Pictures for Presents

I've figured out something really nice. Lately there's been a few friends birthdays and I suck at buying presents, but I thought of a great solution. Why not put my camera gear to good use? I've found making promotional or sentimental videos and birthday photo shoots can make a really special and thoughtful gift. Only danger? It can take a lot more time than you think. For me the editing process, especially video, is a bit of a love hate relationship. It frustrates me like crazy, but yet there's something therapeutic about it. You can get lost in it for hours.

Here some work from two dear friends' projects. The first is a video for the very talented Annabelle Gordon. She makes beautiful, whimsical paper-cut artworks. They really have this magic about them.

The second is a shoot and video for my friend Larissa. She's a first time mum and started up a monthly get together support group for fellow mums and bubs called Teeny Greenies. Working with babies was a whole new challenge. Getting them to look at you is tough. At one point I had about four babies all crawling over me trying to grab the camera. I guess it made an appealing "click" noise, plus it's shiny!

Seriously though. Videos and photos, they can make people very happy. It's a gift I'm happy to be able to give.



To see more of Annabelle's work visit https://www.facebook.com/AnnabelleGordonPaperCuts?fref=ts

Photographer under attack!

Those eyes

Teeny Greenies. Visit https://www.facebook.com/TeenyGreenies?fref=ts

Peru Published on The Inertia!

I always get super excited seeing my work on The Inertia. Here's my latest piece on working life in Northern Peru. This was a tricky one for me. Sometimes ethically I have a hard time knowing what to write about, and what to leave out for fear of hurting people or rocking the boat. But at the end of the day I just want to share stories.

So please check it out and tell me what you think :)

http://www.theinertia.com/surf/northern-love-tales-of-peru/

Here are some more behind the scenes photographs from the story

Flying in Kauai

Hands down the best way to do a surf check. When flying lowing enough you can actually see the little surfers on their tiny boards clear as day. Yesterday I was lucky enough to be brought along on a scenic flight in Kauai, Hawaii.

Our plane was a little six seater and I got to ride as co-pilot. Last time I co-piloted I actually flew the plane, but this time the closest I came was accidentally bumping the controls while trying to take photos. Flying in Kauai is pretty treacherous though, with tons of mountains and thermal air pockets making for a bumpy ride. For the last half hour I was a miserable motion sick mess, 10 more minutes and I would have thrown up for sure!

I had NO idea what lies in the interior of Kauai, and it was SO cool. Hundreds of untouched, unreachable waterfalls, pristine canyons, valleys, rivers and craters. It was unlike anything I've ever seen. We even flew right over the wettest place on the earth - Mount Waialeale. Then to top it all of we even got to see whales jumping from the air. I don't think my stomach would allow me to do it again, but it was still an unreal experience. I've now decided the best way to check the surf is by air. Someone get me a plane and a pilot!!!

Hanalei Bay surf check

Well hello there baby hellicopter!

Poipu from the air.

Hidden interior waterfall. 

Flying anyone?

The beautiful Napali coastline.

Sound of the Amazon

Ok so I haven't really posted since new years... blame it on Hawaii ok? I've been too busy surfing and camping. But now I've finally returned to the lights of my computer screen to post this video from my time in the Amazon jungle. The little girl is part of the family I stayed with in a tiny village. Everything revolves around the river there. You bathe in it, wash your clothes and dishes, and even drink it. It tasted a bit funny at first but believe it or not I never go sick. My favorite thing there was paddling up river in the family's little dug out canoe and drifting back fishing for piranha. Those little suckers are so feisty and so much fun to fish for. We had long wooden sticks with finishing line, a hook and meat for bait. They're not bad eating either!

Best Year Ever

The one and only Machu Picchu

I'm writing this in bed. Literally just opened my eyes, and I can't believe it's the last morning of 2012.

Each year I keep thinking - this year can't get any crazier or any better than the last. But yet it does. I don't want to get all mushy on you, but reflecting on this past year just makes me feel like the luckiest girl in the world.

Leaving home in mid December last year all I had was a one way ticket to Hawaii, my new camera gear that I had NO idea how to use, and enough money to last me about 3 months. Fast forward to now and I'm back in Hawaii after an unreal year on the road.

I surfed amazing waves all over the world, was the first person to document women's surfing in Cuba, was then stranded in Cuba and rescued by the Canadian embassy, continued on to run the ground operations at a surf camp on a crazy remote private Panamanian island with no electricity, water and amazing surf where every day brought new and dangerous challenges.

In April I found myself being brought along on a 10 day magazine surf trip with WSSM, traveling all expenses paid to beautiful Peru to surf the best left waves in the world. We caught Chicama, the longest lef in the whole world, so good they were setting the Guinness World Record for the most manoeuvres done on one wave. The set up there was the most beautiful thing I've ever witnessed. But was I going to leave the country after only 10 days? Hell no! So I changed my ticket to stay with my surfboard, suitcase and almost non existant travel funds.

The travel gods were smiling though and I was offered a job managing a beautiful hotel in front of a smoking point break. I spent 5 very difficult months there learning the ups and downs of business management in a foreign country. No one spoke a word of english either so I had to learn fast. It was sink or swim, but one of the most incredible learning experiences of my life.

It was a very tough decision leaving Peru, but my need to move keeps me going. Will I ever feel the itch to settle? Guess we will have to wait until next year to find out, but I doubt it!

To everyone I met this year, to everyone in my life old and new, to all the people following me, supporting me and inspiring me, thank you and Happy New Years! xox

Here are a few previously never seen pictures from this year.

Surfing at Lobitos

Blue moon rising at Lobitos Lodge

Shooting the women surfers of Cuba

Taking in the view in Peru

Good friends, good times

My third magazine cover

beautiful people, beautiful year! 

Finals Day

Ok I know this is old news, but I got distracted by christmas. I'm over on the beautiful island of Kauai right now, and there's so much awesome outdoors stuff to do that I've forgotten about the internet. Not a bad thing right?

So here is the last little video from the final day of the Pipeline Masters on Oahu. The conditions weren't epic but it was still fun. Pretty much the whole beach was going for Parko. In the team houses overlooking Pipe all the surfers were going off cheering for him.

The Zoo

I'm sorting through the final day of Pipeline footage. This guy above copped a serious free fall. While shooting Pipe is always entertaining, something was different this year. The initial OMG I'm on the North Shore jitters have worn off. I even neglected to attend the finals parties at the team houses, notorious for their festivities and boozing hot pro surfers. Does this mean I'm getting old???

Still it was good to watch fellow Aussie Parko being shoulder carried up the beach and the crowd going off. Poor Kelly just sat out there in the water after loosing his heat. We gave up waiting for him to come in, and packed up the car to go eat.

Here's the video from day two, with the final video coming soon. Congratulations Parko!