Nikon

I have spent the last 22 years as a full time sports photographer.

I am extremely happy to have been recently and formally inducted as a founding member of the World Photography Academy, and also asked to be one of only six Photographic Ambassadors for Nikon Australia.

My company, Sportshoot was founded in 1987. I consider myself privileged to have photographed the Summer Olympic Games since 2000, the Commonwealth Games since 1994, the Football World Cup in 2006, and recently, the Winter Olympic Games and Football World Cup in 2010.

I have also been exclusively commissioned as Official Photographer to photograph sporting events such as Swimming Australia, A-League Sydney Football Club, the NSW Mens and Womens Cricket Team, the Crocs Australian Beach Volleyball Tour, the ITU Triathlon World Cup, Triathlon Australia Series, Surf Lifesaving Australia, AIS, Canoe Kayak Australia, World Gymnastics Championships, the World Whitewater Championships, World Triathlon Championships, Sydney Running Festival, Get Active Sydney, UCI Track World Cup, the Red Bull Ride, Urban Korruption, Mountain Dew Test of The Toughest Series, the Gatorade Endurance Challenge and the Sydney Water OceanClassic.

My work has been featured prominently in promotional campaigns for companies as diverse as Speedo, Foxsports, National Australia Bank, American Express, Gatorade, Red Bull, Vodafone, Adidas, Australian Unity, RM Williams, Milo, Kelloggs and the Bradman Foundation.

My first paid photography job was with The Australian Bicentennial Authority. They asked me to photograph most sport events that came under their funding and sponsorship in 1988. The first cheque was small, but I still have it framed in my office.

It took many years of freelancing part-time and knocking on many doors before the courage was there to make the jump. So when the company I was working for at the time handed out some voluntary retrenchment packages, I was one of the first to sign up and leave the corporate world to chase my lifelong dream to be a full-time sports photographer. That was 22 years ago.

AWARDS:
Nikon Ambassador 2009
People's Choice Award - IASI Spirit of Sport International Photographic Competition 2009
Finalist - Australian Sports Photographer of the Year 2009
First - Australian Swimming Feature Photo of the Year 2008
First - Australian Swimming Action Photo of the Year 2008
Finalist - Australian Sports Photographer of the Year 2008
First - SPORTS PHOTOGRAPH OF THE YEAR - Photography Masters Cup 2007
Runner Up - Photographer of the Year - Photography Masters Cup 2007
Bronze Award - Best Action Photo - Sportsshooter USA 2OO3
Judges Award - Sportsshooter USA Awards 2OO2
Gold Award - BEST OLYMPIC PHOTOGRAPH - Sportsshooter USA 2001
Finalist ASDA Sport Photographer of Year 2001
Ironman Triathlon Photography Award 2000
Gold Award - Australian Netball Photograph 1998
IOC Best of Sport Commendation 1997

At the moment The D3S wins by a mile. I have said it before, but the camera is light years ahead of anything else that existed in the digital world. And its colour resolution and low light performance as a digital camera is outstanding. So as a sports photographer I now have the tool to do the job, and therefore the success in getting an image lies solely with me and not how the camera is able to cope with the circumstances thrown at it.

My Nikon 300mm 2.8 lens. It has been with me from Day 1 and is my sports photography best friend. It has been through it all … rain hail shine cold heat wet dry dirt and dusty times, and it hasn’t let me down once. As sharp and solid as the day I bought it. If it could have a beer with me at the end of a long hard day it would.