The Nationals So Far So...

Hordes of surfing families and competitive surfers have once again descended on Piha for the Nationals. 

And it's a great thing. The motor camp is full with tents and motorhomes, the local businesses are humming with the extra influx. At its best, the Nationals is a showcase of NZ surfing talent, it's a meeting of the national surfing tribe. Friendships and networks are made and reinforced. There have always been the nay sayers and the haters, but there's always a negative to something that is largely a positive thing. 

The waves and weather have not played ball. Grey days of persistent onshore winds, crumbling junky swell. But in amongst the grey junk there have been pockets of goodness. Here's a little gallery for you from the week that has been so far... mostly free surfing around the actual contest.

Keone Campbell gouging

Gremmie tearing

Lookout open surfers, Josef Jungwirth is on his way

Dunedin's Elliott Brown has been a standout

Keone Campbell committing 

Sean Peggs speedlining 

Peggsy take 2

JC Susan looking the buso for the Open 

Elliott Paerata Reid combo'ed his fellow competitors in his Open heat

The locals did a fair job of representing 

Tiarua's Mr Peggs freeing fins 

Billy Stairmand showing why he's the defending Champ

Phil 'Bong' Griffin  with his trademark yellow board and paddling gloves

Fran Kora, joined the ramble for a evening free surf

Flyboy Callum Chautter 

Billy waaaay up the beach

EPR this morning 

Chch's Harrison Whiteside lofting high

EPR dealing with the morning's crumble

The contest is down to it's two final days. We'll be seeing a huge jump in the swell, not in the good way and the onshore winds will strengthen. It's going to be war at sea for the finalists. Stay posted for Sunday's post. 

From The Galleries

Yeah, this sure ain't going to be the view any of the competitors in this years Nats are going to get this week. Click on the image to see it larger...and for buying options of course :) 

Day One

The Surfing Nationals are back at Piha this year, in fact this very week. I'm not the official photographer this time, so it has freed me up to shoot the surfing around the heats. To maybe, hopefully, shoot the sessions the surfers actually want to go out in, not have to go out in. Last night, despite the onshore conditions a sweet little session went done. Here's a cheeky sample of last night's fun.... 

Billy Stairmand the defending champ

Ella Williams in the big Tasman

Grommie freeing his fins 

Grommet on the charge

My flatmates for the week sharing meals and waves... Billy Stairmand and Sean Peggs

Peggsy, getting one away from Billy

Keone Campbell on the tear  

happy chaps

smashing the corner pocket

Keone in classic form

Peggsy 

The Correct Foot Forward

In this case that would be the left one. Over the weekend a beautifully wrapped lil' A5 parcel was sitting in my post box. It was Ant Green's new book Left Foot Forward.

The 66 page book is self published by Ant [plus cover- a pet peeve; when people include covers as text page count] and it's a mere $15.00. All profits are donated to Sustainable Coastlines - reason enough to order the book. Regardless of where the profits end up, the book is a visual feast. The limited edition, I've got number 106 of 150, celebrates Ant and his brother Matthew's journey earlier this year through South East Asia. The images are beautiful. Thoughtful compositions that nicely veer away from on-trend photographic styles. I'm not sure how to put it but for want of a better word there's a photographic maturity in Ant's style. 

I could bang on about the insightful passages of text crafted by Ant's fellow travellers, the clever non lineal use of the images, but the acid test is always; Does the book give you itchy feet to venture East? F$CK YES!!! 

Check Out more of Ant's work on his website HERE and on Instagram HERE

 

...And The PhotoCPL Corporation... 

It is that crunch time of the year for anyone retailing any type of product, and being a one man band, cracks are sure starting to show! This very E-Bomb has been the primary victim, 2 weekly deadlines missed. Missed because of good stuff; big, long, exciting commercial photoshoots in exotic locales with bugger all inter web. And then back to packing orders. It has been a rush. 

Product splayed at Raglan Surf Co... stolen from the gram

The Big Little Beach Book has sold through 66% of the print run in it's first 3 months of publication, thank you fellas. 

New Release

This panorama has been added to the Beaches Gallery. It was made just this last Saturday evening. A lot of thought, trail and error have gone into this one. Waiting for the Pohutukawa blooms to be just right, balancing the sun against the blooms in shadow... oh yes there was a lot of complex internal conundrums... and then nature just did what she wanted anyway. Check it out bigger by just clicking on the image.

Cleaning House

I'm going to apologise in advance if this week's post is a bit ho-hum for some of you. There's a couple of reasons I'm posting what I'm posting. 

#1. There's no surf, I just haven't been able to get to where there could, would be waves to shoot- and it stings.

# 2. There's a real awareness that the image galleries on PhotoCPL.co.nz aren't the greatest to navigate. They are great 'cos the images can be seen pretty large, the trade off is there's no slide show ability. There's a plan in place to fix this. But it's a real ongoing issue, naturally photographers want to share their work and showcase it in a way that at least hints at the quality. The problem is no one wants to try a view a 1 gigabyte photo on the inter web  [there goes your data plan]. 

So here's a little work around for your viewing pleasure, over a 160 images across the four Galleries in under four minutes. 

This is the Beaches Gallery on PhotoCPL.co.nz which is

This is the Waves and Line-Up Gallery which you can view HERE

This is the Americana Gallery which you can also view 

And this is the Elements Gallery which you can is online at PhotoCPL HERE

Other Exposures

Here's the latest Copious A0 summer poster, that's going into Backdoor and Northbeach stores around the country now, and that would be one happy Shaun Boucher holding out the poster. Shaun is the subject matter of the poster and he's on fire this year, winning every ramp and bowl jam nationwide. Last weekend he took out the annual ALC Ramp Jam in the Naki. Here's the full sequence of the ridiculous drop. It was part of the Copious summer campaign I shot last month- love those gigs!!! 

Check out more from Copious [and spot the Cp shots :) ] HERE

The Big Little Beach Book

Distribution is trucking along for the book. Shops are starting to place re-orders! Can't be bothered finding it??? Well the inter web shop is open all day every day HERE

Going Nationwide

Every photographer has goals, it's only natural and proper. To strive to get better, then at some point other people start liking your stuff. I'm not trying to be a tosser here and claim past glories, it's more gratitude, grateful for the usages of images over the years. Money sure helps show gratitude! You do need it to live...and buy more cameras. But the lasting stoke is knowing your work has been appreciated and valued. 

It's really nice when someone makes a point of telling me they grew up on my photos in the surf mag, although I always get embarrassed. As you get older there's a new worry, are you still valid- it's a fricken horrible one. Especially if you've been immersed in a youth culture like surfing. I am officially an old salty dog, but let's grasp at 'established' and a 'senior member' of the craft??? 

...And then an image gets used by one of the country's most successful and established menswear labels, they use it in the front window of every one of their 25 stores nationwide, 2 metres x 2 metres. Of course the average Joe won't stop to think a second about Moon Bob paddling out into the sunrise, or who or how that was captured. But damn it looks good. 

Last Thursday Barkers' Albany store played host to the launch of the summer Barkers X Surfline range. You may remember I was a part of the team on the photoshoot, you can see some of the shots HERE.  It was a really cool evening and pretty darn packed too. I thought; get in, make sure to be seen to be there and then sneak out. But there were too many good people to catch up with, next thing you know it's closing time.
 

Surfline have a pretty cool gallery of the evening posted HERE 

And now I can share with you some of the A's from the day...

Part of the Barkers' brief was to also shoot video from the water. I reckon it came out mean as! 

Whatcha doin' on Sunday??? Well, if you're in the AK it sure as F@ck ain't going to be surfing!!! Come and get culturally enlightened at Bas van Est's new exhibition at Thievery Studios, round the back of K-Rd. Bas shoots from the water too, spending a lot of time in Tairua, he's also busy commercial photographer. He loves shooting grit, I love grit. His latest exhibition is grit. The gritty side of Qatar that the travel brochures wouldn't use, ironically if they did I'd be keen to go there.

For more details  just click HERE

New Zealand Wave Print Sets 

The shops are starting to get them out on display. What, you can't find it yet? Well the inter web shop is open all day every day HERE

The Big Little Beach Book

Distribution is trucking along for the book. Shops are starting to place re-orders! Can't be bothered finding it??? Well the inter web shop is open all day every day HERE

Barring Presidential Elections, Sometimes A Plan Does Come Together

Firstly I just have to get it out of my system, America...wow, really...THAT guy? Ok, sorry, not the place, moving along.

Yesterday I came home to a courier box sitting at the front door, don't you love that, a mini Christmas. I knew what was in it. 

You may remember just a couple of months ago, late August there was a great swell Eastside, the images from that swell are HERE

Cale from Copious Clothing had a plan; his retailers wanted an iconic Mount shot T-shirt.  It's an ambitious plan, a big ask to try and get a banger of a shot. A shot good enough to design a T around. The weather and waves played ball though and we spent both the morning and the arvo in the water. There was a certain amount of ruthlessness in the way these water shoots were approached. My favourite water housing lens is the 15mm Fisheye, I love that you have to position yourself right in the barrel with the surfer to get the gold, I love that the Fisheye opens up the barrel. Here's a good example; 

Elliott Parata-Reid, we're both in our happy place

The downside of a Fisheye lens is that you HAVE to be in the barrel, and backgrounds get pushed away. The brief was to have the Mount as a dominant feature, so the decision was to go semi telephoto. The ruthlessness was the camera was firmly pointed at the Mount and every image was framed up with the Mount, there was no getting distracted by what was happening up the beach.

This is what we were trying for ....

You can click on the image if you want to see it larger

But we decided on a shot that had a human element in it. It is actually Cale in there, but that went against its choice, Cale didn't want a photo of him on the T. We came around to the fact that you couldn't tell it was him and regardless it's a pretty perfect barrel from an iconic New Zealand surf beach. Here's the shot...

Definitely a 'from where you rather be' moment! 

Wait... you're thinking; yeah sure good single shot but he probably got clamped... hahahah NAH! Here's the sequence... 

The T-shirts are now in all the Backdoor Surf Shops and lots of the independents too. Available in any colour, as long as it is black, and in either short sleeve or long sleeve. Love it when a plan comes together!  

  New Zealand Wave Print Sets 

The NZ Wave Print Sets arrived early. All the pre-orders are out already. And the shops are starting to get it out on display. What, you can't find it yet? Well the inter web shop is open all day every day HERE

The Big Little Beach Book

Distribution is trucking along for the book. Shops are starting to place re-orders! Can't be bothered finding it??? Well the inter web shop is open all day every day HERE

Three Things

This, That And The Other

... that's how my mate, commercial photographer Will Bailey starts his monthly mailer. It's simply brilliant; he selects three different images that he's made over the last month, say one from personal work, one fashion shot and one technical product shot. In three images he illustrates diversity, technical skill and the ability to shoot to a variety of briefs. And he doesn't write a word.   

THIS is the fun little photo mission I went on this week, the tide and the weather coincided perfectly to go have a bit of fun around at the Gap.

Straight after THAT, It was job on; back down to the Mount to shoot the Copious Summer mens range with Cale Tolley and Shaun Boucher. These are the dream jobs, combining fashion shooting with credible action shots. I can't show you the best ones, but here's a sneak sample.

The OTHER big thing that happened this week was the landing of the third and final piece of the PhotoCPL product lines. To compliment The Big Little Beach Book, there has been a boxset of 20 notecards made. Unlike a lot of notecard box sets that only have a couple of designs, there are 20 different images selected from the book. 

There are 22 envelopes included [so you can make a couple of mistakes] and the whole boxset retails for $29.95 so it's really good money for value for money per card and envelope. $1.50 verses $3-5.00 you can sometimes pay for a card at the Stationers. 

Wait, wanna see them all... oh yes I did; another annoying time-lapse for you...

You can read more about [and purchase] the notecard boxset via the website HERE

When the Interviewer is Interviewed

There is something that's been bugging me for a while now, this week it came to a head after I got interviewed for a photography website based out of Los Angeles. I'd like to throw it over to you, you're welcome to hit me back with your thoughts. Here's my rationale; 

I have interviewed and profiled a lot of surfers over the years. Firstly for NZ Surfing Mag, then for Surf 2 Surf, Go-Surf and 09 Magazine. I like reading a good interview, one that informs the reader about the character. A thoughtful question will often challenge the interviewee, but those answers are the real ones, the ones that share insight and thought processes. 

To be really honest most of the interviews I have done have fallen short of that mark. I've towed the line, a perceived line, that you don't want to rock the boat or risk surfers' relationships with their sponsors. Most surf mags fall into this trap, they forget that the interview is for the readers' benefit, not to keep the surfer or the industry happy. They end up being promotional fluff that would be more suited for the sponsors' website. There's nothing wrong with that type of interview, they have their place. My conviction is that if surf mags met their readers' needs they wouldn't be suffering the reader drain they are now. Sure there'd be the commercial pressure from the industry to present the sanitised 'good look'.  But ultimately those advertisers should be advertising WHERE the readers are. The readers would give brands cred for doing so. 

It's tough to be THAT type of interviewer, and again to be really honest, I'm not sure I have the mental fortitude to be constantly THAT guy. To be asking the prickly questions, then fielding and defending your motives, and possibly alienating yourself from your tribe. It is easier to just go surfing. But it's something that's lacking in Surf Media... I hasten to add this is not about sensational tabloid journalism, it's not about only going after the underside, but not sanitised either. Just real, well researched, thoughtful, honest. Respect the readers' intellect to decipher and share the struggle and, hopefully, success of the human spirit. 

The Snapshot Galleria interview I did this week was nothing so dramatic. But knowing all of the above, when the table is turned and the interviewer becomes the interviewee there's a different approach. There's a strong awareness that the questions and answers are not a two way conversation, it's a three way interaction. Questions are an opportunity, a prompt, to share thoughts and information. I'd argue that the best person to interview is someone that's interviewed. I've been interviewed a fair bit now; in photography mags, travel websites, local newspapers and most recently on The Barkers website and mag. I'm a Kiwi, I hate putting my head up, it actually amazes me how engrained this is in us.   

New Zealand Wave Print Sets 

The NZ Wave Print Sets arrived early. All the pre-orders are out already. And the shops are starting to get it out on display. What, you can't find it yet? Well the inter web shop is open all day every day HERE

The Big Little Beach Book

Distribution is trucking along for the book. Shops are starting to place re-orders! Can't be bothered finding it??? Well the inter web shop is open all day every day HERE

Cambo Life

The last few posts have been quite product related huh? Well over the last week the gorgeous Ange and I hit the road in the Cambo. It made no sense, there's too much work to do, the NZ Wave Print Sets arriving, The Big Little Beach Book distribution in full flight. This is not the time to be road tripping. We went anyway. 

Hahei Holiday Park, are you kidding me! How is this for front row seats. Million dollar views for $30 a night. 

At the risk of clearly being repetitive, Ange and I own a Chevrolet Silverado 4x4 ex St Johns Ambulance. It has been converted to a camper already, but over the next few years we are going refine the conversion. It makes no financial sense. It's big, it's heavy on gas, there's an endless number of costly modifications that could be done. Where do you stop, when are you so ridiculously over capitalised? But then you do this. 

Hahei, you beautiful thing

You wake up absolute beachfront to a scene like this. NZ's campgrounds are under constant threat of "development", especially the beachfront ones like Hahei. Hahei was saved from being carved up a few years ago. The plight of the beautiful grounds made national news, the local council sluggish and reluctant to step up and buy the grounds from the retiring owners. Fortunately the same private owners of the Opoutere campground fronted up- bloody legends. Shame on you Council. Of course my argument is the well trodden theme; that greedily carving up our Kiwi beach side campgrounds for short term profit is not 'development' in any way. It's the opposite, it degrades the beach, it takes the beach away from all of us. 

It's the simple things, the quiet things, free moments

We moved on the the Mount. It's kind of the polar opposite of Hahei, it is not quiet, it is humming with humans. But what a success story of the campground. Nestled on the base of Mauao the Holiday Park is bold and refined and yep, you pay a bit more... but check this view...

Hating cambo life right?!

There were waves too. To be honest, it wasn't planned, it was just a happy coinciding. But we ended up being at the right place at a good time. 

Since we've been back I posted a couple of shots in Instagram. The question was asked, 'cos I really was struggling, which one should be added to the website? The consensus is this one straight above... so you asked for it, it's done it.... check it out bigger HERE

You can't stay at the Mount, especially at the very base of the the Mount, without the trek up the thing right? We set out 30 minutes before dawn. Sure enough, there are people already running back down the track, then there are those lapping us. It's busy! I'm carry a stripped down camera kit of about 15kgs [which was ridiculously too much- but you never know what you could need] I'm trudging and I'm gasping, but then you get this...

camera porn

hmmm good, but here's the call... not as good as this...

Which was used in Beached As Then and Now and the new Big Little Beach Book

Love our Kiwi coasts! Roll on Labour weekend and the start of summer, roll on the Cambo. 

It's Here

The NZ Wave Print Sets arrived early. All the pre-orders are out already. And the shops are starting to get it out on display. What, you can't find it yet? Well the inter web shop is open all day every day HERE

The Big Little Beach Book

Distribution is trucking along for the book...despite the Cambo roady. Shops are starting to get it out on display. Can't be bothered finding it??? Well the inter web shop is open all day every day HERE

Dream Gigs

Once in a while a sweet dream gig lands in your lap. The type of job you've strived to be in position for your whole career. The type of job that requires super specialised gear and technique. This week's Barkers X Surfline job was exactly that. 

The brief was perfect, shoot Roger Hall and the rest of the Surfline team from the water.  The goal was to get a variety of images, both surfing and others of the new summer range of board-shorts. Simple, show the boardies in their natural environment, being used for surfing. 

I love shooting longboarding, especially from the water. And the chance to hang out with Roger and the rest of the crew. Well, needless to say Barker's Marketing Manager Paul Biddle didn't have a ask twice. 

Paul laying it over on a Surfline 6'0 single fin

I can't share the the real gold of the shoot with you just yet. Barkers is going to use the A's in their marketing and print. But Roger and I snuck out the evening before for a cheeky warm up session. 

Roger, most certainly in his happy place, 300 metres from his front door

Cross step master, insert bad pun about the long boarding master shaper walking the talk...oh yes, I just did that

Cat like and on the prowl?

For the last few years Roger has been developing finless designs, harking back the the Hot Curl concept. This 8'8 is his favourite at the moment, he reckons on the cross step the acceleration is crazy

The Hot Curl seems to be doing the trick

Toes over

Great way to end any day, and knowing too the next day is going to be just as fun

Business time on the Barker's set, next morning...happy chappies

In Print

The latest issue of DGZ is out and it's a boomer. It also features this Copious full page using one of the images from last month's epic mission. Like the triangle design? Think it would make for a cool Tee.... well something is a brewing...  

Hoddsy Nails It

Last night was the opening for Richard Hodder's new exhibition 'Four Corners Of Mexico' . The exhibition is on until the end of next week so if you didn't make it along to the Allpress Studio [8 Drake St, Auckland CBD], you've still got time. It's well worth your trouble. 

Not even starting to fill up! 

Surf photogs unite! Bean Bag, Brodie and the host himself Mr Richard Hodder

Just before it got REALLY packed. 

The Big Little Beach Book

Distribution is trucking along for the book. All the pre-orders are out [thanks guys for your lovely feedback-stoked!!!] And the shops are starting to get it out on display. What, you can't find it yet? Well the inter web shop is open all day every day HERE

Ramping Up And Slowing Down

Don't panic, it's s'posed to look like that

The waves have continued to pump out West this last week. It's not only seasonably unusual it's now verging on plain ridiculous to get a run of clean waves like this anytime of the year. In between the rain showers there have been moments of camera time. 

And time slowed down. There's something satisfying in doing the opposite of what you're meant to do. Instead of freezing every droplet of water at 1/1000th of a second, this was about opening the shutter and letting the motion blur at half a second. Finding that line between not blurry enough that it does look like an accidental out of focus image and too blurry there's no detail at all. 

It's arty mate...aaaaarty

Here's a canvas commission from last week using the same approach. I'd spent the whole day shooting at 1/1000th so, in a way, this was like rounding the day out. Mix it up, have some fun. 

Click on the image to see it larger

if you'd like to see the image bigger just click on it

.... and This here above is a commission that's been a few months in the planning. It's part on a new ongoing relationship with Fuji-Xerox New Zealand. Their brief was to start using local imagery on their swatchbooks and sampling. This is the start of that, so far they have chosen 10 PhotoCPL images- STOKED!

Today is the calm before the storm. Thousands of The Big Little Beach Book  have arrived and get delivered to warehousing. Life is about to get ramped up and become all about the tape gun, bubble wrap and courier tickets. See ya on the other side of Christmas! 

IT'S NOT ALL ABOUT PHOTOCPL

Next week is a good week too! Top bloke and fellow photog Richard Hodder aka In The Drink has his second solo show at the Allpress Gallery in central Auckland. I could bang on about how awesome his first show was and how sick the new Mexican images are... but...just get in a see for yourself... here's the invitation- see ya there! 

 

Great Moments

It is not s'posed to be like this. September through until December, the spring equinox, is a time west coast surfers dread. The wind usually alternates between a blustery south west or the even more blustery north west. The key word is blustery, blustery onshore winds. But that's not what we are getting.

We are copping clean offshore conditions. In amongst it there have been some great moments. Small windows of tide and swell collaborating. In fact, as this is being posted the surf is pumping. To be honest, it is throwing me off rhythm. Work and book launch prep is what should be happening. Huey is going no, no, come out to play, and leave your groveller board in the shed. 

Any surfer worth his salt is a keen amateur weatherman. We understand fetch and troughs, we know that our weather is dictated by either El Nino [translation 'the boy'] periods and it's opposite La Nina [the girl]. Generally El Nino is the bad stuff and La Nina makes for nice summers. But what we have currently is Enso Neutral... as the name suggests neither the boy or the girl are in dominant cycles... we are just gliding in neutral.

Bring on the grey of neutrality!!! 

These images were shot on the new Canon 5DmkIV, a camera I've been waiting on for a couple of years now. First in line to get the NZ release. Bigger, faster, packed with heaps of awesome new tech and definitely the new workhorse. Shot from a high vantage point with the ultra telephoto to show the swell lines and direction. It's a similar angle to this one... 

Which was actually shot from here....

Which is in fact the feature Piha spread in The Big Little Beach Book.... man, that's a terrible segue. 

The Big Little Beach Book is not a surf book, it's a beach book. The book arrives late this month, but Pre-orders with free P&P are now open HERE

#CamperLife

My Instagram feed is filled up with fellow campervaners. I fricken love it aye.

The idea of re-purposing a vehicle to make it liveable. The fun of doing modifications, making mistakes, learning how to do some mod better, lighter, stronger and more efficient. It's why, in part, Angela and I took on the Chevy Ambo project last November. 

Every modification is done thinking; will this add enjoyment and longevity to being off the grid. For me it is even simpler; what does the Chevy need to stay around the reef at Shippies for a whole swell. The reckoning is if she can handle that, then she's up for anything. 

The big one was getting certified as Self Contained. It might sound weird but I'm really proud that the Chevy is legit. I've written web-logs about this before. About how Shippies is under strain and there is a need to be more considerate of the locals and the resource. It's the most read PhotoCPL web log done to date.  

How's the bedroom view

Last week was the Chevy's maiden Shippies run. There was confidence the 4x4 V8 Ambo would power around the rocks, but there was also that little niggle. Is it too high, too wide, hell, in this case is it too heavy in sand? I've seen Daihatsu Charades, stock trucks and caravans around the reef, but there was still worry. She blazed around. In fact she was even put up on a dune to prove the point. I was a pig in shit.

Building

....building... 

On Fire! 

The swell hit on Thursday and grew throughout the day. It was a good day. A big day for around those parts. It was a surfing day, not so much a photo day. Thursday night was rough, hail laden fronts stormed through every hour. I nearly [nearly] felt guilty for being rugged up in my double bed with the heater on. By dawn on Friday the crew tenting it were packed and gone. It would have been a tough cold night. The wind cut the swell to ribbons. 

Could I have driven up and just surfed all Thursday, then driven home that evening and caught as many waves? Easily. But spending a few nights off the grid, self-contained is way more fun. C'mon spring swells!  

The Big Little Beach Book is not a surf book, it's a beach book. But Shippies was included, this is it's feature spread. The book arrives late this month, but Pre-orders with free P&P are now open HERE

The Big Little Beach Book

The blame lays squarely on David Hall's shoulders. My old boss and mentor at NZ Surf Mag. Early on in piece, during an issue debrief, he stated 'If you think you've made the best magazine you ever can, then it's time to quit. Because if you think that then you probably can't.' It still resonates now. How can this be better. 

How can you approach a photo shoot better. How can you write a better, simpler passage to convey the information. How can you travel better. How do you make 'it' better. 

The Big Little Beach Book is bourne from that. 

What worked in the other books, what didn't. What did you like [and I mean YOU not me]. What missed the mark. What can be learned from the past and distilled for the future. That was the drive and the genesis for it.

Yesterday morning the two advance copies of The Big Little Beach Book arrived.  It's kind of a strange tradition. You get the advances, the idea being it's a final check. But there is nothing you can do. The entire job is printed, bound, boxed and palletised, ready to ship. Still, it is so fricken exciting, and in this case a huge up lifting relief... it looks the business- it is better.  

So here it is. You are the first to preview

And just like with the South Seas Book, I couldn't resist doing a annoying funny cover to cover preview video... and a cup of tea. 

Treading Water

There is no prize for guessing where the swell led to this week. Nor is there a need to mention it's most hallowed of names. If you know you know. And if you do know then there's no point in showing off and telling everyone, right? 

These missions are always rad. The call to come, a late night drive to miss city traffic, a pre-dawn rush to the boat ramp. As we've all got older things have got more refined. No more paddles across the harbour. No more wooden dingys with 2hp seahorse outboards [I think paddling may have been faster]. No more 2 kilometre trudges up the beach. 

Thanks to Dean Werne and his 5 metre fibreglass, cabined powerboat, things are good! Energy conserved for treading water. These are the days, the days you remember. It might be just that one moment of perfection. That one single section of a wave that there was not a drop of water out of place. It only takes one wave. One ride. 

Cale Tolley, chief organiser of the day and the chief behind Copious Clothing

These lips have teeth!

Tim Tompson putting his Piha Ditch gromhood to good practise

Eastern Peak, is available as a print, simply click on the image for size options

Power Ranger Matty Bennet

Khan Butler on form as ever

Kehu Bulter...I'm thinking he's thinking he's pretty stoked his dad Khan is a good surfer

Kehu sneaking under the lip

Kehu in a drainer with Jerry hooting on

There'll be locals that will say this was not a perfect day. Fair enough. A beautiful winter's day, a strong swell running, clean off-shores, barrels, good mates, old mates, fun catch ups, 6 hours in the water, 500 photos...that's a perfect CP day. 

Subscriber Give Away Given

This white on white print of Perfect View  has been won. Caleb How won the draw, there were 32 entries, that's 32 people out of 1020 subscribers... hmmm pretty good odds for the motivated huh! 

Just click on the image to see it bigger and of course purchasing options [if you want it bigger]

From The Galleries

Here's another one from the day. It was selected because of the framing, the wisps of off-shores and how groomed that wall is. Damn I wanna go surfing!  

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Eastern Chills

While it has been great chasing western storms the last month, this week started with soaking up some fun eastern swell.  It wasn't a photo trip, it was a surf trip. A good old fashioned east coast chase with my good mate and former flatty Will Bailey.

This is not a photo of the waves, it's a shoot of the Rip Curl 4/3 Flashbomb... damn I love that wetsuit's fleecey warmness.

Probably a lot better than the text alludes

Lipper to the head

Pretty backwash light play

Will is also a photographer, he did a casual internship while I was the Editor at NZ Surf Mag. This led to him getting a cover of Sam Willis. Will became the mag's swim-wear photographer, which sounds way more glamorous than it was. 

Will is one of Auckland's pre-eminent fashion and advertising photographers. Check out his website.  

The 'I'm smiling with my mouth but I'm really saying f&ck off don't point that thing at me' look- aye Will! 

What do photographers talk about on surf trips? The Kelvin scale and tweaked camera profiles, pixel pitch or emulsion ....nah... surf! Surfboards, the WSL, dream surf trips of the future, funny skunkings of the past. 

We didn't score the most epically epic waves of all time. In a funny way I enjoy that. When the job was to be at the epicentre of a swell's focus I felt the pressure. The old, 'orrrr maaate; where were ya' used to burn. Sometimes it still does. But now I'd rather just find a good bank and get a couple of sessions in. 

That's what we did, caught lots of waves, laughed, soaked up the rays and had fun.

From The Galleries

It's all about the East this post huh! This day was most definitely about being at the epicentre of the swell's focus....sooo good. 

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So Close

There's a photographic theory that great days don't make for great landscapes. It's the stormy days that yield the drama. It is those marginal moments of a sunburst through a laden sky. I'm a fan of this theory, and I find myself more and more amping for weather drama. Thick clouds, but broken up, windy but not quite gale force. It's the direct opposite of what you hope for on a surf trip. 

I'm sure it was way more stormy than this shot shows! Waiting for some sun pop on the Lion.

There has been some storm chasing going on the last few weeks. Sitting out rain fronts, layering up and keeping warm and dry out in the elements. It's fun; as long as you don't spring a leak or there's a layer system failure. 

What- Film!!! And an actual lightbox. The exposure was good, but the lens choice/composition wasn't quite right. Reset and wait for the next stormy day. 

That's better. And a pop of sun on Lion Rock- well worth the revisit a week later. How rad is the rip on the north side of the Lion.

Surf wise this week was all about being close, but just not quite. South easterlies act more like a cross shore than a clean off shore breeze on the Auckland West coast. Rather than grooming the swell, it cuts it up and makes the sets ropey. And it has been cold! Not freeze the water in your plumbing cold, but you sure ain't wearing boardies! 

The hardy and hungry have jumped on the first glimpse of 'clean' waves in weeks though. It hasn't been great, but at least there have been waves.

Surf amped as ever, Ratso has been out everyday this week. He departs for Tahiti this weekend to join the WSL in his role as priority judge.

Former BFM DJ Jon Davis... not bad for a 50+ club member

Liam Joyce wisely opting for the cleaner insiders

Happy to be back in the water

Winter and quiet walks along the beach

Steve Walker on his self shaped rocket

Tony Walsh dealing with being back after a tropical trip

Spot the Beanbag! 

Beanbag and Steve stoking

From The Galleries

Captured during a huge swell and dodging rain squalls was all worth the fun to create a dramatic panoramic like this. And judges liked it too;  it was an Epson International Pano award winner in 2013.

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Not All About Me; Take 3

It is a theme I’ve harped on about before and it is one I’ll probably repeat again. I’m convinced that it is vital to share your knowledge and help people starting out on a journey you’re already along a bit.

Whether it is sharing your surfing knowledge, even where to paddle out, or something as mundane as how to wax a board. Photography is the same; great photographers mentored me when I started 25 years ago, so I totally adhere to the ethos of giving back.

Rachy co-piloting in Va'Vau Tonga. Photo Magenta Hyde

My friend Rachel Stewart has become quite the Instagram sensation with her drop dead gorgeous New Zealand Landscapes. She has a staggering 54,000 followers. Deservedly so, she has a great eye, she has embraced the Instagram community; hash tagging like a demon and going to Instagram meets. Rachel is a successful case study in how a social media platform can actually perform. If of course the talent is there to start with.

I have to add this disclaimer before going forward, I had no idea I had influenced her to the extent she mentions. In the first draft of the interview I edited out her references, but then the answers made little sense, so the flattery stays in... although I’m incredibly not comfortable with it. 

Rach and her signature hat at Tawarewa

Say hello to Papamoa’s surfing mother of three, the humble Ms Rachel Stewart.

When we did the Tonga trip in 2010 you weren't taking photos. What was the inspiration/ motivation to start getting into photography?
 
I had always had an interest in photography, but had never really pursued it. At the time of our (AMAZING) Tonga trip, my two great loves were travelling and surfing! But I do remember that trip having quite an impact on me. I watched two talented individuals, yourself and our great mate Magenta (my bestie) combining their two great loves. For you it was surfing and photography, for her it was whales and photography. That really stuck with me.
It wasn’t until a few years later when I started taking a few sunset snaps when walking along the beach that I realised that I quite liked capturing moments that meant something to me.

Owharoa Falls selfie and that hat!

You have eluded in the past to having goals with Instagram. Could you explain your original plan?
 
Well, no word of a lie, I joined Instagram to follow you! You had put a facebook message out to say you were starting an Instagram account, I had no idea what that was, but joined anyway to follow your photography, which has always inspired me.
Then about a year later I started uploading my own little grams. I had no idea that it would turn into a full blown passion, and end up being a way for me to make a living.
When I realized that I was starting to gain exposure and more followers, I set out to make the most of every opportunity I had to take photos, better my art, continue my passion. That was my main plan, but I also wondered if I could somehow turn this into a way of living. Along the way I have had some great opportunities, met some amazing people, and been inspired to carry on with the journey. I’m thankful for all those good things that have happened to me.

Mitre Peak, Milford Sound...are you kidding me! Race's posts like this average 8,000+ likes

That plan has evolved as the Instagram community has of course; so now you're sitting at over 54000 followers, has this opened doors for photographic work?
 
Two years ago I couldn’t have imagined having over 54k followers on the gram, it even sounds crazy to me saying it out loud.
It has definitely helped my name gain exposure, and I have had quite a few photographic opportunities come my way because of it. I would have to say my proudest moment is being sponsored by Lee Filters, that really was a dream come true.
My photos have been used by Pure NZ in publications overseas and quite a few other tourism branches throughout the country. I’m really happy that companies seem to like the way I capture our amazing country.

Lake Matheson photo Rachel Stewart

Your photography is beautiful, you've done a lot of long exposure work; is this still your favourite style of landscape shooting?
 
Long exposure is still my favourite type of photography, and it was after seeing photos from yourself, Sarah Hatton (iso100photography) and Crystal Hutchinson (midnight_photography) that I really wanted to try it for myself.
Recently I have really been enjoying incorporating a human element into my photos, and sometimes that doesn’t require getting the filters out. A scene can often look just as beautiful without using the long exposure technique, and I’m really enjoying exploring that style of photography a bit more.

Pure cloud porn; Mount Cook Road. Photo Rachel Stewart

The average weekday for Rachy?
 
Looking after my beautiful young family
Coffee
Working part time in my ‘real’ job haha
Coffee
Running my photography business
Coffee
Taking photos
Coffee
Editing photos
Coffee
Spending time with the amazing people in my life
Walking, hiking, being outdoors
 
The photoshoot day for Rachy?

Trying not to forget anything!
Depending on where I’m going, I try to do a bit of research on what the place looks like, what angles are available.
Checking weather, clouds, sun times, wind, driving and hiking duration.
Assessing the scene once there, including the above factors.
Assessing the different compositions I’m going to shoot once the light starts to get better.
Choosing what filters to use.
Taking photos
Of course other times (and so many times) getting taken by surprise and just scrambling to get to a good spot and use the right settings to get a photo!

For the budding grammers what's the four best tips you'd give someone wanting to have a great Gram account?

Try and find your style, and keep some consistency with it. I am absolutely all for trying new things, but try and stick to something that makes your shots signature to you. 

Engage with your audience. You don't have to tell them about your personal life, but let them know you appreciate their support and give them the odd insight into who you are 😊

Follow people who inspire you and want to make you a better photographer. 

Don't forget to upload shots that mean something to you and ones that you like. Sometimes they may not be the best ones, but you gotta remember it's your life and your gram account 😊

Follow Rachel's fine work on Instagram HERE

Check out her website HERE

From The Galleries

It's all about the long exposures this post huh! This is not a Rachy one, it's a CPL from the May South Island Roady. Shot on the 617 pano. It missed the cut for the next book...kind of think we may have had a shocker not featuring it!!! 

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Mini Mission: Te Henga

Bethells Beach/Te Henga is special place for the Levers' clan. In the late 1950's my parents and Auntie owned the Swanson IGA grocery. This was pre supermarkets in New Zealand and the IGA franchise of small owner run groceries were large in every community. The Swanson IGA serviced families right out to the coast. The extended Bethells' families being one of their largest accounts. The weekly supply orders would be rung in, Auntie Audrey and Mum would box them up and then Dad would deliver them in the trusty [actually from all accounts not that trusty] Hillman Husky van.

Te Henga late 1950's- Photo Audrey Levers

Auntie, Dad and Mum have always spoken fondly on those times; being a part of the local Santa Parades, the community spirit around the store. Long days sun basting on the black sand [Dad loved having a good tan] By the mid '60's the writing was on the wall for small community groceries- Supermarkets were opening up and squeezing the margins, the Levers sold out of Swanson. 

Aunite Audrey's shot of Bethells from 1959 that was used for the cover of the book Beached As Then and Now

The oldies and Auntie keep in touch with a lot of their friends from the Swanson years, as kids we were always dragged along for Sunday afternoon visits out west. Mum and I still go out to Swanson for lunches. The village is now a suburb in Auckland's sprawl, but Mum points out Calverts Butchers and Yozins every time. 

Bethells Beach was always going to feature large in Beached As 2 because of that, but then the Whitcoulls buyer suggested 'That shot with the old cars' should be the cover. It was a last minute change, and I'm glad we did it. 

The first beach spread in the book... kind of had to be aye! 

Over the last few weeks there has been a real itch to get out to Te Henga. There have been a couple of false starts. The gear loaded in the wagon and then at the last minute a swerve left back home to Piha. Landscape photos are as much as anything else weather photos. The way the light falls on the land; you are chasing extraordinary light. Marginal conditions create that light, those fleeting moments of a burst of sun through storm clouds... holy crap I'm getting a bit lyrical here... what I really mean is setting up the cameras in some bloody dodgey winter weather hoping for a bit of sun to pop through. 

It all came together on Monday arvo- windy...but not too windy, raining...but a real chance of fine spells. Here's what happened; 

You wouldn't even know the camera bag was drenched 2 minutes before. This is the 617 film camera set up to test a new Linhof lens, lens is good! The actual image- too stock standard. 

This is more like it! Clouds racing so a cheeky 4 minute long exposure creates that movement in the sky.

The tsunami sirens are gone and the sand is over a metre higher; another 4 minute exposure

Just after the sun has set for that clean, sombre, contrasty mood. 

Young Blood

It was a simple enough email. A student from the Raglan Surf Academy was asking if I would share his video clip on the GoSurf website. No biggy, in fact as the new Editor-slash-content chaser, it was what I wanted.  The clip wasn't great, a bit shakey, a bit grey.  Just shot around the Surf Academy surf sessions. But it was local Kiwi content. 

A week later and there's another email from another Raglan Surf Academy surfer about their new clip. Ahhh me old mate Larry [Fisher] has got the kids onto media wrangling eh! Sure enough, same camera opp, same surf sessions just the cut of a different surfer. 

There was a series of these clips posted on GoSurf. They helped grow the site's popularity. It was grass-roots stuff. Every clip was shot a bit better, edited a bit tighter and had more personality. Billy Lee Pope, a Surf Academy student himself was the grommet on lens and edit duties. 

Billy on point at his local

GoSurf took Billy on as an intern. The Raglan born'n'bred grommie moved up to his grandparent's place in Auckland for the weekdays. Tasked to do the day to day office crap that had no application for what he wanted to do. But in amongst it we got him out on shoots and he did gain an insight to some of the surf industry.  

GoSurf was gaining popularity and cred in the surf community. And then it evaporated, the owner changed tact, we were all left high and dry.

Billy took it hard, he had been so stoked to work in a growing media entity. He worried about his own reputation within the surf industry [as did we all].  Would we be tarred with the same brush as the decision maker? 

He need not have. The cream always rises to the top. In the past few years Billy has plugged away at his craft. He has gone on to study media at Waikato Uni all the while keeping up a solid output of video content. 

Billy and his good mate Arden at the finale of the Aotearoa Surf Film Fest 2016 

His entry 'Little Things' in the Aotearoa Surf Film Festival 2016 came second. Underscored judges, underscored!! It showcased Billy's evolution as a camera opp/director/editor.

And then last week he dropped 'Old Toast' - the highlight reel of his first trip in Indo this year with Billy Stairmand and Tim O'Connor.  Every surf site world wide has picked it up, 20K views so far on Billy's Vimeo account...but a staggering 60K+ on the SURFER Fb page- it's a huge thing, here's a bunch of Kiwis running with the big boys. 

No better time to grill the ex intern/dish bitch right? Here's Billy: 

Was the Raglan Surf Academy where you started getting into filming? 

No it wasn’t. I used to skate heaps with my friends when I was pretty young. I got a hand me down digital camera which could also record video. The quality was terrible, but that didn’t matter to us, I made a few cringe worthy skate clips that I hope no one ever digs up haha! From there I continued my interest in film, taking it as a subject in High School.  Then I attended the Surf Academy which really grew my passion for surfing and film-making/photography and kinda molded it as one.

Because of the clips, we got you interning at GoSurf, what were the highlights of that? 

Yeah straight after High School I was swooped into the big smoke as a nervous, nail biting 18 year old to Intern at GoSurf. Looking back It was pretty cool being to hang out observe and pick the brains of guys like Jake Munro & Scotty Sinton who are both super talented Filmmakers/Photographers. I never realized it at the time but it was also a good opportunity to have glimpse of the NZ surf industry & make contacts with some smart guys who I still stay in touch with today, haha CPL was one of those guys. 

A highlight that inspired me a lot at the time was hanging out with CPL and shooting Taylor Knox when he was in town for the Rip Curl Pro. Seeing content being created by Jerry Aubertin, Rambo of DGZ & Cory Scott of NZSM before it was in the next magazine, that got my mind ticking. 

Taylor Knox during the mentioned sessions at Ruapuke Photos CPL

This year- first Bali mission- and you make a banger of a clip that gets shared on every surf site in the world- you're viral. Are the job opportunities rolling in? What's the Billy L P master plan? 

Yeah the Bali trip was epic! It was a really cool experience, nothing but good people, good vibes, good food, fun waves and the clip has gone down pretty well too! Really stoked Billy and Liana had me on the trip, still frothing on it! 

Haha I haven’t quite got an inbox filled with John John and Jack Freestone emails. I think the main thing is that I’m out there doing it, creating projects that I’m stoked on. I'm still learning heaps too, every 6 months I'll kinda look back at myself as a filmmaker and think; wow I was a full kook! No doubt it will happen to me again 6 months on from now.

I'd love to one day get to a level where I am creating video parts that people anticipate and then freak out on! I don’t really have a master plan. I just want to keep progressing, honing my skills and stay open to all opportunities in and out of surfing.

Check out more of Billy's good work via his Media page on Facebook HERE