Walking The Plank
Aussie logger Kai Ellis-Flint at the Logger Heads comp Waitangi Weekend... the Logger Heads is back on for 2018 too!
I love shooting long-boarding. It's harder than you think. It's harder than short-boarding to capture. With short-boarding it's all about big manoeuvres, you can anticipate the big move coming. Not so much logging. It's all about the subtle foot work and quick reactions on the board.
When I landed the gig as the Hyundai Longboard Tour shooter in 2009, I didn't know what the hell I was doing. Sure I had the gear and knew how to punch out the timely afternoon deliverables for media. And sure I'd been shooting surfing professionally for nearly 20 years at that stage, but I hadn't shot much long-boarding; I knew I didn't get the nuances. I had a trick up my sleeve, I got my good mate Daryn McBryde to spot me and tutor me. Daryn, if you don't know, is a multiple long boarding champ and dominated the scene for years. I couldn't have scammed a better teacher. Hyundai would never find out their new contracter had no idea what he was doing!
It must of worked, I ended up being the Hyundai Long Board Tour shooter until it's sad demise in 2014. I absolutely loved those 6 seasons of traveling the country in a brand new Hyundai documenting the tour. It was such a contrast to the short boarding comps, I love shooting those too, but the long boarding comps had such a good vibe around them.
This week I was supposed to be shooting some of New Zealand's best exponents of the log for Barkers Menswear. The east coast swell bump we eyed up just didn't do what we hoped, we are in a holding pattern.
Simultaneously I've been asked to be a part of a photo exhibition in December. So the prep begins, what to use? Well,I have a fascination with cross steps and the foot work involved in good logging. It's really hard to do. This is what I'm working on...
So what do you think? [Again not a rhetorical question- I really want to know] Do these stoke you too, could you see them sitting as a huge print on your wall? Hit me back with your critique.
In Other News...
Plans are a foot [hahah get it.. foot] for The Collection Vol 1 book launch nights. Warren Hawke and I are going to host three evenings in the Mainland. The big one will be Wednesday Novemebr 8 at The New Brighton's Mens Working Club. Last time we did something there it got huge, so if you can, come along!
What!? You know nothing of what this 'Collection' is? Well I've made you a video...
From The Bookstore
Don't Forget about the South Seas though! It's in most surf and book stores now. You can check out the preview just by clicking on the image... and of course buy direct and avoid the hassle of going to the shops.