Home Away From Home
One of the first places Australians might be able to travel to as COVID restrictions ease is to New Zealand, which suits photographer Russell Ord just fine
It’s easy to think of WA’s south-west coast and New Zealand as sister coastlines, sharing many things in common. Plenty of nooks and crannies to explore, rugged unspoilt coast, powerful and unpredictable surf, hardy and generally friendly locals.
So, when Margaret River-based photographer Russell Ord was despatched to New Zealand with his son Kalani, longboard champ Beau Young and videographer Jarrason Bitton for a photo shoot for Coastlines Wetsuits, he felt immediately at home. With a Kiwi wife, and having lived in NZ previously, the long drives, fickle weather and surf conditions and the prospect of uncrowded sessions in glorious natural surroundings put him right in his comfort zone.
“NZ is a fantastic place to work as a surf photographer, the array of different foregrounds/backgrounds, soft light and the ability to find isolation are certainly personal highlights,” says Russ. “The West Coast reminds me of home, a rugged beauty, the coast battered by strong swells and waves with power.”
With a bit of local knowledge provided by NZ charger Darcy Bowden, the crew scored several of those landmark sessions which will stay with them when they are old and grey, reflecting on a highlight reel of great surfing moments.
“My ideal trips are ones where I find solo sessions or very minimal numbers to surf or shoot with, solitude and the sense of discovery are high on my list when looking at possible surf/work locations,” says Russ. “Those sessions are the ones you recall in five, 10, 15 years; you, a mate and one crusty old local sharing incredible waves – ‘where the f**k is everyone and who cares sessions?’ That’s why I like to roam NZ.”