Adventure Inspiration – Week 5

Really looking forward to the new and exciting projects coming in 2012.

With over a thousand downloads, I am one photographer; very happy to sponsor the 2011 Cairns Relay for Life, surely I’ll be back for 2012.

Download your free Relay photographs here

In March this year Cairns was lucky enough to hold the Kayaking National Freestyle Championships, these are the images I captured. Quotes from Cumec Magazine below.

It all started with the thought that the rivers in Far North Queensland were neither harnessed nor promoted to their full potential. What if we could somehow show Australian paddlers what this unique paddling location had to offer? Far North Queensland (FNQ) is a destination that many Australian kayakers would like to visit, but since it is a reasonable flight for most out of state paddlers we needed to give them an excuse to make the trek up. WIth lofty goals in mind we (Josh Bond and Jez Blanchard) set about developing a festival that could do this. Thus Monsoon Madness was born; a new festival based in Cairns combining the National Freestyle Championships with an extreme boatercross competition.

Cairns is a fantastic part of the world; from the tropical rainforest, to the mountains and steep rivers that run untouched to the sea. An abundance of rain in the wet season creates rivers that seem to have it all: play waves, steep drops and big water. Fantastic boating lies just fifteen minutes from downtown Cairns, and multi day expeditions are less than a days drive away.

The plan was set in motion, and after in depth discussion with Australian Canoeing we were able to coordinate the first ever nationally recognised Boatercross Nationals. The boatercross took centre stage on day one of the event on the Crystal Cascades.

Boasting over 200 teams and raising in order of half a million dollars. The 2011 Cairns Relay for Life was a massive hit. Thanks to everyone who lent a helping hand.

Least I say more.. You can download (for free) all the photograph from the 2011 Cairns Relay for Life. Their are some rippers! Tell your friends please!

Photographs are here!

My first newsletter for the year is now online. What’s in the content?

• Welcome to 2011. Lets stay in touch!
• Two Mates, Two Bikes, 1400kms
• Get Your Ultimate Sporting Portfolio
• Voted one of my most loved images from 2010

You can check it out here, subscribe to future newsletter on the home page or…

Over the last six years living in Cairns I have made great friends my business has excelled and am right in to a few community organisations within the region. To be straight to the point here is what I’ve done or at least plan on doing. Yes real noble I know, but who else is going to shout this for me.

Who I’ve committed to in 2010

• Adventure Sport NQ – An unbelievable amount of my time has gone in to my sporting passion; from the communications within the club to the more personal of keeping myself fit. Check out the website, graphics and club apparel. This could be your sport too.
• Topknot Climbing – Pete Dumson climbing instructor is full steam ahead promoting his business, I helped out with his web presance. If you have time on a Tuesday go and abseil the bungy tower or get free training on Cairns indoor climbing wall.
• Cairns Adventure Film Festival – I mean wow! Rebecca Scott has taken CAFF in one year to an event nearly everyone knows about. I am glad to have helped her with her web presence plus sponsoring $500 worth of prizes.

Who I’m sponsoring in 2011

• Silver sponsorship of $5000 for the Relay for Life – Having photographed this event previously for the City Council. This year I’m glad to work with the great team in the Cairns Cancer Council.
• $500 in prizes for CAFF as above she has a ripper of an event.
• $500 in prizes for Australian National Freestyle kayaking tittles, Kayak Big Air Comp, and The Big Gorge Shoot Out boater cross white water kayaking.. yes that is n Cairns. Thanks to Josh Bond and Cairns Kayaking.
• National Speakers Association of Australia – After photographing 30+ conferences around the world it made sense to support the man that made this all possible. Malcolm McLeod is part of the organisation organising NSAA Convention 2011 in Melbourne. $6250 in total

Being the photographer my main task was to photograph the delegates, speakers and location in which they were living it up. The delegates participated in beach sports days, cultural activities, helping to rebuild a hospital, interact with well renowned speakers and of course lounging by the pool over the beach. I mean staying in the Fiji Continental Hotel which is one of the latest and greatest resorts in Fiji is no easy task.

If you’ve ever wanted to be a photographer? Conferencing is not all that easy, but dose have its bonuses. Let me list the list below to give you an idea of what I do.

• Firstly I usually get an email saying hey Muzza are you free for these (four too five) days in some exotic location for a conference. And yes that’s my brief for the entire shoot the rests up to me.
• I always ask the organising staff to treat me like a delegate without all those flash gifts, so I can pretty much hang the whole time with them. That includes eating, travelling, briefs and all outdoor activities. This way I have a lot more time to be apart of them.
• Theming the conference is always a winner when you present you slideshow of images at the end. So what’s theming? I suppose reoccurrence is best and best kept simple. I’ve shot people laughing, women’s boots or anything you can think of.
• The people to look after are the sponsor and speakers. Take great shots and lots of them.
• Being open and creating my own atmosphere within any group helps with being more productive. This has its positives when organising a group photograph of 200 – 500 people in under 10 minutes. It can be done.

Lastly be yourself and enjoy the company your in.