D-Bah air show

 .   After a bit of a screwed up week (totally my own doing) I needed to get back to my passion and just chill out and think about a few things. Life shouldn't be about worrying about shit that doesn't have any value in it and I have found myself increasingly getting worried about the stupid little things and winding myself up that much that I can't think straight due to the pressure of being unemployed. It's not fair on the people around you and it's definitely not fair on the people you care about most. I had a huge wake up call last week almost losing a friend that I value very much (once again totally my own doing) and I disrespected that person because I didn't listen and trust her at the time over something so fuckn stupid and insignificant. Why I did it I don't know and believe me it shook me up that much at the thought of losing that friend that I'm never going down that road again. So to try to get back to the true me and find myself again there was one way of doing that and that's go chase some waves to photograph to put that smile back on me that shouldn't have ever left.

.   So here's Day 1 of finding myself again and here's 2 fingers up at the little things that don't matter, the waves were a bit small but there were some impressive airs being punted and I hope you all enjoy the shots. Also there was this little grom out their that was shredding, if anyone knows who it is can you leave a message at the bottom as I want to pass the shots onto him. Ohh and thanks Tim for the advice on how to recover me lost photos.

The friendly type

You know what they're thinking..."crap the little burger surfs better than us"

A dude called Dale

The power of light and some foamy bits

  I've dabbled only a small bit into light photography but it always amazes me how they come out, it's so much fun playing around and exploring something different apart from surf. I did a couple of these shots last year but the ones in the tunnel were only done last week, it's pretty dodgy down their at night and luckily enough I had me mate Steve to give me a hand and watch out for anyone thinking my camera gear would be better off in their possession!

  I was stoked that I could get someone to give me a hand and we only spent an hour or so getting these shots in the tunnel. Just for any skeptics out there, there is no manipulation in photoshop done, and each photo is one single exposure so no photo stacking. And yes for the spark photo I had a fire extinguisher on hand just in case...ha funny thing, when I did my first spark attempt I did the rookie mistake of being overly too excited and forgot to put my hood up and a blob of molten steel wool landed right on top of me head! Still got a melted hole there haha, didn't do that again.

  There's also a couple of randoms from a day down at Coolangatta where there was a bit of foam around, I missed the good day the day before but it was still hilarious watching these 2 guys having fun amongst it all.

Goldie fires but where is everyone...?

Post Anzac wave

   Another early wake up last weekend and decided to head a bit south of Surfers on the trusty old bus to try get some shots of somewhere different. Arriving down their the winds just had a smigeon too much west in it and just wasn't tickling me fancy at all. So back on the bus and headed back north a bit to Burleigh heads and that was also somewhat crap so yup back on the bus again. At this stage I wish I had a car as this next bus trip wouldn't take me all the way to me next port of call Sth Straddie.

   Finally after another bus transfer and a taxi I arrived at the Spit, super clean 3-4ft and pumping as I looked back towards Surfers. Wanting to waste no time I waited for the boat taxi to take me over to Sth Straddie, I could tell it was busy over their as there was 10 guys paddling over and another 10 waiting for a boat. Asking the driver can he drop me off beside the breakwater where it was calm, he asked me who I am and I said I'm know one I just wanna take a few shots. Hahaha big mistake as he refused to take me over, great start to the morning travelling for nearly 3hrs and not one ok surf photo!

   So anyway I decided to shoot from the Spit and from the pier. You know we as surfers and photogs are a bit like sheep alright and I'm glad it worked out the way it did as I got some pretty cool concrete jungle shots. I looked over at Sth Straddie and there must've been over 60 people out there fighting for waves and another 20 guys just in front of me off the Spit dropping in on each other. Then I looked along the coast from the pier down to Surfers through me lense and there were hardly anyone to be seen, maybe a dozen at best stretched out along the coast and there were some pretty nice waves rolling in...mostly empty!

   Here are the shots of that part of the coast, I'll let you judge if the waves are any good...

My first bus stop, wrong side of Surfers

Not really doing it, time to head back north

Sth Straddie baaaaa

Empty I

Empty II

No sheep here

Empty III

Empty IV, how many rights in this shot?

The Soul of Surfers

Down under

Back in Surfers and still only a few out

Snapper rocks

   Shot down to Snapper yesterday, didn't really expect much as the swell was quite Sth. Down the line was really small but the take off at Snapper was a bit bigger and fun to watch as the swell just clipped it. A heap of groms out their having a blast learning fairly quickly what not to do with snapped boards and beatings the norm for the day. The sun was beating down and no amount of suncream was going to save my ginger flavoured pale skin from getting a roasting, so in and out of the shade was the order of the day.

   I asked some locals who this kid was in the orange wetsuit but I have a feeling they might've got mixed up with another kid that had just a small bit of orange on his wetsuit. So if the Mum of Reef Heazelwood could let me know if any of these shots is Reef I'd appreciate it, just post a comment at the bottom of this article. Also if you know who these others are that be cool if you could let me know, I'll throw a print your way if one of these is Reef too.
Cheers

Houston, we have a problem

Flare up

Old school with a touch of new school, great to see young kids experimenting

Mum's sunrise

Byron bay lighthouse

   I've always woken up before the sun rises as long as I can remember, I'm pretty sure that's been past down by me Mum. Each morning I'll either sit on the balcony or head down to the beach and just chill out and watch the sun come up, looking east towards NZ I know over beyond the horizon is Mum wide awake sitting in the dining room watching the same magic of the sunrise. In a couple of days is me Mums birthday so these shots are for her, the best Mum in the world and I love her heaps so here's to you Mum - Happy Birthday from the Gold Coast