Haven’t had the mood to blog for a longer period but heaps of things happened in the meantime. Weeks flew by and I finished working for SKUvantage after intense six months. The team and I grew together and every day was a challenge connected with growth and learning.

The australian work ethic and organization was quite different from what you hear from outside. At SKUvantage everything was kind of on eye level between management and photographers/editors but the communication is much more direct then I know it from former companies I worked with. The feedback for the work you are doing is precise and aims to push you into the right direction.
When I first started I was a bit overwhelmed and it’s difficult not to take it personal when you are not used to it - but after a bit it speeds up your process a lot.

For the last month in Oz I planned not to work at all but do a surf-/roadtrip instead. I booked a van to go up north to Byron and just take all the waves along the way. The first days were very relaxing and I discovered great places like Seal Rocks and Boomerang Beach on the way that I have not visited yet.

In the Bay I mostly spent time with my good friend Juaco to shoot some surf or paddle out ourselves. The Arts Factory was kind of our home but hell - in Byron I realized how calm Manly was and apart from all the beachvibes and beauties I’m not really made for that kind of touristy place.

The last days I spent in Yamba - my actual favourite on the east coast. So many local kids grow up with surfing and practice every day. You’ll always find a good shot and it was actually the first place back in february where I found pro surfers around as I got into surfphotography.

Lastly I need to mention Port Macquarie - such a lovely place to hang. People there are just the most friendly ones in Oz. Probably because of the view they got everyday. So many come at five in the morning to just walk their dogs, have a swim and a few even go fishing during the night. Everybody seems to know each other and is super chatty and keen to know more about your stay.

When expectations do not match reality.

Sometimes the following happens: You have a certain expectation about something and do not even concider to do it because you heared or saw things which you think are not your taste or your thing. I never thought about going to Bali in the near future because I expected it to be a typical party island - too expensive, too loud for my taste, too many tourist traps. Mostly because everybody wants to go there.

Luckily buying a flight to Nepal was not in my budget in march so I had to take other options into concideration. My roomie in Perth said he would fly to Bali in the upcoming days. I found out about the perfect weather, the amazing surfing conditions and the cheap flights and immediatly booked a flight. And you know it - the spontaneus trips are always the most fun.

So Peter and me met up, took two bikes to cruise around the island and started to adventure some of the rice terrasses in the Ubud area and went to the volcanic north afterwards.

I don't have to explain too much about the fascination of those beautiful fields but from the photography side all the green adds so much punch to the images. It creates this look you only get in asian countries and really kicks of with cloudy weather and at sunrise.

But what made this journey so very special?
Getting to know a new culture is always exciting - so many funny and lovely things to notice from the indonesians. Small things. When going straight on a street they let both indicators flash. Or when they take your order they repeat it very clearly even if you just ordered one or two things to show good service. On the other side you always have to be careful to not get some dirty cutlery even in good restaurants. In general the locals are super nice and always up for a chat. I felt so welcome!

Apart from that the cute island just had this intense surfvibe - especially in Canggu and around Uluwatu. I saw so many pro surfers and tried my best to freeze some action. Aaaand getting to know the limits of my camera.

Surfphotography is really a field I would like to push. Getting decent gear for the most intersting views (in the water, at sunset/rise time) is a challenge though.