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The shots you didn’t get to see from our Terror Australis feature in August Tracks. |
On the cover of our August issue, Dion Atkinson was ruling – here’s one that got away. Pic: natesmithphoto.com
The lower half of this Great Southern land that we call Australia really makes you feel disconnected from it all – almost like you’re in another country. It’s isolated, baron, wild, confronting, beautiful and slightly eerie.
For me, as a photographer, there was a whole lot more going on other than just enjoying mind-bending surf. Shooting from the water in this region inspires with a very real awareness of the dangers that lie beneath. Yep, I’m talking about those pesky MEN IN THE GREY SUITS. Sharks don’t mess around with nibbles down here, they take the whole enchilada.
I’ve always believed that surfing is so much more than just men and women riding waves; it’s a whole lifestyle. Being in a place as beautiful as this that is so different from where I live on the northern beaches of Sydney, I can’t help but appreciate the opportunity to shoot photos here. I like to utilise the rugged beauty in lifestyle shots and really capture what it’s like for surfers to travel in these parts.
If you are really keen, being in a place like this where the skies are cold crisp and clear, you may want to set your alarm for about 2am to get up and catch the Milky Way doing its thing. Set up your camera on a tripod and grab some shots of that! It’s truly unbelievable how many stars there really are. We don’t get that kind of light show in the cities.
There are lots of dusty roads, abandoned old sheds and cars that drip with history – great stuff to shoot. Not to mention the classic old characters you meet and share a beer with along the way. I was only there for the best part of week and I must say it has been one of the better trips I’ve done in some time.
– Nate
TIP: Don’t forget to blow it up full screen by clicking centre once.
