Photography Journal

A social media post sparked a flood of memories from my time with VonZipper Japan – a brand where creativity and being different were celebrated. This shot from their inaugural Hell on Wheels event perfectly captures that unique, free-spirited energy.

In a world overloaded with photos, what makes a image stand out from the rest? For me, it’s those shots that require that extra effort and timing to capture moments and stories that are truly unique.

A pre-dawn stop at Cabarita Beach on a trip to Byron Bay delivered this unexpected treasure. Though the surf was small, the sunrise was pure magic, and this one shot, with its Pandanus silhouette against the glowing sky and ocean, remains one of my favourite landscape shots.

During a hectic photoshoot at Billabong’s BillaPark event in Japan, I quickly grabbed my Olympus Trip 35 film camera and snapped this single, grainy shot of pro snowboarder Yoh Tanaka’s hand plant.

Being used to sunsets over land on the east coast of Australia, discovering the magical colours of an ocean sunset in Koh Chang, Thailand, was a memorable experience. This 2005 moment, shot on a Canon KissN, captured the vivid colours and quiet beauty of that island.

It takes effort – those cold, pre-dawn solo surfs on the Gold Coast, patiently waiting. But capturing the unseen wonder of first light beneath the ocean’s surface makes every moment worthwhile.

This simple film shot of an Ikebukuro building takes me back to my early days in photography, pre-digital. It’s a cherished black and white image, a quiet contrast to Tokyo’s energy, captured on Kodak Tri-X 400.

A spontaneous photo of my son playing in the rain turned into something unexpected, a heart in the sky, surrounded by stars. Love is in the Air is a reminder that sometimes, the best moments happen when we least expect them.

My fingers felt like they were about to freeze from the cold trying to get this shot of Lake Tekapo during a snowboarding trip in NZ. After a mad dash and a ‘shoot and hope’ session, I was stoked to discover weeks later (back in Oz!) that I’d actually nailed one of my all-time favourite landscape photos.