America: Five SCARIEST Things

Kauai Style Truck

No. 1).
Driving on the wrong (right) side of the road. It scares the pants off me. Especially late at night when I try to turn a corner. I also look the wrong way when crossing the road, and often find myself almost getting run over by cyclists when I automatically move to the left. Scary stuff!

No. 2).
The self flushing toilet. I encounter these machines in many places, such as airports and restaurants. Every time I stand up and they flush, it makes me jump a mile. Plus sometimes they flush while you are still sitting on them. Not good.

No. 3).
Any kind of reality television. MTV, Teen Mom, The Kardashians, ANYTHING Housewives related (New York, New Jersey, definitely the most scary reality t.v. out there). If you don't think this stuff is scary, then you've got problems.

Teen Mom 2 in all its Glory

No. 4).
Giant American trucks (For my Aussies, truck means Ute - same thing). They make them big, fat and wide here. Especially the lifted ones. Lifting is where you raise the body of the truck above the axel. In American culture, your social status can often depend on the size of your truck. If you need a ladder to get into your truck, then you've taken things a bit too far.

The Lift. 

No. 5).
Costco (warehouse style grocery store). They have a deal where for $1.50 you get a hotdog and an UNLIMTED soda. That is just plain scary.


MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYBODY! <3 <3 <3

Presents under our Christmas tree on Kauai

Cameras for Dummies

Me and my 7D in Hawaii. Photograph courtesy of Dave Gregerson

Buying my first real camera was a very very daunting experience. I spent this year at film school, which sort of prepared me, but the reality of camera ownership was a bit overwhelming. I, in my usual chaotic disorganised fashion, only got my camera a few weeks before flying out to Hawaii for work. Future note to self, buy your equipment WELL in advance. I remember taking the camera out of the box for the first time and wanting to crawl in a hole and cry. It was so big, there were so many buttons!

My camera and I had a few initial hiccups working together here on Hawaii. I pressed a few wrong buttons, it got upset. I somehow set the shutter so it would take around 20 seconds to take a picture, then it would be all neon and fuzzy. I stayed up until 1am crying trying to read the manual and fix it before I gave up and went to sleep.

But now as my 10 day work stint on Oahu comes to a close I look at my camera with lots of love. It's so big and shiny and the buttons (there are still so many!) aren't quite as scary... I'ts sitting here with me now, and I have to say it's about the best purchase I've ever made.

Conducting a video interview with Roxy team rider Vanina Walsh

For those of you interested in camera gear, I have a Canon 7D. It's a great multi purpose camera, it takes great stills and has really good HD video too. For accessories I have a Hoya CPL and a Marumi UV filter, but I think my most valuable accesory purchase was a Rode shotgun mic. I got it from here:
http://www.videoguys.com.au/Shop/p/1456/rode-videomic-shotgun-microphone-1-rodvm.html
and it was $140 well spent. I also bought a couple of 16GB memory cards, I have found it's much better to get the bigger size ones, that way when you are doing a full day of shooting you don't have to worry about constantly changing cards. An extra battery is also absolutely essential, as is a good tripod. I made the mistake of buying a really flimsy tripod, and will be spending the extra money now for a good quality one. When a tripod isn't solid you're shots are wobbly.

I want to say a BIG thank you to all the people who have helped me with my camera, from figuring out buttons and settings to deciding what gear to buy. You guys know who you are (especially Dave, Fiona and Brendon)! Big mahalos and aloha from Hawaii,  I can't wait to share all my new video projects soon! xox

Putting my camera to good use, Waimea Bay at sunset

Shooting Pipeline has to be one of the most fun things in world (for me anyway!)

A Day with Vanina

Vanina SUPing at one of her local breaks on Oahu

My photographer Dave Gregerson and I were sent on assignment to shoot and spend some time with teen surfer Vanina Walsh for the next issue of WSSM (Women's Surf Style Magazine). Vanina is a total cutie, an all round water baby, and she's just been signed as a professional Roxy team rider. What makes Vanina so unique though is her talent for not only one specific area of surfing, but her ability to excel at just about everything! She short-boards, longboards, standup paddle boards, skateboards, paints and even sews, all while still working on her high school education from home!

Vanina cruising her local streets. Photograph courtesy of Dave Gregerson (www.20foot.com)

When meeting with a surfer for an interview I'm always a bit nervous. Vanina met up with us on the West side of Oahu for a surf shoot, accompanied by her parents, and they instantly made me feel at ease. The whole family was super friendly and even invited Dave and I into their home for a lifestyle shoot.

I'm looking forward to telling Vanina's story in full, it's a pretty incredible one. Without giving away too much I'll share with you that she spent her first 10 years of life living in Arizona trying to practice surfing in her swimming pool! Now that is dedication!

Return to the Islands

This blog has been in need of some serious loving. It's been neglected like my pile of dirty laundry which keeps growing (hey it's tough living out of a bag sometimes). I found myself in an absolute crazy whirlwind getting ready for this trip, and it hasn't let off now I'm here.
For those of you just tuning in, here is on the beautiful North Shore of Oahu, famous in the winter for it's pumping waves and pro surf scene. The stuff you read in the surf magazines, it's all here. There is so much I want to write about, but sleepiness is wining me over, so I'll leave you with a few photos from my latest work purchase, a new Canon 7D, along with a promise to share with you a more in depth look into the North Shore surfing world.

Dave the fashionista. Protecting camera gear from the elements becomes an art form.

The girls out at Rocky's go hard.

Filtrate sunnies shoot. Photo courtesy of Dave Gregerson. 

A Haliewa sunset. 

Lemons

It's the law of the surf. When you can't go it's guaranteed to be good. I'm post nose surgery - out of the water for two weeks, and like clockwork the swell is rising and the winds switching offshore. I'd just like to clarify this was a nose surgery of the non cosmetic variety. Purely for functional reasons. I keep telling everyone I'm getting my boobs done next, double D's.

So I can't surf but I figured I'd pop down to the beach today anyway and go for a splash and a gentle walk. The sticky Australian summer heat is finally back and it felt pretty good to bust out the bikini and sunscreen. I went and sat down at the dog beach at Leighton in Freo. A while ago they built an artificial reef a little distance offshore, and I can honestly say I have never seen it really going. Today it was kind of doing its thing, the winds were howling offshore but there were definitely some fun looking rights rolling through.

It's T minus 5 days until my return to the surfing world. When I'm out of the water for a while I always dream of the first duckdive. Not the first wave. Just that first leap in and pushing under, feeling the cold rush of water.

They say when life gives you lemons make lemonade, but I make lemon meringue pie. I have been embracing my landlocked domesticated side. I baked this creation for Dad's birthday this afternoon, even using fresh eggs from our friend's farm.

Travel bum turning Martha Stewart homemaker? Not likely.

A Tuesday Surf Check

5:30am Tuesday surf check.

Waves: Ankle biters

Winds: Pretty nice

Chill Factor: Not too bad, but I'm in a 4'3

Crowd Factor: School holidays, what do you reckon? Grom infestation!

My Need for a Coffee: Desperate.

The Office.

Expressions of office oppression...

Surf bum turned temporary 8-5 office worker, here is my take on office life - created with pens, post-its and photocopiers.

DON'T TOUCH MY COFFEE!

Clean your spoons.


There is nothing quite like the awkward elevator silence... little office sardines.