backpackingaustralia

Golden Minutes

getthehelloutofbed - 0548 AM

getthehelloutofbed - 0548 AM

Life (read - work) it seems, has a habit of getting in the way of things. The last few weeks have typically involved leaving the house by 6 and returning home after 7, leaving precious little time to shoot or otherwise enjoy the great outdoors. It was all I could do to grab a few minutes here and there.

So I awoke last Saturday, and decided to head down before sunrise to see what would happen. And it was epic. And colorful. And after an hour of messing about I was in a great mood. And then, returning to the ramp at the south end of the beach, I realised someone had stolen my thongs. I was crestfallen.

A pair of $20 thongs may not seem like much, but a small part of me was always buoyed by the fact that everyone could leave their shoes unattended, thrown together at the back of one of the most popular beaches in the country, frequented by people from all over the globe, and always have them there when they returned. Its such a  small thing, but I did it all the time, and it always made me feel a little more positive about people and the world in general. It may not make much sense, but hey.

So to whomever stole my well-worn in, stereotypical black havianas, may they take you all over the world on great adventures, see some grand things, and then simultaneously blow out and have you fall flat on your face. 

Bonus shots at the end of a quick 10 minutes grabbed last Monday morning as the world was waking up.

pastel blur

pastel blur

one flew over the cuckoos nest - cause the place is full of nutbags

one flew over the cuckoos nest - cause the place is full of nutbags

cresting

cresting

preparation is key

preparation is key

crouching tiger hidden board

crouching tiger hidden board

icarus of the sea

icarus of the sea

morning rituals

morning rituals

dangerous currents of love amiright

dangerous currents of love amiright

bonus I

bonus I

bonus II

bonus II

bonus III

bonus III

bonus IV

bonus IV

Slowing Things Down

Necessity is the mother of all invention.

It seems lately that mother nature is out to get to me, or perhaps teach a lesson my somewhat immutable brain is a little slow to learn . The last 3 or 4 times Ive arisen at 5 30 and stumbled down to the beach half asleep, camera clutched in one hand, Ive been met with dull, grey, featureless skies that don't exactly lend themselves to interesting photos and have quickly returned home, feeling a little deflated and defeated.

Last Thursday was one such day. After a promising orange light show off on the horizon as the sun rose, a monotonous grey sky once again dominated the landscape, casting muted boring light over all and sundry.

Determined to not return home defeated once again, I decided to use the dull conditions to extend an exposure a bit to see what would happen , more out of sheer frustration than any creative impulse. I looked at the back of the camera, not expecting anything interesting and instead saw this almost oil-painting like scene staring back at me, so decided to mess around with it a bit more and got some really exciting stuff that I cant wait to build upon.

Some days its all about luck.

Bonus photo at the end of a particularly stunning sunrise seen a day or two after.

run rabbit run

run rabbit run

the first slow pan that - things improved

the first slow pan that - things improved

chasing waves

chasing waves

abstract shories

abstract shories

oily peelers

oily peelers

tumultuous

tumultuous

long stroke barrels

long stroke barrels

slop

slop

floating

floating

pikachu used surf - its super effective

pikachu used surf - its super effective

ice ice baby

ice ice baby

lol jks was a pretty good sunrise for a moment there

lol jks was a pretty good sunrise for a moment there

rise and shine

rise and shine

Cliffside Wanderings

What do you do when you wake up on warm, blissful Sunday in Sydney with no plans, itchy feet, and a full tank of petrol? Google trails in the national park and find one you haven't done yet, load up some podcasts and hit the road.

Less than an hour later ALT and I ended up on the Curra Moors track down in the Royal National Park, pounding along pavement and sweating through dense scrub for about 45 minutes when all of a sudden we found ourselves atop kilometres of dramatic sandstone escarpments against the sea, with not another soul in site (unless you count the crows which are as soulless a looking animal as I've ever seen and incidentally tried to steal our popcorn which only proves my point). A tranquil stream and rock pool atop the cliffs fed a waterfall that dropped into an ocean that was anything but.

If the seas are an indicator of Poseidon's state of mind the greek god was clearly pissed - thunderous 10 foot waves (hard to judge the size from atop a 100 m high cliff face, suffice to say they were intimidatingly large) closed out way out sea, eventually crashing against the vertical rock and sending spray 50m up in the air, the sea a mass of constantly shifting foam and currents.

It was an mesmerising sight, and we simply sat atop the cliffs and watched the ocean do its thing for a while before heading down to Garie to relax with a book and an excellently horrible cheese and tomato toasted sandwich from one of the most authentically old school Aussie tuck shops you are likely to come across this side of 1998. Three tiered, chocked full of so many kraft singles plastic sheets the middle was cold, with enough salt to fill the Pacific, I thought I was back in primary school in Matraville. But I digress.

Bonus photo at the end of the supermoon above Bondi as we returned home. 

deceivingly large sea spray

deceivingly large sea spray

sunday nomad

sunday nomad

ANGRY SEEASS YAARGHH

ANGRY SEEASS YAARGHH

having a cheeky peek

having a cheeky peek

old crow medicine show - cheeky buggers tried to steal our popcorn

old crow medicine show - cheeky buggers tried to steal our popcorn

alt doing an inappropriate haka

alt doing an inappropriate haka

alt doing inappropriate yoga

alt doing inappropriate yoga

spring has sprung

spring has sprung

  this perfectly spherical scrub was almost an optical illusion, and made my eyes spin just looking at it. luckily we stumbled across it well away from the sheer 100 m drop into the raging ocean

 

this perfectly spherical scrub was almost an optical illusion, and made my eyes spin just looking at it. luckily we stumbled across it well away from the sheer 100 m drop into the raging ocean

clif'lin (cliff chillin)

clif'lin (cliff chillin)

angry, polemic vitriol

angry, polemic vitriol

hi-key and hi-res 

hi-key and hi-res 

old man (super) moon sleeping in the pines where the don't ever shine

old man (super) moon sleeping in the pines where the don't ever shine

INSTAGRAM @THESALTYSHUTTER

Vin and Milly are both pretty creative. Vin makes - and obviously plays - guitar. Milly is an artist and is building her own business through it. Their wedding was aesthetically beautiful, but it also had a hell of a lot of heart. Vin, Milly, and a surprise performance to a new wife in the kitchen that brought the house down.
Next week I’m going to do a big story to try and do this day justice, but for now enjoy Kate’s clearly unexpected transport down the aisle.
They say friends are the family you choose for yourself. Coming into my 30’s this has never been more evident. The people you grow up with, the people you live with, those who you have shared drunken adventures with and consoled through heart-wrenching break ups. Those you’ve fought and argued against and loved and without whom the narrative arc of your life wouldn’t be quite the same. This day really brought this home. Hayley and Rory met in high school, out the front of an old demountable, and became acquainted in the way that only school kids can (“hey, you want to sit with us?”) and quickly became fast friends, before becoming more. They both love the outdoors and camping, and the quiet, shared solitude that often comes with both of those things. So they decided to get married in the Victorian high country, at the foot of Mount Bulla, only a few minutes drive from one of their favourite camping spots, with just a select handful of twenty or so people they love most in the world. People they had years and years of shared time and experience with. They wanted no fuss, no frills, just to be married and to throw a party to celebrate. There was not even to be speeches until Jack, one of their mutual best mates (who also walked Hayley down the aisle) insisted on doing one to mark the occasion. There are so many parts of this day I want to draw attention to, from the beautiful - Hayley shedding a tear at some of Rory’s words as they shared a moment against the backdrop of an outlandishly picturesque sunset over the Victorian hills - to the absurd - Jack snatching the bouquet from out of the air much to the chagrin of one of Hayley’s best friends, who quickly snatched it back - but I think this time I will let the images tell the rest of the story.
These two have one of the best how did you meet stories I have heard in recent times. Out at a bar with friends one night Honey spotted Jairo across the way and thought he was cute. Sometime later they struck up a conversation which - due to Jairo’s recent arrival from Brazil and at the time very basic English - went something like this “Do you have a boyfriend?”, “No”, ' “Do you want?”, “..No”. Somehow Jairo convinced Honey to let him take her out to lunch the next day and told her he would pick her up, whereafter she ended up waiting at home for over three hours wondering where he was - her first introduction to Brazil’s more relaxed social norms around what constitutes being on time. Fast forward a few years and a whole bunch of both English and Portuguese lessons later and here they are as Jairo broke down 10 seconds after starting his speech like a hip hop MC as he explained how Honey’s family had given him the sense of family and belonging he had missed since moving over from Brazil. This one was a great reminder of a lot of things. Of the importance of family and community, of being yourself, of the unexpectedly life changing things that can happen when you take a chance. Of how weddings can be this beautiful platform to share words and gratitude with all the important people on your life. Of living life like Tupac. Bonus shots of the rest of the speeches because they were f***ing great. Link in bio to the full shebang.
I say this a lot - but weddings are about so much more than a place and a dress and some flowers and all the accoutrements that typically surround the occasion. I’m not saying these things aren’t important by any means, but they are important inasmuch as how they reflect you, what you hold dear, the memories and things and places you choose to invest your time and energy into in order to bring yourself, and those around you, joy. Lana and Andy had originally planned to get married on the shore of Lake Crackenback near Thredbo as it is a place they have spent a lot of formative time together, exploring and riding bikes and generally having a great old time, and as Andy’s family has a property in the country nearby that is close to his heart. They were both unbelievably excited about it all. However, only 2 months out from the wedding they got the news that Lana’s dad was ill and needed to start treatment immediately, and so wouldn’t be in a position to be travelling when the wedding was scheduled. And so they set about re-organising every part of their plans, moving the wedding lunch to the backyard of Lana’s parents place, with the ceremony being held in a park a couple of hundred metres down the road. The snow and the backcountry and that part of the world mean immense amounts to both of them, but I think they would both agree that nothing about this day could possibly have been anymore meaningful, or been the cause of anymore joy than it was. It was honestly one of the most tender and jubilant weddings I’ve been a part of as of late.
WARM & HUMAN People often ask me to describe my style and I’ve been thinking a lot lately about how to distil what I try to do every weekend. I think I’ve got it down to two words. Warm - in both temperature and feeling. Human - because the stories, the relationships, the backgrounds, the interactions, the personalities and the histories that people bring to the event is what makes each wedding, each love story, unique. Much like my photos, these thoughts and the way I convey things are imperfectly expressed, but one of the best things about this job is the fact you’re always reaching a bit higher, always learning a bit more, always trying new things. This is a photo of a little unheralded moment taken just after a ceremony, of Honey and a few of her newly minted husband Jairo’s closest friends wholeheartedly embracing, a moment that I love and that I feel exemplifies what I think is most important in this silly excuse for a career, at least for now.
Lana & Andy getting some quality alone time, riding their mountain bikes from the ceremony back to their house for lunch because why the hell not. Am gonna be sharing a whole lot more of this one this week.
Relationships can be defined by different characteristics. Some are intense and cerebral, some are quiet and comforting. These two, to me, are defined by a shared, unrestrained joy of being. I always actively try to make the photo-shoot part of the day an affirming experience, an addition to the day that you’ll fondly look back on as opposed to something you have to get through, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone have quite this much unadulterated fun as these two. That doesn’t say, however, that it wasn’t without depth of feeling, as you can clearly see here.
Little renassiance girls I’ve been very quiet on here lately enjoying my first proper break since last year after the chaotic excitement of the last 6 months and being able to socialise again on the weekends. Looking forward to having the time to share a whole lot more stories over the coming few weeks.
2.5 minutes in the life of Honey and Jairo - a short story AKA 4 03 to 4 05 PM
☝🏼me waking up to this news. These two all round trendy legends just landed themselves on the @hellomaymagazine website 🖤 - this was legit one of my favourite weddings to date for a whole bunch of reasons - link in bio if you want to go check it out or are planning a wedding and looking for some inspo. Also, special shout out to @hellomaymagazine for going to the trouble to explain that my name is Dane - I’ve legit had guests and family members at weddings think my name was Salty before 😂 - go figure. Second special shout out to @thewildside__ for making the venue look a million bucks.
Another one of those images I love that I’ve been sitting on for a million years but haven’t had the courage to post for whatever stupid reason. Bec and Todd, sharing an intimate little conversation exactly a year ago today. Happy anniversary legends! This is also my first weekend off since February, so hooray for me.
Weddings, by and large, tend to be more about the amalgamation of a whole bunch of smaller moments than the large ones - of little interactions with loved ones and each other as opposed to the pronouncement of being married or any grand gestures. They also tend to be about so much more than just the relationship at the centre of it all. I’ve said it before, but one of my favourite things about weddings are that they’re also an excuse and reason to celebrate ALL the love in your life. To critically think about and thank all the people that have gotten you to where you are, shaped the way you view the world, or have just been there for the highs and the lows. Davida’s dad Greg was diagnosed with early onset dementia over a decade ago, and they obviously remain close to this day. Davida wanted to honour and give space for him on the day and so organised to meet up with him before the ceremony, and for him to meet her at the top of the aisle and walk her down the aisle to, along with her mum, give her away to Matt. Whilst these were poignant, beautiful moments, it was the unplanned interactions and long embraces they shared throughout the rest of the day that spoke the loudest to me of the depth of feeling and love there. There are other stories that deserve to be shared from this day, like the time they set aside to spend with Matt’s 99 year old grandma after the ceremony who watched from her wheelchair from the balcony and the life story that got her there, it was the way Davida’s mum silently stood and didn’t take her eyes off of her for a long stretch amidst all the chaos of Davida’s friends fawning over her and helping her get ready, and so many others. When I share posts like this, I’m super conscious of trying not to exploit some kind of heart-tugging-emotion-porn. There’s great joy in these moments and, for me, these are the stories that stick with me the most in the months after the fact - and I imagine for the people in them too. This is the stuff I strive to do justice.
I normally like to provide a bit of context, but I honestly have absolutely no idea what Matt & Emma we’re talking about here at Gunners Barracks after the sun went down a month or so ago. Maybe the fact that she thought he was insufferably arrogant the first few times they met, or the fact she thought he was Greek for the first few months they were dating - which he’s not. Clearly having a rough day.
A series of photos of Kevin and Valerie shot in the car park under Jones Bay Wharf. I’m sometimes apprehensive to post stuff like this as I feel it somewhat goes against the grain of my focus on storytelling and honesty, but more and more I’m enjoying playing with scenes like these. Trying to look at things differently and maybe come away with a unique perspective on a venue or a location that’s been shot thousands of times. I realise most of my captions are about explaining the context and history behind the people in the images, or a bit of advice that’s come from having seen so many weddings (I just realised I’m shooting my 100th wedding next month, so that’s pretty cool), and this one is mainly about me which I try to avoid as that’s not what all this about. But in this case I thought I’d explain a bit of what’s going on in my head at the moment. I - of course - will always put documenting first and foremost, but documenting and being creative aren’t mutually exclusive and I’m learning to embrace that. Would love to know what you think. Also just blogged it for those who want to take a look - link in the usual spot.
Post ceremony stoke and hugs. One of the biggest things people forget to plan for is making time for this to happen. This is always one of the best parts of the day, we should never disappear straight after the ceremony to take photos, you need to give space for all the big love and embraces that are coming your way.
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