After completing a Bachelor of Visual Communication at Newcastle University, he worked in the graphic design industry for several years until he decided to take the plunge (quite literally) and buy himself an Aquatech water housing for his camera. He was recently named body boarding photographer of the year by a jury of his peers in conjunction with Le Boogie magazine, was a Top 10 finalist in the Nikon Surf Photo of the Year for 2013 and was a finalist in the sport category of Capture’s Emerging Photographer of the Year competition. He is also the senior photographer for Le Boogie [bodyboarding] Magazine.
“Confidence in the water is the key to great surf photos” he says. “When I first started shooting I was pretty much solely focused on capturing the action and usually that would involve a fisheye lens and some heavy waves. I’ve been doing a lot more travel-oriented work over the last year and I’ve really enjoyed trying to develop a narrative with the images I shoot rather than just focusing on the waves.”
He now travels frequently to countries all over the world on assignments for various clients. Some of these clients include Le Boogie magazine, Gary Pepper Vintage, Lane Crawford, Louis Vuitton and Dolce & Gabbana. “I’m easily distracted and get complacent if I’m at home for an extended period of time. I like to get out of my comfort zone as much as possible,” Shadbolt says.