Nicholas Chalmers©

Les' Place by Josh Simpson

2012-01-27T09:00:00.000+10:00

Summer Break at Les' Place by Josh Simpson brother to Bart.

Check out more of his radness here.

TOS Winter 2011

2012-01-25T09:00:00.000+10:00

1st surf on my 1st Purcho Quartette. Was some nice waves this day.

Photo: Chris @ thexraymachines.tumblr.com

A.

2012-01-04T07:41:00.000+10:00

This photo stolen from Ryan Heywood's blog (thanks Ryan).

This shot gets me so stoked.

A few friends post waterhole swim in the countryside.

Can't wait to do this over and over and over...went to a new one yesterday thanks to E.E.

R.I.P. Dane Reynolds on the WCT

2011-12-21T12:32:00.000+10:00

R.I.P. Reynolds on the WCT.

I applaud Dane Reynolds for leaving the WCT.

I applaud him for taking on a "new beginning".

Take away his fashion sense, arty clips and look at his surfing only and I'm sure you'd agree he is one of the most progressive surfers, if not the most progressive surfer, in the world today. It's sad that he is leaving for those who follow the tour, but at the end of the day surfing never started as a competitive sport like football or soccer, it was more a form of expression and enjoyment for the individual.

As you can see in this montage from 2010, Dane performed at a high level of surfing ability that most professionals currently on tour will and have never achieved whilst competing or whilst free surfing. He showed an international audience what can be done on a surfboard.

Dane leaving the tour can hopefully only allow for surfing to progress at a faster rate without the restrictions of competition. Sure he might ride some shapes that don't work, but he might also ride boards that aren't your standard 6'2 thruster that have dominated surfboard design for the last 10 years. He might ride something new that progresses surfing further than ever imagined. In the words of the late A.Einstein
"Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new".

I think it's pretty safe to say the future of surfing looks exciting!

ArtPark Xmas Show

2011-12-15T09:30:00.000+10:00

Art Park Xmas Show wall grab.

Ranga with Bangs

2011-12-14T09:30:00.000+10:00

Acrylic on wood...bit bigger than A5 in size

Mock me

2011-12-13T09:30:00.000+10:00

Base and Computer mock up of "Ranga with Bangs" piece I put in the Art Park Christmas show last Friday night.

Family Xmas

2011-12-07T09:32:00.000+10:00

enough said.

Bleach*

2011-12-06T12:00:00.000+10:00

Sent off my artist info form to confirm my involvement in Bleach*.

For more info go here. Looking forward to this immensely.

Ninja Girls Go Surf!!!

2011-12-05T09:34:00.000+10:00

Ninja Girls Go Surf! from Nimai VanDenBos on Vimeo.

NZ sometime in September this year with ma bru Rang.

Purch's Best Friend

2011-12-02T09:30:00.000+10:00

Roxy, Purch's besty, with my Quartet...some time ago

Heywood if he cood

2011-12-01T09:26:00.000+10:00

Ryan ~~post waterfall fun.~~

Send more love

2011-11-30T14:13:00.000+10:00

Dropped by my parents house on lunch today and checked the post and to my amazement there was something for me that wasn't a bill, fine, bad magazine or a flyer asking me to join the local gym (guy-m).

Instead it was a postcard from one of my best friends who moved to America a few years back. Nek-minnit anything on my mind washed away and a smile was painted across my face. All gummy.

I encourage you to post a friend something today, don't text, email, facebook, tweet, skype them...post them?? Do it. I guarantee you'll surprise them and put a smile on their face!

Pasty

2011-11-30T10:19:00.000+10:00

Rhythm x Board Culture // Pasted from Rhythm Livin on Vimeo.

Did a big paste-up last week of Harry's Son Roach for Rhythm at Board Culture on the Gold Coast. Twas fun.

Slide

2011-11-28T21:17:00.000+10:00

A shot Peto took of me riding his hull from earlier in the year at Lennox scored a double spread-type-thing in the latest Slide Magazine. Nek minnit...stoked.

One Tonna Mona

2011-11-14T09:00:00.002+10:00

Once was lost, now is found

2011-11-09T14:30:00.000+10:00

A fin (centre, big blue thing) I designed once upon a time popped up on Crawley's blog.

Based it off the tail of a jet.

Oh Well

2011-11-09T10:30:00.001+10:00

One Offs 2

2011-11-02T10:36:00.000+10:00

Purcharelly Ding-Dong

2011-10-26T13:46:00.000+10:00

My 2nd Purch Quartet is nearly complete. "She will be mine, oh yes, she will be mine"

Tonight

2011-10-22T08:59:00.000+10:00

Shaka Chanel (Surf or Die)

2011-10-18T09:10:00.008+10:00

Portraits with my deck from the I Used to Skate Once Show, Brisbane 2011.

Top to Bottom: Max, Rab, Yours truly.

100 ISO shot on Konica Tomato

CK & Ronald Mac

2011-10-17T18:13:00.000+10:00

Mentor, friend and all round dude.

CK en route Used to Skate Once 2011.

100 ISO shot on Konica Tomato

132 Photos and 3 hours later

2011-10-13T08:55:00.000+10:00

4 rolls of film scanned

so stay tuned for photos of randomness

of the last 6 or something months

of my life.

Korduroy Interview

2011-10-04T09:00:00.000+10:00

Interview with Korduroy TV here.

A little old in the cyber world but better late than never (maybe)!

Mia & Me

2011-08-23T09:00:00.001+10:00

Found these creepin around on Mia's site. These were two collabs I did with Mia for the Ze Frog & Toad show in Sydney almost a year ago. Stoked I found these photos because I never got a chance to photograph them before the show.

Seeing this guy...

2011-08-16T19:50:00.000+10:00

..in just under 2 weeks. Can't wait!

Rangi pondering life midway through a Slush Puppy. Sometime in the Australian summer of 09/10.

COME SHOT

2011-08-02T19:01:00.003+10:00

A new clip I made starring two of my favorite compadrés for Rhythm. Enjoy it or don't!

Filing SUX

2011-07-25T11:08:00.000+10:00

Editing a clip for the world wide web starts today. Sifting through 30-something gig of footage begins. Stay tuned for "(haven't decided on a name)".

More Newsa

2011-07-19T08:30:00.000+10:00

Pushing Water

New Sa Chork Tyme

2011-07-18T08:30:00.001+10:00

Decided to take advantage of a random slab of concrete framed by a bunch of dirt, leaves and a hand rail. Took to it with a stick of chalk courtesy of the young lady who took these images. Noosa, 2011

Lost Neville

2011-07-07T10:30:00.000+10:00

This is the trailer to Kai Neville's new film Lost Alas. It makes me depressed seeing what guys my age and younger are doing on surfboards these days...makes me feel like an absolute kook....the truth hurts haha. Inspires me to want to

1. Travel more.

2. Surf more.

3. Shoot more.

4. Edit more.

5. Travel more.

6. Hang with my friends more.

7. Live more?

Maybe that's what ''livin' the dream is'' then?!

*$&)(O@)()&$*#&$(*Q*#)($@&)*#$)*

Wax Off @ Ze Mill

2011-07-07T08:30:00.000+10:00

My two pieces I put in the Wax Off Show at The Sugar Mill.

Left to Right: Girl Wrapped in Snake, Boy Wrapped in Snake.

I USED TO SKATE ONCE

2011-07-06T08:30:00.005+10:00

This is the skate deck I did for the I Used To Skate Once show for 2011. If it wasn't for my friend picking up my spelling mistake at the 11th hour my deck would have said "I USED TO SURE ONCE". Thanks for the heads up PM, and thanks to Claud for the shot I stole from his iPhone photo blog The Fish in the Sea.

The Worthys 2011

2011-07-05T08:30:00.000+10:00

New edition of Surfing World is out and I was lucky enough for my portrait of Westerly Windina (formerly known as Peter Drouyn) to receive the opening spread in the article for the finalists of The Worthys. Stoked I made the finalists and can't wait for the show later in the year. Some amazing entries in there, stoked to be sitting alongside them.

Studio Move Out Post 5 of 5 (Final Post)

2011-07-01T09:05:00.003+10:00

Frank aka The Clip Holder has seen better days.

Studio Move Out Post 4 of 5

2011-06-30T09:40:00.000+10:00

Lamps, shoes, paint, nutcracker, tool box, drinks, paint.......etc etc

Studio Move Out Post 3 of 5

2011-06-29T09:05:00.000+10:00

Found the Sea Biccy hiding behind the sofa. He was in good spirits.

Studio Move Out Post 2 of 5

2011-06-28T09:05:00.000+10:00

One of the pillars holding up my studio roof was covered in the previous home owners children's heights. As you can see we added to the list. Dexter's pretty small for 22-years old.

Studio Move Out Post 1 of 5

2011-06-27T09:05:00.001+10:00

Moved out of my studio recently. As I stopped halfway through the pack up I experienced a visual montage in my brain of my time spent there and came to the conclusion that I will miss her (the studio was a girl). Everyday this week I'll post a photo from the pack up for your enjoyment or disappointment.

Happy Fridays

2011-06-24T09:05:00.000+10:00

Screen grab from mock up of a new work. Happy Fridays :) Pointless post...sorry

2 many reds

2011-06-23T09:05:00.000+10:00

Post Kopps/Knost show all we wanted to do was drink beers and play Space Invaders but this guy wouldn't budge.

Kopps, Whalebone and Craig reading.

2011-06-22T09:05:00.000+10:00

Kopps, Whalebone and Craig reading the first ArtPark Journal at Kopps/Knost show.

Doc & Stu

2011-06-21T09:05:00.000+10:00

Doc and Stu gettin' deep at Kopps/Knost Show at Ninelives.

Schmi Lee

2011-06-20T09:05:00.002+10:00

"Hey Jai, I...ergh, I gotta...ergh go to the toilet....then I'm gonna grab a beer".

Jai Lee at Kopps/Knost show earlier this year at NineLives.

Joni x Johnny

2011-06-17T09:05:00.000+10:00

Tweaked. I was looking at a roll of Super8 I shot when Joni Sterbach and crew were shooting in Byron a few months ago. Hit the space bar halfway through the roll and the weird half frame of Joni's face and Johnny Abegg's body appeared. Weird.

WAX OFF TONIGHT

2011-06-16T09:05:00.001+10:00

If you're in Sydney, or to be more specific Narrabeen tonight you should come along to WAX OFF at the Sugarmill. I have a couple of pieces in the show and there's all the big names featuring as well. Should be a top night.

Vaughan (part 2 of 2)

2011-06-15T09:10:00.000+10:00

People like Vaughan make me feel like a goldfish, even a real tool at times. Why you ask? Because Vaughan is one of 'those people' who you could be introduced to at 2am in a bar 100x Jager Bombs down and 6-months later you could bump into him in a street halfway across the world and he'll still remember your name and what you talked about ''that night''. His brother Ron is the same so it must be something in their blood. To rub his 'remembering names/faces talent' in your wounds check his blog here.

blog out

A little bird....

2011-06-15T08:38:00.000+10:00

....told me that it was flying around a shaping bay on the weekend and saw my freshly shaped board waiting to be glassed. My first wave on a NPJ Quartet blew my mind...literally...it nearly exploded sending my brain into a kazillion little pieces for the dolphins snack on like peanut butter and jam on toast. From that day forward I knew I needed one. Alas me being all Mike Myers in Wayne's World (see above) "She will be mine, oh yes, she will be mine!"

Vaughan drew me (part 1 or 2)

2011-06-14T09:10:00.002+10:00

Vaughan has a blog where he draws people and he recently drew yours truly. Vaughan admitted it himself when saying I "look like the captain of an Italian football team". To be honest the first time I saw it I instantly thought of the d-bag from the worst movie ever Skyline (I recommend never ever ever ever watching this, my friends hired it from the movie store and by golly gosh they sure secured that it was the last time they ever choose a movie) meets the Lion from The Wizard of Oz. Either way I'm chuffed; my hair looks clean, my mo looks more manly that it actually is and I have the tan the colour of a Caramello Koala chewed up and spat out. Stay tuned for my portrait of Vaughan tomorrow.

Design for Humanity

2011-06-13T10:43:00.000+10:00

I know, once again this blog has been severely neglected of late but I promise I'll update it more. PROMISE! Anyhow back to the point behind this post. Was extremely lucky enough to be invited to be part of Billabongs Design For Humanity show this Wednesday in Hollywood. This is my first international show so I'm stoked to be part of it. Not sure if tickets are still available but follow the link above to get more on the show.

Lo-Fi Attack!

2011-05-17T18:47:00.000+10:00

Lo-fi is so passé.

(Jokes :) Calm down!)

Frame grab from my first ever surf movie Grom Attack, 1998.

Bizzy as someone who's really bizzy

2011-05-05T20:21:00.000+10:00

Have been doing NONE of this lately.

NONE = shooting photos on film + surfing.

So so busy.

So so busy = neglect of this "blog".

This photo is soft.

photo = Out of focus snap of the Roach Approach surfing the nose,

shot on a camera I picked up at a garage sale.

This is all.

This is all = more to come soon...got to breath first.

TRAVELLERS (a photography exhibtion into the unknown)

2011-04-21T06:35:00.000+10:00

This is on tomorrow night at Comb Gallery in Tweed Heads. I've got a few framed photos in the show

that I'll post up here after the show and from what Blaine, the shows curator, tells me the works are looking amazing. Congrats to Blaine on making TRAVELLERS happen.

Bagels and Java

2011-04-12T12:29:00.012+10:00

Peto reflecting (sick pun huh?!) whilst indulging at the Bean Drop, Noosa 2011.

Pikey Dingo

2011-04-08T09:30:00.002+10:00

Yaetstacey & Dingowood Sequence fun, shot on a $5 Japanese 1990's 35mm camera I found in a Noosa Op-shop. Love-it! Secret Spot, NSW Australia 2011

The Art Park Journal #1

2011-04-07T12:00:00.000+10:00

I don't usually enjoy the smell of a fresh newspapers because it brings me back to my paper boy delivering days (yes I delivered papers for something retarded like $6 for 150 papers....slave labour?). But this newspaper is like the smell off a U.S.A. burger from the Top-Shop after a gnarly-surf-dude-session at Monkey's. When I got handed a copy of this newspaper I was like a kid at Christmas getting a Furby or something? The ArtPark Journal #1 is now out and for FREE!!!! All you have to do is go here and pay for your postage and it will be delivered to your doorstep wherever you live in the world. I hope you get a kick out of it as much as I did. It's full of a tonne of good articles and art. Do it now! Everyone else is (see picture above).

Imports or Exports

2011-04-07T09:30:00.000+10:00

Sisters without a postcode. Byron Bay, NSW Australia 2011

Peto-Pinky

2011-04-06T12:00:00.004+10:00

Dane Peterson is a marvelous man. I first became aware of Peto in Thomas Campbell's films Sprout & The Seedling. From the stuff I'd seen in these movies I'd come away with an opinion on the guy. 1. He has a mental surfing style and approach that I ''heart the shit'' out of and 2. He seems like a tonne of fun (and little did I know he's a master behind any camera you throw at him). If you'd asked me back then ''do you think Dane will be one of your best friends one day?" I would have answered "HELL NO!!!" only because I didn't think it would have happened not because we weren't similar in some-ways. X-amount of years later I call Dane ''one of my best friends''. "Blowing-wind much?" You might say. I'd probably say this if I read it, but whatever, blowing-wind is far from it. The kid has a heart of gold and all his friends know it. PS. The shots above are a few shots of Dane took of me messing around the last few weeks. Enjoy or don't.

Join S x Byron

2011-04-06T09:30:00.000+10:00

Joni Sternbach, portrait. Byron Bay, 2011

Quiver

2011-04-05T09:30:00.000+10:00

Quiver Portrait from day at the beach with Joni S and crew. Byron Bay, NSW Australia 2011

Peto Pinky

2011-04-04T09:30:00.002+10:00

Peto & I goofing off elevator style. Coolangatta, Australia 2011. Photo by Dane Peter's Son

The Roach Approach

2011-04-01T09:30:00.000+10:00

The Roach Approach no sinus infections here. Super 8 Grab secret spot, NSW, Australia 2011.

Please Help now!

2011-03-31T15:21:00.000+10:00

Gold Coast Cultural Precinct from Gold Coast City Council on Vimeo.

Please go to this link and answer the short online survey. It honestly takes 5 minutes max, unless you go crazy and answer essay length answers. Whether you're an artist or not us Gold Coasters' would love a Cultural Precinct to help grow our creative community and to support it. I'm psyched for this to happen because the plans look great. Who knows maybe one day the Gold Coast won't be known for it's trashy night clubs and plastic people? (That last bits just tongue and cheek, don't take it to heart!)

High as a fricken kite

2011-03-31T12:30:00.008+10:00

So psyched on this. This is a shot of Rangi Tun-a-mun-a Doolin' my brother with different blood shot by my other brother with different blood Spam Smith. that is featured in the new Monster Children issue. This is one of the things that get's me so high, seeing my best friends do rad shit. Whether this shot was published or not I'd still be stoked the boys nailed a shot like this. Woooo....wooo...I've had one coffee and feel like I've had a hundred. Yes! Yes! Yes! Headphones on, shoes tied tight and I'm pushing play on my iPod ready for my song of the month 'This Must Be The Place' by Talking Heads.SORRY: FOR THE CRAP SCAN...I DON'T HAVE AN IPHONE SO THIS WAS THE QUICKEST WAY TO GO DIGITAL :)

OooF Ooof

2011-03-31T09:30:00.002+10:00

Super8 grab of a little OooF Ooof. Secret spot, NSW, Australia 2011

Check it...

2011-03-31T09:00:00.002+10:00

Congrats to my brother John for putting this together. He really nailed this edit summing

up the emotion that Joni captures with her pictures and also from my personal experience he photographed the day to a tee.

Noosa by Morgan aka Nelson Muntz

2011-03-30T17:30:00.000+10:00

So this is just a nibble of what was going down in Noosa through the eyes of Morgan Maassen. Check out some more shots here. From top to bottom: Peto trying to get creative, The (Harrison) Roach Approach, well I couldn't surf!, Hannah about to get so pitted, Dirty Long Hair #1 and Dirty Long Hair #2 (Who is he?), Wok half way through a 14-minute nose-ride.

R.I.P. Flipper

2011-03-30T09:30:00.006+10:00

Not sure the cause of death here. Either way it was a sad discovery. Super 8 grab. Secret Spot, NSW, Australia 2011

Best Coast x Woodland

2011-03-29T09:30:00.004+10:00

Best Coast @ Woodland, Brisbane, 2011

Lazy Posting

2011-03-29T09:24:00.000+10:00

Yeh whatever, I've been slack, I know! Been having some mental times with friends who I haven't seen for a while and in between have either been looking through my car windscreen hours on end or looking through a camera. Courtesy of a hernia op I haven't been surfing for the past 6 weeks so I've been doing everything else besides that and updating this thing. Got a tonne of photos and clips to filter through and edit so for now each day or round about I will put some randomness from the last few weeks and beyond. Adios x

KB Later? HA!

2011-03-16T06:54:00.001+10:00

....teaser i made for the Rhythm party/event Logger Rhythm that's on this Friday Night. Come along and enjoy some live music, art and Cyrus Sutton's Stoked & Broke Aus Screening.

(The K-Man) 12 something years later......

2011-03-09T20:11:00.000+10:00

....nothing much has changed. The guy on the right Robert, otherwise better known as Kelly Slater, is still dominating professional surfing and is fresh from a victory today at the Quiksilver Pro. As for the guy on the left, who happens to be me, well, my hair and limbs are a bit longer and my teeth still big...and I'm still wearing bad short sleeve button ups! (But no as bad as this one!)

Sternbach behind the scenes

2011-03-09T20:04:00.000+10:00

Rinsing the slide with "H2o"

The Final Step....developing

Tah-Dah!!!! (like a magician would say?!)

Sternbach & Abegg Hommus

Joni & Me (Check Joni's head piece. I had a towel over my head to shade my self from the sun so Joni thought she'd join in on the fun and improvised with her camera shade. Rad lady!)

Joni shooting

"So what does it do? Is it digital??? Let me see the picture you just took!"

Paul Mc of ArtPark pestering Joni on the job!

J. Sternbach x Chalmers (stoked!)

2011-03-09T19:55:00.000+10:00

Joni Sterbach's work can't be described in words. I tried but sat in front of my keyboard with the little typing cursing blinking away, not knowing what words to put down. For now I think it's best that I let her work do the talking that you can check out at on her website here. I was lucky enough to be asked by Joni to have my portrait taken and I didn't even need to think about my answer. I spent the morning at the Pass, Byron Bay and watched on in amazement as Joni worked away taking other portraits and developing them on the spot. When it came time to develop my photo I stood back and watched on and once the process had finished she asked my opinion. I was lost for words and thought ''who cares about my opinion? You're the artist" and that's what I ended up saying. She laughed and then I said "This is going to be the photo I want at my funeral". For now I've got to much I want to achieve so hopefully you wont see this on a casket any time soon! Thankyou to Joni and her assistant Kim for making it a day I will never forget, and thanks to Paul and Craig from ArtPark for bringing her out here and introducing me to Joni. Will post some shots I took on the day soon and I sent off a roll of super8 I shot as well so that will be up here in the next few weeks.

2011-03-02T09:27:00.000+10:00

Steve Gorrow is currently exhibiting his latest bodies of work that he collaborated on with the late Peter Crawford (70's Master of Surf Cultur photography). 'Get Off My Cloud' is showing at the top of D'Bah Hill in a little old house converted to a gallery. I went to the opening and the works blew me away. So stoked for Steve and this show. Not that he ever fails to impress but this is definitely my favourite work of his to date. Congrats Steve and Peter.

GET OFF MY CLOUD by Peter Crawford and Steve Gorrow from Insight Clothing on Vimeo.

Laneway 11

2011-03-01T18:40:00.000+10:00

Shot and Edited this clip from Laneway 11 in Brisbane for the

the boys from NineLives & HappyEndings.

New Addition to Ze Family...

2011-02-22T13:02:00.000+10:00

She's on her way...can't wait to try her out.

It's not what it looks like...

2011-02-21T18:35:00.000+10:00

...I swear! This is a Volvo, you are right, but I'm not giving in the forks, I'm saluting her. She goes by the name of Vera and she has treated me to many trips up and down the coast in the luxury of her passenger seat. She's a winner!

Greater Then what?

2011-02-21T18:32:00.000+10:00

Here's my favourite-tall-Brisbane friend Matt, aka Rabbo, aka Cunnosaurus Rex. These shots were taken on the weekend at Matt's gallery 9Lives that's currently showing a new body of works by Brisbane artist Simon Degroot. Show looks rad, well done Simon and 9Lives. PS. Matt has been taking and abundance of great shots lately and has just put a plethora of new ones up from his recent travels to Tasmania. Check them out here.

Taj Tearing

2011-02-21T18:27:00.000+10:00

Was lucky enough to witness Taj Burrow competing on the weekend passed, in the Breaka Pro at my local point break Burleigh. This is Taj about to throw fins in the round before the quarters.

CK Pre-Shred

2011-02-21T18:24:00.000+10:00

The day we that my Polaroid Land Camera came back to life!

Australia Day Desert 2011

2011-02-21T18:22:00.000+10:00

This thing was gigantic. That's my hand (my hands are not freakishly big nor freakishly small) on the left hand side of the Pavlova just to indicate how big the thing was. I think it was about 15cm high as well. Thanks to Baby Glow's mummsy for delivering the goods this Australia Day. Pressure's on for next year.

Espio Jnr

2011-02-21T18:20:00.000+10:00

Just got back the negs from the first roll I shot on my new addition to my family; PENTAX Espio Jnr.

$5.00 big ones from an op-shop that I can't remember where. Has a built flash and she's all auto. The shot was taken a few weekends ago at Tallebudgera rivermouth.

Pop-110

2011-02-16T08:24:00.000+10:00

Here's my old man. He's been a legend in my eyes since I was a kid and he still is today. He's been through a lot of hard times and still keeps his chin up, convinced that he's killed a China-man in a past life. Top photo is my dad at the para olympics in 1984, being presented with a Gold medal for freestyle.

The bottom is a couple of years previous of my dad with my newly born sister. Photos get me high!

Bad to the Bone.

2011-02-16T08:19:00.000+10:00

Got a new scanner a couple of days ago and went through all my old family film and scanned a bunch in. This here is some bad-ass lookin' dude who took my mum for a spin when she was younger and needed to tick of a life accomplishment of riding on a Harley Davidson.

Where's Wally?

2011-02-15T15:41:00.000+10:00

Where's Wally indeed. I'm stoked that I've had a camera on my phone for the last year to capture stuff like this. Poor Wally the Black Labrador Puppy, I hope he was found. I don't think he'll have much luck being recognised if all the posters look like this though. This would definitely sit on the smaller end of the scale of the damage that the recent torrential rain did to us in Australia. Hopefully if Wally's owner has to print out more flyers they opt for laser colour prints instead. If you have Wally though or see him make sure you call the owners!

Hello World

2011-02-15T15:34:00.000+10:00

Seeing this sort of thing gets me so high. This is a screen grab from my web statistics of where people are currently viewing my blog. If you see this and are from somewhere pinned on the map thankyou. And thankyou to all new followers and viewers as well. I still remember when I first saw this option in my account and was blown away. I showed my mum and she was blown away that people all over the world look at my stuff. So to all my fans, followers and haters who look here thankyou!

Like a mouse

2011-02-14T08:15:00.000+10:00

Squeek Babin' it up, Gold Coast, February, 2011

Hoobie Doobie

2011-02-14T08:14:00.001+10:00

Gustav (link) and his new drive (left-hand drive), Gold Coast, Feb 2011

Oh Pete-oh remember to breathe

2011-02-10T17:46:00.000+10:00

A shot from the road I got of Dane z-ing & catching flies, accompanied with a nice post-it note he left on my desk when he decided to visit the office on my day off. Remember to Breathe!!!

Skypegrab #2

2011-02-10T17:41:00.002+10:00

Epic

2011-02-10T17:40:00.001+10:00

It has begun...(my history of the Polaroid Land Camera)

2011-02-09T06:55:00.000+10:00

It all began on the way back in 2009 when I was invited on the Lovers' Land Trip.

First time I became aware of the Polaroid Land Camera was when Dustin Humphrey's took these two portraits of Dave 'Rasta' at Angourie Point, New South Wales Australia. Which also birthed my obsession for seaweed rice crackers with avocado.

My first portrait, taken by Dustin as well. We were surfing all day in the hot sun and I fell asleep amongst the rocks (I must have been damn tired).

2nd Portrait by Dustin touching up the Bad Don't/Rad Don't/Rad Aunt aka the ever evolving named board in Byron Bay. (the 2nd board ever shaped by D.T.)

Portrait of Ozzie Wright, Mylee and Rocky, Byron Bay by Dustin from Lovers' Land Trip.

Check out Ozzie's Blog here, he's the original d'essai pilote of the culture that is ___________.

And while you're there sniff around for his new ukulele tracks.

It's kind of a case of the chicken and the egg for me when it comes to my polaroid land camera discovery because I think it was definitely a photo finish between Dustin and Michael Crawley. I'm still pretty sure I first came about them via Dustin but if not it was MC fo sure. The mad bastard and soon to be proud dad, says film gives him a ''big dirty stiffy'' (I think we're blood brothers) and is a huge reason I'm a huge advocate of shooting on all sorts of film. The man introduced me to sweet hidden photolabs around our home town, 120 film, x-proccessing and basically held a gun to my head if I didn't by certain cameras.

Not only does he obsess over photography but he also can actually take a mad photo, see here.

Just a few of MC's exposures below.

My baby. I stumbled upon her in an op-shop (thrift store) somewhere on the Gold Coast I think. I was in (I still am, just in denial) a mad camera haze and bought every half decent/half amazing looking camera that I could find in my price range. And aren't I glad I've held onto her. Polaroid Auto 320 Land Camera. Yes! I've always wanted to buy film for her but always thought it was too expensive and wasn't even sure if she'd work. But one pre body surfing session later, Claudio Kirac came by to pick me up to go to the beach and behold, he had a similar Polaroid and asked if he could take a portrait.

Knowing mine was hiding upstairs amongst my personal museum of cameras I told Claud I'd grab it out after the beach and see if she worked. Much to my disappointment we opened the battery cartridge and discovered it took some weird pre-70's battery that a kid of my age would have most likely seen and would definitely have trouble finding. Alas we jumped on Google as we seem to do for every question/search these days and read that a 123 camera battery could be used with the help of some sticky tape and foil. Foiled and sticky taped in up and.....bu-bow. No deal. Sad face. After Claud left though I was convinced that I could make it happen, merely because she was in such good condition. Shortly after opening the battery cartridge I noticed that I'd put the ''+'' on the "-" end, FAIL! Flipped the battery around, shut the door, pulled the trigger and in the words of Crawley I got a ''big dirty stiffy'' courtesy of the noise of the shutter 'clicking'.

The man below who put the icing on my Land Camera cupcake, CK. These are the very first two of hopefully thousands of photos I will with a polaroid land camera. When the first photo came out developed, (photo on the right) Claud and I were like little girls getting the Barbie Doll House for Christmas. Our screams raised flocks of birds from trees and shattered the windows of his house. My smile was up to my eyes (not hard for me and my size 10/10 teeth) and motivation further than I could see.

To wrap this monster post up I'd like to thank Dustin, Michael and Claud for all being part of my Land Camera birthing and can't wait to send them all photos I take along the way, as well as post them up here. Adios xxx

Gotta Love Skype

2011-02-08T13:08:00.001+10:00

Art Assignment by Tom Simpson

2011-02-04T08:05:00.004+10:00

The following is a school art assignment that was done by Tom Simpson, a young artist from Australia in his last years of high school education. Tom emailed me asking if he could send me some questions for his art assignment as he'd chosen me as the artist he wanted to write about. To say the least I was chuffed. Thanks for your interest in my work Tom and anyone else who would care to write an assignment about me let alone ask a question, don't hesitate because I'd be more than happy.

Art Assignment by Tom Simpson -

At the young age of twenty four, Nick Chalmers a contemporary, Australian artist has taken a somewhat different approach to the traditional process and convention of exhibition. One of his most recent exhibitions ‘Ze Frog and Toad’, involved shoving a bunch of portable artworks in the back of an Avis hire truck and embarking on a tour starting in Melbourne around the whole east coast of Australia, stopping every now and again to exhibit his work out of the back of the truck.

Chalmers created ’Merman Man‘ in acrylic and ink on paper. The work features a man’s face superimposed on a map. Lines within the map such as roads, rivers and contour lines provide the boundaries of the face. The background of the map also provides an interesting contrast to the detailed line work of the foreground.

The focal point of the work is the large male face superimposed over the map on the right hand side. Perhaps it is a self-portrait symbolically tying Chalmers to his hometown and the important of its spirit of place to his sense of identity.

The original features of the map appear ghostly behind the superimposed face – a lovely metaphor for how the features of the land imprint themselves on our psyches.

Chalmers specifically chose a map of the Gold Coast’s Mermaid Beach as the background of this work as that it is where he grew up and still resides today. This piece was also exhibited at 19 Karen, a gallery in Mermaid Beach. As such, the work pays homage to his hometown.

Chalmers discovered his love for art at a young age. He studied it through his school years and has continued it as both a hobby and career later in life. He has a website/blog that showcases all his artworks new and old and photos from all his exhibits.

In 1998 Chalmers was awarded the Primary School Creative Arts Award at his school’s end of year awards’ night, at which he received his first ever cheque for one-hundred big ones. His art teacher at the time told him to never stop painting and from that night on he never has. Over the years he has been creating artwork in a range of different media including: acrylic, ink, short films and zines.

AQUA BATS

2011-02-04T08:05:00.001+10:00

Aquabats - Alaia's are hard to ride from Johnny Abegg Films on Vimeo.

Johnny Abegg aka me + 6 years (We share the same birthday and several other creepy things) made this little clip with footage we shot of each other 2-something years ago surfing an Alaia for the 1st time. The piece of timber was hand shaped by Dain Thomas. The session was a blast. Paul Mc created the artwork for the clip.

Another Australia day with the Krab

2011-02-01T18:11:00.000+10:00

The Krab came out for Australia day, but this time for the inflatable pool shenanigans. (Not deep enough for underwater silliness :(

My Brolly

2011-02-01T18:09:00.002+10:00

This was in the Top 3 Best Christmas presents for 2010. Now I can hide in the shade.

Last Plug for the moment....

2011-02-01T18:03:00.002+10:00

Smithy's got a new site.