One Step Ahead — A Warren Steptoe Retrospective

For more than three decades, Warren Steptoe has been one of Australia's most prolific and highly regarded fishing and outdoor scribes. Sadly, he retired in 2015. The man's had a tremendous influence on my own fishing, photography and writing journey over the last 25 years, so it was impossible to let his retirement pass without shining the spotlight on his career and the enormous contribution he made to recreational fishing and boating in Australia. You can download this special retrospective feature, which ran in the March/April 2017 issue of FishLife magazine, by clicking on the cover image below (it takes a moment to load).

From the vault

As another decade draws to an end, I’m re-visiting the live music archive once again. These images still make me smile, particularly the older ones of the Oils, Silverchair, Magic Dirt, You am I, and a tambourine-wielding Bernard Fanning fronting Powderfinger. (That one’s from the ANU Refectory way back in October 2000, on the Odyssey Number Five tour.) It feels like a lifetime ago that I took some of these pictures, but they sure bring back some sweaty, ear-ringing memories. Roll on 2020…

Roger that

Ponce and thuggery. Tim Rogers, National Gallery of Australia, March 2010, Canberra.

Trout and About in Tassie

Earlier in the year, I headed south for a Tassie adventure with my good mate and fellow FishLife magazine contributor, Chris Baty, who also runs the Compleat Angler stores in Melbourne's CBD and Geelong. As you'd expect, we had an absolute blast exploring and fishing Tassie's east coast! To top it off, that trip yielded another FishLife cover shot and a fun feature, which you'll find in Issue 31 (July/August 2017).

New Horizons

New Zealand. The place is incredible. Everyone who's been there knows that. And yet, until recently, I'd never been there myself. In the end, all it took was a gentle nudge from my mate, Ian 'Wader Man' Ruscoe, who hatched a plan to hire a campervan, fill it with fishin' gear and explore the South Island. What a choice idea, bro! And thanks to Wader Man's precise project-planning, the trip came together like a dream. Even the fish played ball... most of the time!

Something Old, Something New — Portrait Magazine

I took a break recently from fishy stuff and wrote a piece for the Autumn 2017 edition of Portrait magazine on the changing face of modern wedding photography. The feature's based on interviews with two of the country's finest wedding shooters — Canberra's own Dan O'Day and Kelly Tunney. It's another great issue, including an excellent article by Sarah Engledow on the 10th birthday of the National Photographic Portrait Prize.

Wandering the Whitsundays

I've had some memorable angling adventures recently, including an enjoyable jaunt in the spectacular Whitsunday Islands, in north Queensland. The full story is in the Sept/Oct 2016 issue of FishLife magazine.

Portrait Magazine — music photography feature

I penned a feature on the art of music photography for the winter 2016 edition of Portrait magazine, the magazine of the National Portrait Gallery. The piece focuses on three of Australia's most prominent and prolific music photographers: Martin Philbey, Kane Hibberd and Daniel Boud.

Knee Deep - FishLife Magazine

Here's a quick sample of the spreads from my 'Knee Deep' feature in the May/June 2016 issue of FishLife magazine.

NSW north coast

The good ol' U.S. of A

I was stoked to pick up a double-page spread in the February 2016 issue of American monthly, Sport Fishing Magazine. The pic is the opener for John Cahill's excellent feature on training for big fish encounters. You can almost hear the creaking and groaning of rod guides as Rudy Boué-Mandil digs his toes into the deck!

Back Blocks Bass

The Sept/October 2015 issue of FishLife is on the stands. 

BMA Magazine — Best Shot of 2014!

I was pretty chuffed to score the 'Best Shot of 2014' in the bumper end-of year edition of BMA Magazine for my pic of Bluejuice frontman, Jake Stone, at the band's last-ever Canberra show at the ANU Bar on 18 October 2014.

Bluejuice — a restrospective

Following on from last month's Bluejuice post, and with the band fast-approaching the end of their last-ever tour, I've unlocked the vault and dusted off a bundle of my favourite BJ pics. Enjoy!

Bluejuice Farewell Canberra

Much-loved troublemakers, Bluejuice, played their last-ever Canberra gig on 18 October 2014. More than 1000 punters jammed into the ANU Bar for one last evening of sweat, smiles and semi-nudity.

Bob Evans

These days, Kevin Mitchell is equally well known for his work as Bob Evans, an alt-country troubador with four revered albums to his name, as he is as the frontman of rocking four-piece, Jebediah. And in either guise, you'd be hard pressed to find a friendlier, more down-to-earth bloke.

Here are a few pictures from a quick session I had with Mr Mitchell before his recent Bob Evans show at the Abbey in Canberra.

You Am I

You Am I, god love 'em, are in the midst of an ever-expanding national tour, playing two of their cracking albums — 1995's Hi Fi Way and 1996's Hourly, Daily — together in one show. Huzzah!

They're probably the band I've photographed more than any other over the years, and now seems as good a time as any to delve into the archives and share some of my favourite pics of Rogers and Co. in full flight. I suspect this post will grow over the coming weeks and months, so drop by from time-to-time.

If you're lucky enough to make it along to one of the shows, try and snag a copy of the tour program. Printed on lush paper stock, it's filled with brilliant images by Tony Mott, Shane Bell and Dean Lewins, among others. Look closely and you may spot a couple of my pics in there, too...

This post is best enjoyed with a squealer of Young Henry's Brew Am I.