New Plymouth from Paritutu
This is a tricky post to write. You see, the punches have to be pulled. Against the grain, instead of busting out the gold...and there is some real gold... the best images from the last week have to be kept aside for NZ Surf; The Collection Vol 2. It is rattling, somewhat counter intuitive, not to put the best foot forward. BUT, the whole goal of the last week has been to hang out with New Zealand's most successful international surfer Ms Paige Hareb.
Hi Paige!
I don't really know Paige that well. I did shoot the 29 year old a fair bit while she was still a Junior competing in NZ. For the last 15 years Paige has been living out of her suitcase, traveling the world to combat the WQS and WCT. So the quiet, somewhat shy 14 year old I didn't know in the early 2000's sure isn't the confident, grace filled athlete Paige is now. The objective, and real enjoyment for both Ange and I, was to just hang a bit with Paige and her parents Mike and Fiona. Just to have normal conversations and spend some time connecting so that when I do interview Paige for The Collection the questions asked lead to informative answers for the reader.
Power to burn at Rocky Lefts
Ange, Fiona and me ol mate MH perched up at Rocky Lefts watching the show
Paige wasn't the only one gouging the lefts and dodging rocks
Speed slides
Poise and precision pretty much sums up Paige's act
Air B'n'B opportunity???
Sorry, not sorry, indulgent Troopy porn... but seriously what's not to love
Oakura slowed down a minute.... ok that's a bit to obtuse camera speak. This is a 60 second exposure using a 10 stop neutral density filter to give the composition a slightly other worldly/paintery feel
Same technique to make the ocean look milky and smooth
Taranaki's Surf Highway summed up perfectly by Liquid Murals
Opunake's board walk or stick fence or just plain border, or if Trump was a surfer??? ...I dunno but it's pretty cool
Our time... and I find myself writing this about every roady... but our time in the Naki went all too quick, not enough old mates caught up with, not enough waves surfed, not enough photo opps taken. The love for the region rekindled and a collective vow to get back sooner than later.
From The Bookstore
The Big Little Beach Book's second print is going SUPER well in stores! Phewwww. It has the Three Sisters, Fitzroy and Oakura featuring in it You can check out more of the book HERE