Mt Buller
Exhibition Mt Buller
12-27 August 2017
I have always felt the pull of far horizons and been a wanderer.
As a kid growing up on the Central Coast I’d get up before dawn and take myself down the road to the beach hunting for waves and then later for photos with my first Minolta camera. Whether it’s a walk in the pre-dawn light to the beach or a long-haul mission to a remote country, the pure anticipation of setting out on journey, of wondering what’s around the next corner… it’s something that has shaped me and the life I have chosen.
It’s been a pretty incredible journey so far and I shake my head sometimes at how a kid from Wamberal on the coast of New South Wales has ended up doing and seeing the things I’ve done and seen.
It’s been a hell of a ride and I know it looks pretty amazing from the outside but of course on this rollercoaster of life there are lows as well as highs. They just don’t usually make such good photographs! I’ve created an unconventional life that is led by my heart and fueled by my passions. I’ve traded what many consider a ‘normal’ life to chase these dreams.
I am fortunate to be one of the first photographers to document some the biggest waves ever surfed in the world across the Pacific and Southern oceans when tow-in surfing first emerged.
I was equally fortunate to shoot some of the largest and most dangerous ski and snowboard ‘first descents’ made in the soaring peaks of Alaska and Greenland. This wasn’t something I set out to do but by following my heart I found myself in the unique position of being at the top of the game in both realms.
Pushing at these extremes in the ocean and the mountains seems mad to many but for me it’s a source of inspiration and drives me to continue to set my sights on new challenges and surround myself with people who are on a similar path.
The blend of time in snow and surf keeps me in balance. I feel a constant pull between the two and both environments regularly humble me, scare me and inspire me to do better and be better.
I couldn’t do what I do without the love, help and support of so many good people. Friends, family and my ‘tribe’ who welcome me wherever I might be around the world.
I am continually reminded that life is precious and all too short and our job is to live it. I try to do that each day. To see where I am. To be grateful. To learn. And to contribute. I hope by sharing my journey and my photographs I am honouring that intention. Thank you for spending some time today to come along for the ride.