It's Not All About PhotoCPL

There's lots of great stuff going on with my photographic colleagues at the moment; and here's just two new ventures that I reckon are totally worth a virtual and even physical visitation.

First up James Culley has his first solo exhibition on right now at The Arborist in Wellington. It's a daunting but necessary process for a photographer to go through, the stresses of finding a suitable venue, the gawd awful process of image selection and then the painful task of actually stumping up the funds to have your work printed and framed. Will anyone like your work? Hell, will anybody actually show up? 

Jim has jumped through all the hoops and curated a great solo exhibition entitled Still Motion Collection. 

The top 3 have been printed at A1, mounted with an off-white matt window and framed with dark ramin, finishing at close to A0. The remaining 12 are all printed at A2 with the same finish close to A1 in size. All have been printed on Hahnemuehle Photo Rag 308gms with non-solvent, archival grade inks. No expense was spared in ensuring they are the highest quality finished prints.

The exhibition is running at The Arborist on Willis St, Wellington until the end of January. Check out moreHERE

Then there is Warren Hawke's new website, and not before time Wazza!!! 

Master NZ Surf Photographer since the 70's and he's still going strong. Surferswall features Warren's latest shoots, there is even last week's Nationals already up there. It is an image saturated site, check it out HERE

Of course if you are a fan of Warren's fine work you've already got his book NZ Surf- Captured By A Surf Lens right? 

What!!! No?

Want to see more and even procure a copy? Click HERE

And Me? I've been surfing, there has no time to take photos... well I did do these post surf the other day...

New Addition! 

This one has been in the must get scanned file for way too long, but here it is in all it's massive glory. Shot on Velvia 100 iso transparency film using the Fotoman 617 Camera with a Schneider 75mm lens, 8 second exposure at F45. It was a very fun dawn mission. Loving the sun lighting up the Kaikoura Ranges.     

Just click on the image to see it large

Muriwai Mini Mission

I can see Muriwai from the end of my Piha driveway. It actually does my head in a little bit. As the Gannet flies- it's only 13Kms up the coast, it takes 10 minutes on a jet ski. BUT there is no direct road, it's a 55Km drive- back to Henderson, on to Kumeu and then back out to the coast; it's a 1 hour drive. So I don't get up to see my fellow westie surfers as much as I could.  Earlier this week I did. 

A Muriwai Gannet heading south to Piha?

I'm almost embarrassed at the lack of times I've shot recently at Maori Bay and Muriwai; and of course I need a great hero shot of Muriwai for the book project this year.  

Shoulder barging the bus loads of tourists for a tripod spot on Monday evening

I'd been waiting for a evening with solid swell  and good cloud activity, Monday was the day. It was amazing how popular the Gannet Lookouts were even on a midweek evening, there was a patient wait for the angle wanted. Even with the tripod set up there wasn't too much regard for personal space from the bus-loads of tourists. No complaints though, it's cool that the resource is being so used right?

cheeky lil' [smelly] fellas

Landscape photography is a strange lark; it isn't just about getting to the place that is going to give a cool view or angle. That's the first, most important part for sure, but there has to be something special happening too, something that will enthral the viewer, something that sets a faithful recording of the scene apart from an image that conveys feeling and mood. Most landscape photographers visit and scout scenes many times before finally getting that image they want to show the world.

The cloud cover, swell and wind played ball on Monday evening...

Want to see it larger....just click on the image to link through to PhotoCPL

It is a great feeling packing down the tripod and gear, walking back to the carpark knowing there's something good in the bag. It happens all too seldomly, which of course makes it all the more sweeter I guess.

From The Galleries

Here's an older one from winter's past of the mighty Muriwai, again it's light play that makes it. That break in the clouds spotlighting part of the beach. Just click on the image to see it large

The Festive Season Is Roady Season

Happy 2016 my friends.There has been weather- but there has been waves too. The Chevy got it's maiden voyage- not counting the drive from Christchurch. Nah, this new trip was all about packing it and enjoying it as a camper.                    

Under North Whananaki stars...before the 50knt winds hit

We joined family and friends at Whananaki with the expectation of east coast swell and the chance to shoot a few new beaches for this year's books. 

Predawn Otamure on New Years Eve

And then the storm hit, 50knt gusts, tents and tarps shredded; it was gnarly! But kind of exciting too, even through the worst of it there were a couple of sneaky waves to be had. Once the storm had passed we headed further north to Taupo Bay. 

T Bay in all its summery arvo glory

Taupo Bay holds warm memories for me; in the early '90's I'd always surf check it if there was any swell on the east. In 1994 it gave me some of my best images I'd ever shot from the water. Chrissy Malone and Matt Archibald on a T&C team trip and then Dave Gilbert with this image and it's sequence. 

When this spread was published in NZ Surf Mag in 1994, lots of the Dunedin locals thought we had snuck in and out for a shoot at Allen's because of the similar rock features

T Bay 2016, more baches and a paved road, but the waves remain just plain awesome

Sentinels of every Kiwi coast, the might Massey Fergusson tractor
 

NEW ORDERS

It is nice to come home from the Chrissy hols to a couple of cheaky orders. 
 

Here's a beautiful print on archival photographic paper at 750mm, the detail is mesmerising, click the image to see Piha Peak larger. 

Big is better! Here is Piha Bar Barrel at 1200mm wide on canvas, click on the image to see the image and size options.

Things Well Made

We Have a National Obsession With Roadys

I love them! Childhood memories of booting down to Kaiaua to visit the cousins, Dad at the helm of his purple Cortina mk 3, us kids smearing up the beige vinyl of the back seat with giant hokey pokey scoops from Pokeno. The inevitable "Are we there yet". 

This led to teenage adventuring with friends on surf trips, everywhere is new, everywhere is one to tick off the list and most definitely transferred to the Coming Back Soon list. 

When I was a bugged eyed grommet, Raglan was a place of lore. We had heard stories of heavy locals throwing stones at you while you sit in the line-up, of them crapping on your car bonnet [and the air vents] as a very clear message as to your place in the pecking order. Horrifying accounts of failed Jump rock launches and low tide keel haulings over the Ledge. But Raglan is a rite of passage for NZ surfers, you have to go, in fact you have to thrive. 
 

Whanga, just a cheeky 22 years ago. [click the image to see it bigger] 

Then Da' Bar, then Shippies, then Gizzy, then Stent; places you've heard about from other young surfers get added to the lists. And then you go global. 

People often say I'm lucky with my work and history, of going from those grom years to be paid to go on and document surf roadys. I loved doing it, no, I love doing it. It has always effected the decisions around the vehicle purchases, from the Holden HR station wagon [with the mandatory mattress in the back] to 4x4's. To now, over the last few years, 4x4's with mattresses in the back too.
 

The mighty Hi Ace 4x4 hi-top camper

To me, a self contained, go [just about] anywhere camper is a natural evolution in the great Kiwi Roady. Three years ago the commitment was made and adventures were created with the Hi Ace 4x4 Camper. It was a considered dabble, a dip the toes in, to see if camper van life was all it is cracked up to be. Turns out, it is that and even more. I once quipped the Hi Ace camper was the most expensive camera accessory I've ever bought, it's also proved to be one of the best.
 

If you look super closely, the Hi Ace is parked up. 

And then the thought process evolves; how can this experience be even better, how can roadys be longer and more comfortable? Well, this is how....
 

Meet the new beast, a 4.2 ton, 6.3 metre long, 6 lt V8, 2002 Chevy Silverdao 4x4. It's a Ex St John snow Ambulance that started it's commission in Ranfurly and ended it's service in the Christchurch earthquakes. It's a noble beast.
 

In service 2005

More room, more grunt... just MORE. 

It has meant tearing the bandaid off and selling the Hi Ace, no fib, it was hard to say goodbye, but you have move on right? 
 

Naturally, buying the Chevy, meant a road trip to pick it up and start the all important road trials- Kaikoura turned on an epic dawn as we headed home. 
 

Things Well Made

Bespoke and handmade have been popular catch cries of the last few years. The maker movement is in full swing as a reaction to mass produced- same as everyone one else consumables. Westside's Southern Anchor is a prime example of this movement, bespoke, sustainable products made with care, made by hand. 
 

Meet Beau, one half of the Southern Anchor 

And one of Southern Anchor's bespoke leather wallets- thanks guys- I love it! 

Check out more of Southern Anchor's fine works HERE

NEW RELEASE

Ahhh, and here's the tribute to the last roady the Hi Ace made happen. The Northern tip of the North Island- as far as you can drive in NZ.  

Just click on the image to see it large

Skate or Die

This post could be very easily filed in the Must Be No Surf folder

I'll be putting in the What I Love to Shoot Asides From Surf folder. The very first action shot I ever took was Tony Hallam doing a hand plant in New Lynn's bottom bowl when we were both 13. Last Friday I got some of the best skate shots I've done, thanks to some the True School Mount Maunganui vert ramp locals that put on the session.

Cale Tolley and Anthony McLeod suit up while Smitty warms up

Anthony going through his warm up paces

Jason Curtis, and honestly not Cale fist pumping him

The Mount Maunganui ramp freaks me out with it's shear size and the quality of the build. Cale in control

Smitty onlooking and giving Cale's F/S air a nice bit of scale

Anthony old schooling a Rock'n'roll...gnarly!

Last shot of the night- Jas

 

Going, Going, Gone

This week saw the last of the South Seas books leave the stock room for a big retail order. Both Brent Courtney, my co-creator of this book, and I reflected it's both satisfying and sad. We published the book in 2012, selling out in 12 months, and now the reprint is sold out. It's a stoke to be a part of such a successful project and now it's kind of sad it's no longer part of our lives. If you still don't own a South Seas book, most surf stores have a bit of stock, but they'll go fast leading into Christmas. Email me back if you need to know the nearest seller to you. 

The other side of PhotoCPL

It could be easy to assume that I don't do anything other than take images for the PhotoCPL website, the books or now T-Shirts.

But commercial work is still a huge component of what I do. This week is almost 100% shooting for clients and they have been awesome gigs to land. 

Monday morning was a nasty 4.30 am start to what turned out to be a very cool morning. I was contracted to shoot the media launch of the Ultimate Waterman 2016 at AUT Millennium. TV 1's weatherman Sam Wallace was on hand with Daniel Kereopa. Every cross over from 6am to 9am during the Breakfast Show was Sam with DK. My job was to document that and get images of Minister Steven Joyce announcing the Government's financial backing of the Ultimate Waterman 2016. 

Now, you might be going ho-hum boring media/editorial pics. But what I love about these jobs is the time pressure; the brief was to get images out on site with the national press release before 9am. Together with Ben Kennings and Sarah Rogan steering the ship, the press release was out before 8am. Brief nailed and exceeded. Snapchat, Instagrams, tweets and FB status's all a buzz to hype up The Ultimate Waterman 2016.

I certainly gained a new respect Sam, he's largely ad-libbing his cross-overs and he absolutely prompted extra activities with DK. DK did a great job of Waterman defending champ/ambassador. 

Here's some more images  from the morning. 

From the elite end of sport to the opposite, the next gig is probably one of my all time favourite regulars. Every year Surfing NZ run the Have A Go Days for lower decile schools. The brain child of SNZ's Development Manager Lee Ryan 3 years ago, the goal is to introduce kids to the surf that might not get a chance otherwise. 

To experience the kids going from nervous anticipation to being stoked out little grommies is nothing short of actually amazing. You get to share their bug eyed stoke, which of course reaffirms your own surf stoke. Last year when I wrote a piece for a website about it I totally lost the plot stating I've just taken my best surfing photo ever- well maybe a different kind of best ever.

The Have A Go Day program grows every year nationally. Local surf coaches and schools get more work and kids are introduced to surfing in a safe environment. Check out more about it on SNZ's Facebook Page

For the rest of the week I'm in the Mount shooting the next Copious Clothing look book. Yes it is a mates rates job and yes it is a not what you know, but who you know gig. Copious's founder Cale Tolley and I have been good mates since the 90's, for the last 5 or so years I've proudly been a Copious ambassador. Here's a poster and full page advert I shot for Copious last November.

Check out Copious Here

From The Galleries

This was one of last week's commissions and definitely one of those ones you pick up from the framers re-reminded just how good big prints look. The client was well chuffed- we both were! It's Piha Layers at 1.2 metres wide stretched on canvas. Just click on the image to see it large

The Mother Lode

#ishootfilm. It's a hash tag used on Instagram, but my favourite is #shootfilmstaybroke. 

I do shoot film and it probably is knocking the budget around quite a bit. Film costs to buy, it costs to develop, it costs to scan, and then it costs a lot of time in cleaning the scan. On average 2 hours went into spotting and removing all the dust and specks off the images below. It's laborious, and quite honestly it's boring. 

Of course the reoccurring question comes up with every scan opening...why shoot film! My reasons are different to a lot of other film shooters. First and foremost is quality, these images are still 6-4x larger than the best digital camera. There's also the thrill of picking up your processing from the lab and seeing beautiful big 6 x17 cm strips of transparency film. There's the manual-ness of the camera, it really is just a lump of [beautifully engineered] metal with a lens at the front and some film at the back. There's no batteries, light meter, no auto focus...there's no rushing. Everything has to be considered. This is not a snapshot.

So here I present mother-lode of this year's USA trip, scanned, cleaned, and soaking up precious gigabytes on my hard drives, but holy heck I like them! 

Bombay Beach, 6x9 on T-Max 100. Click the image to see larger. 

Bombay Sunset 6x17 on Velvia 100. Click the image to see larger. 

Broken Home 6x9 on T-Max 100. Click the image to see larger. 

Live A Great Story 6x9 on T-Max 100. Click the image to see larger. 

Bombay Graff 6x9 on T-Max 100. Click the image to see larger. 

Salvation Truck 6x17 on Velvia 100. Click the image to see larger. 

Salvation Jeep on FP100c, Polaroid Land Camera. Click the image to see larger.

Salton City Jetty 6x17 on Velvia 100. Click the image to see larger. 

Oregon Cop Car 6x9 on T-Max 100. Click the image to see larger.

Millicans 6x17 on Velvia 100. Click the image to see larger. 

Pine Mountain Shed 6x17 on Velvia 100. Click the image to see larger.

Royal Gateway 6x9 on T-Max 100. Click the image to see larger.

Oceanside Pier 6x17 on Velvia 100. Click the image to see larger. 

In Print 

It's the 30th year of New Zealand Surfing Magazine, that's a big feat for any surf mag, let alone one at the bottom of the world. I was there for half of those 30 years. The current issue features an interview about those 15 years. It's always nerve racking putting words out there; is it rambling foolishness, has the subject been kept to, is it even current and will the editor slice and dice the words to shreds. So far, people have said it's a good read, check it out if you get a chance. 

Winners and Losers

The Spring Equinox is upon us in full effect right now. And it's horrid! 

The west coast is always average for surf at this time of year, you ready yourself, prepare mentally for a frustrating period of onshore and wild seas. You think you can handle...and then you're in the middle of it. All that mental prep goes out the window. There's no surf and there's no sign of any.

Today was close but not quite

This week's forecast was shaping up to be maybe ok. Multiple meetings and conferences in Piha's carparks, valuable data on sand formation and local gossip shared... all to no avail. Mother Ocean just did not play ball this week. Not quite a clean offshore, no real banks and instead of being the predicted manageable 4-6 ft, it's a wobbly 6-8 ft. We lost out this week, ahhh well back to work. 

We Have A Winner!

In last week's E-bomb the new PhotoCPL T'shirt range was unveiled and there was a contest exclusively for you subscribers, buy a T and go in the draw to win a pair of Otis Eyewear...I said they were valued at $200.... turns out they are $250.00- oppps.

If you had entered, you would have had a 1 in 8 chance of winning these sunnies. Using Random.org's number generator John Charles from Gizzy gets the sunnies. Congrats mate, they are on their way.

New Releases 

With all the chaos of getting T-shirt orders to stores this one nearly slipped under the radar. 

Mount Dusk, click on the image to view it nice and big.

I'm stoked to have finally nailed a good Mauao panorama. Shot on film using the Fotoman 617. Using a neutral density filter to slow the shutter so the water would smooth out, the exposure ended up being 90 seconds. 

From The Galleries

Now there's a good segue for this image, it's a film pano too and it was shot in 2011 at the height of a wintery spring equinox storm. In 2012 it was awarded in the Epson International Pano's. 
 
Just click on the image to see it larger. 

Eastbound- Gizzy Time!

Any excuse to go to Gisborne is a good excuse.  Gizzy holds a strong allure for me. I used to spend a lot of time shooting in Poverty Bay when I was at the surfing magazine. Good friends, good waves, fun adventures and great memories. 

The big sky nights of Tatapouri Motorcamp

There is no better Gizzy mate than my old partner in crime Chris 'Budge' Berge. In 1993 we both started work at the magazine. He was the editor and I was the ad man/photographer. The three year partnership defined how the magazine looked for the next 15 years. 

Budge runs the Tatapouri Motorcamp, with unabashed bias, the best motorcamp in Gizzy. Set on the northern slope Tatapouri Headland the manicured grounds provide a protected suntrap.  And big star skies, just far enough away from Gisborne city.

Makarori at first light

Wainui in fine form

I'm on a new mission, I have a new book project.  Everything fell into place to start the new project in Gizzy.  I like that by starting something new it has taken me back to a well trodden haunting ground. To approach familiar subjects with fresh eyes. 

Gizzy turned on the weather and the surf. A nice south swell was running and the day time highs soared into the mid twenties. Blue bird days. 

Infamous Stockroute offering up the goods

A perfect morning lit Wainui peak

Is it fair to say it was a good week to be in Gizzy?

Makarori last light

Dawn day two, smaller, but still a day filled with waves

Into the blue and green swirls of Chalets

Worth a 7 hour drive? Always

Happy place

Selfie at the Mount homeward bound

This Time A Year Ago

This time a year ago Warren Hawke and I were on an epic South Island roady. We had decided to launch his book, NZ Surf- Captured By A Surf Lens, old school with a series of book launches at key Boardriders' Clubs. It worked, the book received the grass roots support Warren wanted.

Man, it was an exciting and strenuous three weeks of being on the road; maxing out the load driving south and working to make sure the drive home would be lighter. Wouldn't do it any other way!

Road Tripping Stateside Part 2

I'm back home after a truly awesome fortnight in California and Oregon. While it wasn't a photographic trip; and I did, quite rightly, get told off for lapsing into photo mode, there were some cool photo missions done. Here's the highlights;   

Fallen Redwoods, click on the image to see it bigger

The Avenue of the Giants

As a kid I remember having a colouring in book about the ancient giant Redwoods of America. I don't really think I thought it was a must do kind of a thing, but we had the chance to drive through the Avenue of Giants. It's touristy, it's the well trodden route, but there's a reason for that. A day hanging out with 2000 year old trees was not enough. Or maybe barely just enough to leave me wanting more. I was super stoked the set up the 617 panoramic camera in the forest. The exposure above is 6 minutes long.

Oregon/Cali border, how more American can you get! 

Sparks Lake Glass, click on the image to see it big

Sparks Lake

This was just such and beautiful evening, we arrived in plenty of time to scope out the best position. I finally settled on a spot where I had the two boulders in the foreground water balancing the mountains in the background, and then for a few moment the lake glassed off. Truth be told I actually like this image upside down. It was one of this mini adventures where you are walking back to the car knowing you just enjoyed something pretty special. 

Oregon's Broken Top Mountain x2

Smith Rock Dawn, yep, just click on the image to see more detail...there's a lot of detail

Smith Rock State Park

I fully got my Ansel Adams fix at Smith Rock. We were up at 6 and waiting for dawn's light to hit the rock faces. It is exciting to watch the tips of these monoliths light up and progressively witness the sun illuminate the scene in front of you.

Come, Look, Stay....ummm no thanks

Millicans, click on the image to see it larger

Abandoned Millican Store, Oregon

This was one of those moments when you just see scene begging to be photographed. I set up in the shade of the Dr Pepper sign and exposed for that sign and the store front. I moved the camera just enough to get the sun flare through the sign.

Portland

I'm not sure if Portland was a highlight, but it certainly was an experience. I was shocked at how many homeless were living rough on the streets of downtown. I didn't feel at ease. Inversely I got all my film processed at half the price of NZ in two hours, no worries about airport X-ray machines - and yes, despite what they say X-ray machines do f@ck your film. Unfortunately I have the evidence.

And then there's VooDoo Donuts! Ok, Portland is all good. 

Now the task of editing and scanning images from this, non photographic trip. There's more to come over the next few weeks. 

In Print

The latest issue of Damaged Goods Mag is out and I'm pretty stoking on this image of mine in there. It's Elliot Paerata Reid on the Bar. But what do you reckon? Seriously, let me know, should they have used the next shot in the sequence? ohhh tough call huh! 

Road Tripping Stateside Part 1

In 2012 I did road trip down the 395 Highway of California. I teamed up with my old friend and fellow photographer Rob Hansen . We concentrated on shooting large format film. We scored. That roady has become hugely defining in what I want to shoot and how. Some of the 617 panoramas from that roady won Epson Pano Awards. Other images have gone on to be client favourites.  

This is one of the award winners from 2012

I'm back on the West Coast of the USA right now, halfway through another epic roady. First mission; hooking up with Rob for a quick desert run.

This time we headed to Salton Sea. The modern sea was accidentally created by engineers 1905. In a bid to increase water flow into the area for farming, irrigation canals were dug from the Colorado River. Due to fears of silt buildup, a cut was made in the bank of the Colorado River to further increase the water flow. The resulting outflow overwhelmed the engineered canal. The river flowed into the Salton Basin for two years, filling the ancient dry lake bed.

The Salton Sea had some success as a resort area in the 1950s. Now many of the settlements are abandoned because of the increasing salinity and pollution of the lake. Many of the species of fish that lived in the sea have been killed off by the combination of pollutants, salt levels, and algal blooms. 

What more perfect place could there be for shooting desert grit. Salvation Mountain was a firm favourite, but Bombay Beach and Salton City are definitely on the have to return list.

Bombay Beach, not your average beachside resort

The 24 hour dash done and dusted. Film processed back in North County, [I've got some great panoramas to share with you later] Time to hit the road North to Redwood territory and on to Oregon.

But that will be in Part 2 next week.

When Bad Things Go Well

I'm not a morning person, especially before caffeine. This is a terrible trait for a surfer and it's a disastrous one for a photographer. I'm jealous of people who can go to bed at 8 or 9 pm and then spring out of bed pre dawn. Two of my good friends, Kev Emirali and Dave Gilbert are annoyingly chirpy at 5 am, I don't go on surf trips with them.

Getting up before dawn is a bad thing. But for a photographer it's a necessary evil. The unavoidable fact is the best light is in the first and last few hours of the day. 

Last week bad things happened, the alarm was set for an hour before sunrise. Horrible.  Time for a photo of Rangitoto and today was THAT day. It's raining, f2ck, sh#t, grrrrrrrr what the bloody hell am I doing sitting in the Takapuna reef car park. Kev and Dave wouldn't be so angry....grrrrrr! I remind myself that clouds make for good sky colour and detail.  I remind myself that these marginal conditions are what make great images. Andris Apse would go. 

This image has been added to the Beach Gallery, want to see it bigger?Just click on the image

And then, 20 minutes before dawn, good things happened. The squall moved through, it was going to be a beautiful morning. The shoot could not have gone better. Rock scramble; sweet. Angle found; no worries. Camera set up; too easy. Exposures dialed in; nailed it. Ewwwww maybe I am a morning person. Nah crazy talk. 

In Print

It's always a stoke to get work published, and it's even nicer to get paid! International magazine Australian Surfing Life latest issue hasn't hit the NZ book shelves yet, but I'm stoking on getting a page in the issue as part of their 'The Swell That Smashed The World' featuring a pic from Shippies and some badly crafted words from yours truly.

On The Web

You should be buying your books from PhotoCPL but if you want to buy them on the web elsewhere then The Market is the place. This month's Collection is a nautical theme and look there, The South Seas book is staring. Thanks to the crew at The Market for featuring one of the books.

So SociaL

Last week's email was all about the Rewinds that have been happening over on Instagram. It has been quite a trip down memory lane and the response and messages have been so cool. Thank you to everyone that left a comment and liked the Rewind series. Today is the last one for a while, but I think it's ending on a high note. The rewinds only got as far as 2004, so there'll be another series later. Just click on the image above to see what happened...and give us a follow :)  

Rewind

I've been going through the archives and found a bunch of drum scans that where part of the edit for my first book PhotoCPL, some made the cut, some have been sitting in the archive waiting their turn to be aired. Just for a trip down memory lane, I'm going to post some to Instagram over the next week.

I always get worried about recanting former glories, I'm concerned that people will think I'm lost in the '90's. I'm not- honest! Yesterday I posted the first image and I was stoked with the reaction and comments, in fact it created a pretty cool conversation.

Here's the first one, it actually made the book as a double page spread. Richard Hodder aka @inthedrink always says this is his favourite shot, he reckons it was one of the images that inspired him to get a water-housing. Big call, and I'm sincerely flattered. 

The surfer is Marc Moore who has always been one of my favourite surfers to do roadies with. The laughing organiser, he'd always get the groms ready with an insightful piece of advice, like when you do your road trip shopping tie all the bag handles up so your food doesn't roll about the boot. 

Marc's brand Stolen Girlfriends Club celebrated their 10th anniversary last week. Congratulations to all the partners, Dan Gosling and technophobe Luke Harwood for navigating a turbulent decade so well and coming out on top. Love your success guys!  

This shot was taken in Taranaki, The Mountain is in the left of the frame, at Rocky Lefts in 2002. Shot with a Canon A2 Body and Tokina ATX 17mm with Velvia 50 iso film. I still don't know how I didn't end up with a face full of fins. 

Here's the one I'm going to post later today.

This photo did not make the final cut for the book PhotoCPL. The cover shot of the book was of Maz from the same boat trip, so this one just  missed. We had been surfing such full-on barreling setups, surfing this little hot-dog wave was a nice variation. 

The boat trip is the best I've ever had to privilege to be a part of. In 1999 the Metawaii's was where everyone wanted to be. There still were only a dozen charter boats and just about everywhere we surfed, we surfed alone.  We scored great swell and Macca's, Thunders, Ht's and then in the Wavepark. Epic times with Damon Gunness having his 21st on the boat and Chris Malone and Brent Rasby in full force. Timing is everything. 

The photo did make the pages of NZ Surfing Mag as a double page spread. A week after the issue came out, Matty Bedford, a former cover star of the mag made a point of telling me how sick this shot is. He frothed that it had made him go surfing. I think that's the biggest compliment a photographer or an editor can get, If you stoke someone to make them want to get out there.

And here's one exclusive to you; 

Luke Harwood on Whangamata Bar 2003. This was shot from a small boat and ended up being one of the most expensive photoshoots I've ever been on. The driver of the boat had a shocker and panicked, putting us side-on in the impact zone. A 3 foot wave landed perfectly in the middle of the boat, $9000.00 of camera gear was lost. The boss was not happy. Amazingly the roll of film in the drowned camera had rewound and wasn't too wet. We got all the shots back from the session. Shot on a Canon Eos-1n with a Canon 400mm F4.0L on Velvia 50 iso film ...damn I miss that camera!

 

Good Swim

Last weekend was one out of the bag for Auckland's West coast. We had a run of great surf again.

The sun even lit up a few of the bombs coming through

I have to come clean, I haven't been able to swim out with the water housing for 7 weeks. I'd like to say I go for a water shot at least once a week. It just hasn't worked out. But Saturday did, time to don the flippers.

It's all about the texture

I don't really like photos of small wave studies. You know, those shore dump shots. That's not to say I'm diss'ing photographers that do them. They just aren't my thing. I like images with a bit of volume in the wave.

There's a hole in the sea

It's exciting swimming out in solid surf, Saturday was exciting. The lungs were burning and the legs weren't flipping very well, clearly someone needs to spend more time on the rower...or swim more that once every 7 weeks. 

The perspective surfers around the world crave

A nervous wait between sets

CPL Photos All Over the Show

This week Motorhome Republic used a whole bunch of images in a web log about New Zealand Surf spots.

View the story HERE

The Day Between

We all know this time of year can be a tough season for surfers in the upper North Isle. The huge south swells don't make for fun waves around here. Raglan and Shippies, and Gizzy for that matter, have had great winters. But unless you can travel, you're stuck waiting for the days between. 

Northern views

Yesterday was one of those days. A strong offshore wind finally grooming the swell into controllable surf.  I opted to shoot rather than surf. I stayed warm. 

Southern views

Local lad Peter 'Greedy' Harding

The shorey show was fun to catch too

A somewhat tame wild west

Another Piha local, Nigel Grayling braving the chill

Inside bowl

Surf Books...Not by CPL

Luke Williamson created one of the most important NZ Surfing documents made. It was the book 'Gone Surfing- The Golden Years of NZ Surfing 1950-1970'. While Luke always goes to great pains to stress it is not the history of NZ Surfing, by being the only book that covers this period, it is the best and most concise snapshot of those formative years. The South Seas- New Zealand's Best Surf book does also cover the timeline, but it is a chapter in that book- it's not the full and rich history. Someday. Gone Surfing is sadly out of print. 

Luke has most recently turned his talented hand to children's tales. I've read the first one and it's a stonker.  

Here's what Luke says of the project; The series “Surf Tales – Bedtime stories for surfing parents and grandparents to read to their gremmies”. The first story 'Magic Sandals' is free for everyone so please pass it on to any of your friends and relatives.

I have released the first six stories on my website so you can follow me on Facebook and www.surftales.co.nz to stay up to date. Send me an e-mail at lukegonesurfing@gmail.com and I will let you know when new stories are ready.

I’m asking readers to support this project via a small PayPal/credit card donation and I will use that to continue writing Surf Tales and to pay Fraser to illustrate the rest of the stories. My dream is that there will be enough interest in the stories that, when I have released all of them as digital books, I will be able to do a beautiful, printed, hard-cover collection of all the stories and sell that on Amazon.

I would love to think that the book could pass from generation to generation and still be read to gremmies in distant days to come.

Framing Ideas

I've been kept busy with commissions. The current trend is traditional framed pieces. While the site PhotoCPL doesn't offer ready made framed images, seeing a piece through to wall ready is a huge part of what is done.  Here's two really nice pieces we did this week. Black box framing with a white matt, archival satin photo paper. The inks and paper are rated to 108 years...dunno why it is 108, but hey that is 8 over the traditional 'archival' rating.

Just email me Here  if there's an image you'd like to get framed, there are so many cool options. 

Getting Out There

I used to sell handmade greeting cards at Piha Surf. Using a then state of the art photo printer and some nice machine cut card blanks. The production line was set up in the spare room. The little photos were glued to card, and packed in a plastic bag with an envelope. It wasn't rocket science but it was fun making them. Nor was a retirement fund created by any means, more like a feed down at the Piha RSA every other week. 

Scotty Casey starring on the old school cards!

It was shocking how satisfying a simple one to one transaction is. Even a $5 greeting card. Maybe I crave vindication, maybe I need my ego stroked, I dunno. I'd like to think it is a more positive emotion of making somebody else happy. Of them entertained by what you do enough to want your work around. 
 

Going, going fast!

This last week has been a nice week for that. There has been a spike of print orders from PhotoCPL.co.nz.  And now Sitka in Ponsonby is stocking Photo CPL prints. In fact 3 of the first 5 sold in the first few days. It has caught both Sitka and I short; we didn't expect that. The plan is to keep Sitka in stock with affordable framed prints. The prints will be changed up as wall space comes free. Pop into 133 Ponsonby Rd to see the prints in the flesh.  

Here's the next five prints that will be in store next Wednesday:

New Release!

Did you spy that top shot and think wait I haven't seen that before. It's new, it is loaded into the Wave Gallery now. Click on the photo to view it big. 

Print Vs Web, the war is over

I get involved in a lot of conversations about the state of surf media. It's a huge part of what I've done for 3 decades. We all have been a part a massive shift in how information and entertainment is soaked up. There was a glorious time when the printed page was king. There just wasn't such a thing as the Interweb or surf websites.

The A Team, 1993, L to R, Luke Darby graphic designer and in fact the designer of PhotoCPL.co.nz, Editor Chris Berge, and then some suspect longhaired grungy guy. 

I was working at NZ Surfing Magazine for those golden years. The audience was there, the advertisers knew it; the travel fund was flush. I had written at the start of this paragraph that I was lucky. I deleted it, it is not accurate; I was grateful and respectful of my position as the Editor. But I had worked through the preceding lean years too. I was a part of the teams that built up the title. It used to rile me when strangers would say, "you're so lucky to have a dream job". Of course I'd just smile and agree. 

Dream jobbing in 2005, bobbing off the tip of East Java with Brent Courtney. Brent was NZ Surfing's graphic designer for 2 long periods, he's also the art director of all the PhotoCPL Media books bar one. 

We always knew the Interweb would take over as the primary source of information. In fact it took a lot longer than we estimated for Print to lose the crown. The magazine strategy meetings would go like this. "Yep it's coming, how do we battle it". "Well, we need a Myspace page. Then we create a website that provides sneak peaks into what's coming up in the next issue. It has past features online, current surfing affairs from NZ and around the world. We need an online editor that does daily updates.” We got a quote for the website build, $60,000!!! Wow... we did make the Myspace page. 

Surf Magazines worldwide failed to harness the new technology. They struggled with the concept of providing hard earned content for free. Publishers thought they were producers of pages, rather than carriers of content. Many have withered up, failing to adapt. It's brutal, people have lost their careers. 

We now live in a world of digital natives that have no nostalgia for the printed page. They don't know the stoke of having an issue delivered to their door and flicking through the inked pages. It is sad in some ways, but in many ways, it just does not matter. We are conversant, now more than ever, in what's going on. The best content makers of the past are on the web or even in the print that has survived.

                         The current cover of NZSM

I left NZ Surfing Magazine 7 years ago, it was time to do my own thing and 15 years was enough. NZ Surfing Magazine is still kicking, in fact this year is its 30th.  Respect to the current staff that have weathered these turbulent years of cascading revenue.

Things are looking up for print. Magazines like Damaged Goods and White Horses have found a healthy niche. Readers are coming back because the printed page is a relaxing and tactile experience. It’s a break from our multi-screened lives. 

The current issue of DGZ, and look there, a feature by...me!

The successful magazines have become book like in content. Stopping the battle with websites for current affairs and event reportage. Opting for well researched in depth interviews and timeless stories of high adventure. Maybe the successful magazines are the ones that spurned Digital Natives from the start. Magazines like White Horses and The Surfer’s Journal have always been cross haired on the over 40 market.

The conversations will continue I'm sure. Here is to another 30 years NZSM, may you navigate well and true.  

Getting Close

Offshore. Click on the image to see it larger

The parting caption in the book PhotoCPL was about how formulaic magazine photography was.  I needed to step away from it. I had started to not shoot things, knowing that the image would not make the cut.

Thirds. Click on the image to see it larger

The only photo you regret is the one you didn't take. I do wonder if these 3 images would exist if I were still working for a magazine. It has been hard to break the habit, but it sure has been fun doing it. I often crack up thinking that now surfers don't make the photo, they are in the way! 
 

Pitch. Click on the image to see it larger
 

Of course that's not true, long gone are the days of rationing the 36 frames on a roll of film. Now we all get to shoot everything that moves. Some photographers lament the advent of digital, I'll admit I have too. It has meant more photographers in the water and the water angle is not so revered. But it has also meant the expectation is higher. And who doesn't like a challenge. 
 

This Week's Mini Adventure

Speaking of challenges, believe it or not, this mini adventure was. Find a carpark, not get confronted by a homeless drunk. Get confronted by said homeless drunk- make a new friend. Have your new friend become your self appointed camera minder. Oh yes, taking on Auckland's Queen St has its own set of unique challenges. I'm amping to see the panoramic camera results....but that will be next week. 

The Wait

It has been a tense week for West coast surfers. While the waves have been pretty good, there has been the ever present tease of a Nor-west swell. Our predominant swell direction is from the south, from the roaring forties. Everything changes in a Nor-west swell. Instead of waiting for high tide, we are amping for low tide. Instead of hoping the swell is a manageable size, we are willing it to be as big as it can. The more north the better, it means the swell runs acutely down our long flat beaches, becoming pseudo giant right hand point-breaks. 

A VINTAGE NOR-WEST SWELL AS FEATURED IN THE SOUTH SEAS

A Nor-west is an all too rare treat. Some years we'll get none, but every once in a while we'll fall into cycle and get 3 or 4 NW swells in quick succession. Boards get stepped up, boards get snapped. This week was supposed to be one of those weeks, it just didn't happen.

Matt Ziegler enjoying this week's perfect but small South West swell

Pumping all by itself

Mike Spence wagging work from Freeride- just as well he's the boss

On any other week you'd be fizzing to see this

Matty Ziegler impressing the on-lookers 

 Sitka Is Back

Andrew Howson, stoked to be in Ponsonby Road, and stoked to have the Sitka pop up- up

The darling of NZ surf scene, Sitka has relocated from it's Newmarket location to Ponsonby. Crippling rent and lack of foot traffic saw the Canadian founded surf brand rethink their flagship store. Closing the doors on the iconic Osbourne St store straight after Christmas, Sitka effectively became homeless for 6 months, peddling their wares at the Silo Park markets.

           Yep, he's stoked! 

After a couple of false starts, Sitka NZ's Managing Director Andrew Howson has secured the perfect venue for the brand, albeit temporary, the new Sitka is already doing a roaring trade at 133 Ponsonby Rd, just up from Ivan's, just down from Bhana Bro's for us old school Ponsonby noters :) 

Four Corners of New Zealand 

Last week's web log featured a wee tease of Richard Hodder's [aka@inthedrink on Instagram] first solo exhibition Four Corners and last night was the opening of the event. The 23 works are beautifully presented on fine art photo-rag paper in white box frames. Cleverly, there is a scaling of limited edition prints- in my opinion far too fairly priced, but that said, on opening night there where already a nice amount of red dots [signifying a sale] under the feature pieces.

A happy and relieved Hoddsy

If you are in Auckland over the next month get along to the Allpress Gallery for a shot of stoke. More details HERE 

Big Swell, Big Picture

Shippies at the peak of the mega swell in mega, mega pixels. Simply click the image to see more detail

The downside of shooting film is that everything takes more time, there is no checking the back of the camera to view what you've shot or how you've exposed it. There's no instant correction or instant digital gratification, there's just a long nervous wait, a mental tussle of self doubt and excitement over what could be on those rolls of film. The lab only processes film on Tuesdays now, long gone are the days of 1 hour processing, so for these rolls it was a week long wait.

Last week's panos ghetto scanned, to do side by side comparisons and final choice

This time around there were choices a plenty, in fact, that then became the issue, which one! The top one was chosen because the waves are the best shaped and the set is stacked around the top of the point, there's a feeling of anticipation.

Edit decided, then scan in full resolution, grade and 'clean', it's intensive and laborious. It takes about 4 hours to get a single panoramic image print ready. The work could be farmed out for sure, but really only the photographer who took the photo knows what they envisaged. 

Why put yourself through this for one image?  Simple, peace of mind. A film panoramic like this one is over a gigabyte in size.  When someone orders through the website it is actually a reduction from the image's native size... this is getting real photo nerdy huh? It all means every client is going to get an even better print than they expected, because of the fine detail. It's a stoke to drop off a piece or get an email back with the familiar 'I liked the photo, but I never expected it to look this good in real life!' The devil is in the detail.

The Fotoman 617 Pano camera has been getting a workout! Just click on the image to see it larger, oh, there's even a video on the page

 

Meet Hoddsy

Hodds just out of the drink for a change [ahhhh Dad joke!]

Say hello to Richard Hodder, aka @inthedrink on Instagram. You're probably following him already, the quietly spoken surfer [yes, he surfs as well as he shoots!] is the most followed Kiwi surf-photographer on social media. His daily post of inspiration clearly hits a chord with us all. Hodds has spent the first half of 2015 travelling to the the Four Corners of NZ shooting in only the way he can. I've been trying to cajole him into making a book, but that's another story. In the meantime come support and enjoy his fine work off screen and on gallery walls.  More details HERE