“The best moments in our lives are not the passive, receptive, relaxing times . . . The best moments usually occur if a person’s body or mind is stretched to its limits in a voluntary effort to accomplish something difficult and worthwhile”

(Csikszentmihalyi, 1990)

Often when I watch surfers riding waves, I am full of admiration but also envy for the way time must fly when out on a board. It must be exhilarating to catch a wave and ride the board in to the shore, getting a good dose of cardio, Vitamin D and social kudos whilst you’re at it.

For me, photography is my flow state, when I’m practicing my passion and also lost in the love of being behind the lens. It starts with the prep of the camera and lenses at home, takes me along crowded beaches and inspires me to watch hundreds of sunrises, and ends back at home editing my captures on my laptop. I have thousands and thousands of photographs from my morning walks with my camera, and sitting here 7 months pregnant, I look forward to taking my baby out with me in the next few months.

It was tricky to pick 3 of my favourite photos, and I haven’t chosen them based on how many copies I’ve sold. Like so many things in life my favourites are those that invoke the best memories, and each of these images takes me back to the day, the time, the weather and what was going on in my life at that moment.

CRUSEY - BONDI BEACH

It is not hard to spot people who just exude a a vibe when you’re on the beach at Bondi. This guy was surfing down at the South end near Icebergs back in 2018 and people were mesmerised as he was just on another level. He even did a handstand on the board and rode in to shore like it was nothing.

It’s not just him that I love about this photograph though, it’s the Icebergs action in the background. Dots of colourful swimmers, plus all the levels of the Club right up to the posh floor at the top. The building is not usually seen in photographs from this angle and it was such a beautiful day that the pool was pumping.

Life-wise, I had just been commissioned by Westfield Shopping Centres to take some photos that captured Bondi for a campaign called ‘Bondi Feels Like"‘ - this image ended up being used in-stores and on their website. I think it does a pretty good job of summing up the effortlessly cool vibe of Bondi.

2. TWO PIECE ~ ICEBERGS, BONDI

Strictly speaking, photographers aren’t allowed to go in to Icebergs with their professional DSLR cameras and take photos of the famous pool. But I wasn't aware of that until one morning after a frosty dip, I took a few photos at the far end of the pool of the swimmers doing their thing as the sun came up.

This shot is clearly mid-tumbleturn and I love the flare of light from the sun. The colours are typical of a Bondi morning - fresh and bright, and the spray of water from the swimmers’ turn adds movement to an otherwise tranquil scene.

Now that I know (after being approached by an Icebergs staff member) that you’re not allowed to take photos inside the Club grounds (unless its on a smartphone camera) this image feels all the more valuable to have in my collection!

3. BONDI REOPENS

The lockdown of 2020 due to the dreaded C-word imposed surfing restrictions as well as beach restrictions. To look at, the ocean had never been so empty and it was eery. For many surfers, their daily trip down to the waves has huge benefits for their mental health so when the restrictions were lifted on April 28th 2020 for "Surf n Go" and "Swim n Go" there was a collective sigh of relief across Bondi and the rest of the beaches across Sydney. I was one of the lucky ones during the first lockdown, I was able to continue working from home and largely wasn’t affected by the lockdown, other than hoping it ended ASAP like everyone else.

I was up and out early to catch the action as people made their way down to the beach for their first (legal) surf or swim in weeks on April 28th.

This huge security barrier with bright red and white tape caught my eye, and I liked the way that the ocean was visible beyond it. I crouched down and waited for the perfect moment to get a shot. And I waited, and waited. I got some funny looks from people who wondered why a girl was crouching down with her camera pointed towards the barrier, but when this surfer with a red board matching the tape walked past - I got it. I think this image captures a moment in that period, the colours of Bondi are bright and beautiful and that tape that is thankfully now in the bin adds to that feeling of danger/caution that there was back then.

A slow shutter speed meant the surfer has his anonymity but you can still sense with the stride of his walk his eagerness to get down to the ocean.

4. TEQUILA SUNRISE at ICEBERGS, BONDI

When you love photography and you live a stone’s throw from the most photographed pool in the world, it becomes a personal challenge to get the best, most unique shot you can of it.

Tequila Sunrise was taken on a warm morning in 2019, and the colours of the sky were incredible. They hit the pool before any swimmers were in, and bathed it in a pink glow. It’s always best to shoot Bondi at sunrise as the sun comes up from beyond the ocean - and this image is a case in point to that. The powder blues and baby pinks of the pool make it a stand out from its usual icy blues and stark, crisp whites that are usually associated with Bondi Icebergs.

5. GIRL CHAT ~ BRONTE BEACH

Bronte Beach gets some of the most spectacular light from the sunrise - look at the colours here, everything is bathed in bronze!

You can see by the clock in the background that it’s just 6:20am, and yet the beach has already attracted its usual swimmers, surfers and walkers - all enjoying the beautiful light. These three girls were catching up for a chat on the beach, shoes off and without a care in the world. It’s so nice to see people laughing first thing in the morning. I don’t usually find myself being drawn to take images of people, but on this particular morning there were just so many interesting faces about, that I ended up posting a few shots of people on my Instagram and I love when people spot themselves or friends and get in touch to tell me, it’s always nice to be able to send them the shot via email.

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