see the video here
Swell Season Radio Interview
Massive thank you to Ben Pomeroy from Swell Season Radio for our chat yesterday!
Click the photo to listen on Sound Cloud! Or tune in to KPISS on Tuesday at 8pm EST to listen to the live show!
Handsome Citizens: Not so Ordinary Citizens Interview
“The scope and power of the ocean leaves nothing but the truth to be visible, as it overwhelms all trivialities.”
An exert from my interview with Handsome Citizens.
Escape the Fake....letting my mind do the talking on Moreton Island!
‘Escape the fake’ was the bold headline that greeted me as I boarded the ferry on a gloomy, overcast midweek morning. I had departed my home in Coolangatta well before any light had made the false promise of a beautiful Gold Coast morning, with the hopes of finding my own paradise on the ‘least tourist friendly’ island in Queensland, Moreton Island. Having just spent the previous weekend partying until the sun rose, I knew I needed something, even though I wasn’t sure what.
I had received a call the day before from Ivy (Thomas), as she was already on the island. Her eager voice was barely tempered by the fact that she had to 4x4 to one spot on the island to even make any phone contact. “It’s perfect, it’s perfect” she exulted. That was enough for me. I passed out across five seats on the ferry, and woke to a loudspeaker announcement that we had in fact, arrived in paradise.
Moreton Island is not your typical tourist destination. For starters, there are no fully defined roads, and all access across the island is either by foot or four wheeler. Having spent a good month last year driving off road across Mexico, the excitement of paving our own trail wherever the tide would allow was clearly on my mind. As we made our way towards our beach house at Bulwer, the first reality check hit when the car in front of ours became bogged and was unable to proceed. A shovel and tow later, Barbara the Toyota Landcruiser had saved our poor acquaintance. We proceeded to Bulwer, off loaded some gear, and then packed our boards in search of perfection.
The island is the perfect place to let your mind wander. As you drive past mountainous sand dunes that resemble the Sahara, and fly across vast sand plains with millions of crabs soldiering in unison, it is impossible not to reflect on life. Where I’ve been. Where I’m at. Where I’m going. I can not help but wonder how I came to live this life, so abundant from the natural world around me, but connected to the society of which I am an active member. I am a questioning type of human. I always think and ask how and why. I strongly suspect that being aware of why we do what we do, it is more feasible to live a happy life as we take control over our being and to be conscientious in our process and that of others. As we trekked across another unmarked trail into a small protected cove that revealed a beautiful peeling wave in turquoise water, I couldn’t help but think, no one really deserves anything, both good and bad. Life just is, and you either embrace it, appreciate it, accept it, or you don’t.
Nobody else surfed in the cove that day except for a pod of dolphins and two small sharks. What lead us to this place in time? Each choice you make leads you to the place you are at. You are not a tree, you are free to move, free to choose. I contribute to society, but will not be defined or ordered by its expectations. I am a content human, and I still wonder how I got here. But I am certainly appreciative that for a period in time this week, I passed my days in a place that encouraged me to think and explore my own mind, whilst revelling in the wildness of nature.
The world is greater than I....
Surfer's know the sunrise. We affectionately call our morning missions the 'dawn patrol' as we eagerly make our way to see what mother nature has brought for us today. I don't usually focus on landscapes, although I do see many that impact me greatly.
Yesterday was a phenomenal sunrise. I don't know what it was, but when I woke up yesterday, my soul directed me to go seek it out. There is no logical explanation. The night before, I had no intention of shooting it, but in the darkness of the morning, I simply could not resist this unspoken pull that took me out the door.
When I arrived at the top of Kirra Hill, there was nobody there. During Cyclone Winston, I joined more than thirty people holding cameras at the top of the same hill, all looking for a vantage point of the thundering Snapper to Kirra surf lineup. But the hill was lifeless this morning. The light was dull early, but flickers of red and orange started emanating in the distance. By this time, a cyclist had joined me at the top, as well as a lady on her morning walk.
Then in happened. One minute of fire. We watched in awe. It was magnificent. And then it was over. As we moved to part ways, the cyclist looked at me with a faint, sheepish smile. I returned his gaze, an acknowledgement of what we had shared, a gift of nature that without rhyme or reason, had drawn us to the hill that morning. "Have a good day," said he.
24 hours later, I made my way to Greenmount Hill for the sunrise. Would it be the same? Would fire erupt again? Like the previous morning, there was nobody at the top of the hill. A glimmer of red started showing in the distance. The most subtle line of fire lined the horizon, caressed by the darkness of sea and sky. It did not explode. It stayed controlled and orderly. It was divine.
Two magnificent sunrises in 24 hours. One overt. One subtle. For startling impact, the first stuns. But for my own sentiments, the second was my favourite. It was not the star of the show, but it spoke with a soft yet intense purpose that captivated me and all my being.
Weekend escapes with Rhythm Girls...
Lucky enough to escape to one of the most stunning locations in Australia with Rhythm featuring logging talent Jess Roberts. A surfing heaven where it's only you and your friends in nature...click through to read about it and see all the photos...
Shark bait sessions with Ellie Brooks and Codie Klein…team building and getting it done…
So I had spent the previous day photo shooting with the lovely Ellie Brooks for Reef which had involved not a whole lot of surfing with the swell being flat. Ellie is a fantastic surfer who travels around the globe competing on the World Surf League qualifying tour, and I really wanted to show off her surfing skills because as many surfer girls will state, they are surfers, not models! So when I got word that we would be heading to South Stradbroke Island the next day, I was excited to go. Firstly, because I had never been there and had heard the surf is amazing and secondly, because everyone talks about how beautiful a spot it is!
The night before I asked Ellie what I needed to be aware of for shooting at this location to get prepped, and I felt pretty confident it was going to be an awesome day. Drive to the ferry, catch a water taxi over, shoot for the morning, water taxi home, voila! We also called up another fantastic surfer Codie Klein to join the squad. We were set! After gathering early in the morning, coffees in hand, we made the drive north and arrived to the ferry terminal, excited for an incredible day of surfing.
Perhaps I should have been more concerned when I saw the confused look on the girls’ faces when we arrived and started to unpack at the ferry terminal. I could see Ellie scanning for the water taxi, but it was nowhere in sight. “Nah girls, he’s on holidays this week!” echoed a local who had just made the paddle back from the island. Our faces dropped. The Gold Coast seaway is a renowned hangout for schools of bull sharks, also known as the 'bull shark superhighway', and the paddle across is a death defying experience at the best of times. Only the week before a close friend of mine had stitches in her face from the entry to the water over the oyster encrusted rocks, let alone avoiding a pack of sharp toothed flesh chompers.
“What are we going to do?” whispered Ellie hesitantly. She was in no way keen to paddle across. I looked over at Codie, and could see her concern too. “I will swim across,” I said half-jokingly, only then recalling the story from a commercial scuba diving friend who at one time saw numerous bull sharks tracking the surfers paddling above as he fixed a pipe in the seaway. “Let’s do it,” said Codie with a hint of falsified confidence. What the heck. Seriously? Ok. Crap.
Water housing in hand, two surfboards, three humans, we trekked up the groyne of the seaway. And yes, it was a trek. When your head is saying, “What the hell are we doing!!!!” and your heart is pumping so fast that you think it’s going to explode onto the other side of the seaway, I could feel myself start to raise some logical concerns. Quick, snapchat that I love my mum and dad and sister and friends and OMG. What are we doing!!!! Nah. This is completely messed up, but it’s going to be ok. I calmed down. We lowered ourselves down the groyne, and jumped into the Gold Coast seaway.
We started vigorously. I put my housing on Codie’s back, grabbed the side of the board and started swimming. The current was reasonable that morning, and swept us down the seaway. I couldn’t help myself half way across. The girls were looking forward. I put my head down into the water and opened my eyes. It was black. I raised my head back up faster than I could kick. I didn’t say anything. I just kept swimming. Faster. We passed a fishing boat. The crew looked at us perplexed. Three ladies of leisure enjoying a day out on the water, swimming across the seaway. LOL. And then we were there. After the most intense ten minutes, we scaled up the groyne on the other side and were in paradise. Welcome to South Stradbroke Island.
Thankyou to the squad, Ellie and Codie for the epic day. And a big shout out to Chris Brown, who kindly gave me a lift back across the seaway from the island on his jet ski. Legend…
And probably, never again.
Early morning sleep ins...
I was up early for a photoshoot with talented young logger Jordan Spee from the Sunshine Coast but he had been sick as of late and we decided to postpone the shoot.
When I did my first surf check, there were 25 people in the water before sunrise and it was one foot...it can only mean one thing...Sunday!
Without my board with me and with camera in hand, I snapped a couple of photos of some happy crew that were enjoying the Sunday Sliders....Happy Weekend Everyone!
Beauty of the Gold Coast - The Inertia
Thankyou to The Inertia for another gallery feature on the Beauty of Autumn days in my home town of the Southern Gold Coast of Australia.
You can see the full Inertia Gallery right here...
Photoshoots and Evenings at Snapper 12 May 2016
I wasn't meant to be at Snapper yesterday afternoon. After an afternoon text requesting my presence for a portrait photo of myself for an interview with Aaron Chapman, I gathered myself and arrived to a classic golden Rainbow Bay sunset.
After having my portrait taken, I couldn't help but swim out into the lineup to snap a few photos of the local crew (and Aaron ran to the car, grabbed his board and got some slides in himself!) Depending on the direction you looked, it was either stunning yellows or lucid pinks. This is our Southern Gold Coast...
Brenton De Rooy and George George
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Brenton De Rooy
Aaron Chapman
April Williams
George George and friends
April Williams
Aaron Chapman
Brenton De Rooy
...
...
Tyson
Aaron Chapman
Jason
Lore of the Sea
A throwback to summer time in Byron Bay, shooting with the lovely Laure Myr and Roisin Carolan for Lore of the Sea.
"Before releasing each new style we make sure it's surf-proof. Last February we went on a girls session with local shredder Roisin Carolan and outstanding aqua photographer Fran Miller to action test the potential of our new suits.
We're not sure what makes those pictures look so dreamy... is it the waves? the place? the colour of the water? the suits? or simply Fran's talented eye behind the lens?"
This blog post originally featured on Lore of the Sea. Thank you Laure for such positive words.
For more photos and to see swimwear by Lore of the Sea, visit their website and check out their blog.
I'm going to...NYC Women's Surf Film Festival 2016
Well I am beyond excited to have been invited to exhibit my photographs in a solo exhibition on the schedule of the NYC Women's Surf Film Festival 2016!
So excited I haven't really processed it all yet. I have never been to New York, even though I lived in the USA for a couple years as a teenager. Hope the water is going to be warm... :D
For more information on the event check out the official webpage here.
I am Pipeline
"I am Pipeline" is a collection of photographs taken in February 2016, during what many called 'The greatest Pipeline ever'. Arguably too, the Winter season of 2015/2016 will be recalled fondly as one of the most epic surf seasons in Hawaiian history.
The North Shore of Oahu is one of the most spiritual places for surfing in existence. The Banzai Pipeline is magnificent in its power, but still incredibly destructive and some of the most skilled surfers have met their fate here. It can allow the most awesome rides. But it can even more easily destroy.
I was privileged to watch probably the highest level of surfing I had ever seen at Pipeline and Backdoor those days. I remember one of the most incredible sights as the hooter rang closing out the Volcom Pipe Pro. The sets were 8-12 feet all day and several surfers raced out to the lineup to get their share having watched Kelly Slater, Makai Mcnamara, Bruce Irons and Jamie O'Brien destroy perfect Pipeline in the final. A rogue set approached the lineup, it was easily 15 feet. A lone figure paddled hard onto the wave from second reef. Whoever he was, he just knew. He knew the wave. I have never witnessed a wave more perfectly ridden than this one. It had been too big for Backdoor. By this stage, barely anybody had been seeking out Backdoor rights as the terrifying fate of being caught inside with feathering third reef and thundering second reef sets charging towards Pipeline from behind, it seemed certain destruction to go right. This lone figure started driving his bottom turn, before racing up and high-lining over the top of Backdoor. To see a man high-line 15ft Backdoor was itself truly phenomenal. He proceeded to race high above the mountainous wall which closed out over Backdoor and Off The Wall lefts before dropping to the bottom of the wave and pulling into a cavernous Off the Wall right. By this stage of the wave, the surfer had traveled so far down the stretch of beach that it was impossible to see if he had survived the barrel. But of course, as I said, he simply knew. In the glowing distance of the sunset, a figure kicked out skywards before paddling with controlled desperation towards the horizon. He knew how to surf.
I have no photograph of that moment. Only my eyes saw it. And It was perfect.
Mahalo.
Shop all the prints from "I am Pipeline" HERE
Coco Ho puts on a clinic at Snapper Rocks
Thanks to The Inertia for releasing a little edit we made of Coco Ho between WSL events at Bells and Margaret River, where she battled a hungry crowd and a fading swell to put on a surfing clinic. Massive thanks to my legendary protégé Hunter Johnston for flying the drone.
#logdaze with The Inertia
Firstly it's always a great honour when you get the call up to work with a world renowned surfing platform such as The Inertia. I was pretty excited to find out they wanted me to 'Takeover' their Instagram for 24 hours whilst telling the story behind a number of photos I have taken.
There is the mix of excitement at getting to show off the work you love, which represents so much of my actual life. The photos I take are what I see in my mind. I am connected to my camera, and we see the same things. But to remain respectful to the platforms, organisations and magazines that give you the opportunity to show off your work is also paramount.
I must admit, I had a bit of nerves, or perhaps not nerves, but definite considerations, when selecting which images to show. It's a fascinating thought, but in a world of 'like' buttons and shares, it is very easy to get caught up in publishing images only because you think they will get the most 'likes'. Of course one can not predict the outcome of the future, but I am certain most photographers are actually quite aware of which photos generally garner the most traction for their immediate impact, that is, the one second the person looks at it and presses like before flicking on.
So my predicament of course, with such a large audience as that of The Inertia, and with complete control over what content was shown over 24hours, do I go for those dark images that confuse and conflict, or do I go for images that a one second audience is sure to like. With some profane exclamation, I ended up choosing my actual favourite photos, most of which are the opposite of what some crappy online how-to social media guideline will tell you gets 'likes'. Because seriously, we are making choices based off a like button? Don't swear so much my manager says. Fuck that, I do what I want lol. :D
Click here to see the images and read the story behind each one
Clarity - Rachael Tilly
Insanely clear water this week and what better way to spend it than shooting with the World Champ Rachael Tilly.
Surfer: Rachael Tilly
Water filming: Fran Miller
Drone Filming: Hunter Johnston
Yes to new experiences - #ONEWAVE
It's an amazing feeling to be surrounded by people who love and care about the same things you do. When Elyse (Lu) told me about the web series she wanted to create, I was onboard immediately. Titled "One Wave", it's a beautiful and personal look at the internal (and external) drivers of a person in their pursuit of surfing.
Elyse is an amazing human, who cares deeply about individuals. She is completely genuine and selfless and it shows in the way her subjects respond and interact with her filmmaking style.
I have never done much water filming even though I have done countless hours of water photography. It was quite a new experience, testing different camera techniques and using different equipment. But the similarities between filming and photography in relation to human interaction are identical. The intensity and fire within when going for a wave. The playful joy after paddling back out after a successful ride. The quiet contemplation when waiting for the next wave.
Tarnea O'meara was amazing as always as the subject of this Episode 2. Spending my time with wonderful humans and calling it work...
Enjoy.
Cyclone Winston
It's a tale of two worlds, and it all depends on your personal perspective. To some, Cyclone Winston conjured up thunderous power, devastating force and unfathomable destruction. To others, it was a tale of untold perfection, fluid lines and heart palpitating adrenaline.
A point of significant importance is that Cyclone Winston left a trail of destruction through Fiji, being the largest recorded tropical cyclone to ever make landfall over the Pacific Island nation. Fiji is no stranger to incredible surf, the consequence of distant storm cells sending long period swell racing towards the reefs there. The perfection we enjoyed here came at a price.
Swell on the Gold Coast is always a contradiction to the ethos of surfing. The lines are long and perfect. The barrels are cylindrical and draining. The light is golden and the water blue. But untimely consequences are always prevalent. Fibreglass misses foreheads by centimetres. Glass fins driven recklessly by lesser skilled pilots miss backs by...well in the case of one world class pro, they didn't miss, but left two tell tale lines through her wetsuit...a fortunate outcome. And egos are left bruised, as competent surfers struggle to find space amongst the herd of hundreds upon hundreds of wave starved carnivores.
Saturday the 27th was meant to be 'The Day'. What that encapsulates though varies depending on who you are talking to. I stood upon Kirra Hill early, alongside legendary photographers Ted Grambeau and Swilly, with faces bemused by the early disappearance of the maxing swell the night before. Some talk of the mass exodus to DI to 'escape' the crowds, only to have found that the news bulletin had been read by everyone and it had been read a little too early. Others, like Darryl Parkinson, surfed perfect barrel after barrel through bottomless Greenmount, as the local boys enjoyed another timeless swell that will be recounted fondly in years to come.
I created a short series of photographs shot over the afternoon of Friday the 26th on my perspective of Winston. The liberty I enjoy taking as an artist is creating what I feel as much as what I see. Winston didn't feel like total perfection to me. Taking a lineup photo of endless perfect waves would be unjust towards my sentiments, even though a perfect lineup is a popular photo. The perfect lineup does not do justice to the suffering of the homeless and deceased in Fiji. The perfect lineup doesn't do justice to the broken bones of the hospitalised maverick, suffered at the hands of a drop in. The perfect lineup also doesn't do justice to the opiate like faces of those exiting thunderous rounded cylinders. All of these incidents came to pass during Winston and many have been recorded as individual occurrences. Winston showed the extremities of human emotion. My Winston collection shows golden joy to dark.
There was perfection on offer. But you had to pay to play...
Click here for the Winston Gallery
Welcome to my musings
The likely to be infrequently updated home to my musings.