Name: Nate Smith Occupation: Photographer Hometown: Sydney Currently Residing: Northern Beaches Nate Smith is a widely known surf photographer from Australia. Over a 15+ year career his images have graced magazine covers and ad campaigns around the globe. He’s worked extensively with surfers like Kelly Slater, Tom Carroll and Taj Burrow. He’s blazed frames from Capetown to New York to the sulfuric lava flows of Anak Krakatoa. His talent has spilled from the ocean into the worlds of fashion, portraiture, occasional self-portraiture and landscapes. In 2010 he traveled to Dublin to receive two awards. Nate took out the Close Up Category and the Athletes Choice Award in the Red Bull Illume action sports photography contest for his image of a cobalt ‘n’ copper saltwater cocoon he took just up the road from his childhood home. But at 39, Nate feels his best shot is still out there. “As a surfer you always paddle out thinking your best wave is yet to come, and as a guy who shoots surfing you gotta think the same. Gives you a reason to get out of bed in the morning.”Don’t ask don’t get
When I was a child I wanted to be…Batman
Advice I have to share for those who want to get into this profession…This could be a big list, but to keep it short, id say have something different to offer, everyone shoots digital and id assume RAW files so they all spit out the same at the end, so its what you do at the end that makes you. Have a great backup job because photography has never been more popular resulting one very hugely saturated market. Find your own style, be inspired but don’t copy, be humble and most of all just have fun with it. Its meant to be fun. Oh, learn yourself, don’t ask for secret pieces of info, we shoot digi, its simple, shoot it until you get it right, its not film where you wouldn’t know if you got it right for 1 week, so just learn from your mistakes. Its fun learning, well i think so anyway, thats your reward…..learning.