Beyond The Blue

I contacted Pete excited by his photography skills and the possible thought of our work coming together. “Pete, lets shoot and make magic happen.” He couldn’t say no. All these ideas running through our heads made for a perfect creative outcome.

Bringing some extra creative flavour to the table, Pete suggested local artist, Kirk, modelling for the shoot. Kirk’s creative spark is something I haven’t witnessed before. The creativity of an artist/actor/casual model/ I don’t care what other people think of me attitude, brings such a charismatic vibe to every situation he is in. It’s a perfect cocktail to co-create a photoshoot and bring the Salty Crown creations alive.

The night before the shoot, Pete called it, “Looks like it’s forecast for bad weather this weekend.” With a little back and forth discussion between the three of us, all it took was Kirk’s solid convincing, “Pete, come on, let’s make magic!”. So 2am the next morning, we were off making magic a priority.

A three-seater van, three adults elbow to elbow, nonstop talking and laughing, made the driving distance feel like a blur. With the rain lingering about, we all had zero expectations in mind of what the day will bring, but the creative flare was more than alive in all of us and ready to burst open.

6am. First stop. A quick manoeuvre from Pete, a minute miss of the roadside barrier, pulling over on the side of the highway that was buzzing with peak morning traffic. We found a big open space, misty as hell, and the sun peeping through to wish us a good morning. This was our chance. “Kirk, it’s time to run out there!”. Kirk investigated the fence, conveniently finding an old dusty blanket laying to the side, using it to protect himself from some fierce barbed wire and he was off. After some time running from side to side in the field, and someone pulling in behind us to offer some help to restart our car, it was time to move onto the next spot.

We pulled over next to an old farmhouse, tall grass out front, with hundreds of spiderwebs laying nestled amongst the grass tips. Further down was an abandoned lounge that was roadside, which looked like a perfect fit for a lonely traveller waiting for a hitch into the unknown.

We then headed to a surf spot Pete was fond of. With the intention of checking to see if the memory was as it existed. The clouds were heavy. The skies were fierce. With the clouds opening its arms to embrace us with a down pour. Heading back to the car and waiting it out seemed like the perfect thing to do. As soon as the rain settled, we headed back down the beach and climbed wind carved boulders to reach a quiet cove. And as it happened, more unprovoked magic was created. The sun pushed the clouds apart one by one and shone on us like the rains were never there.

Now more excitement and magic was instilled in us, it was time to venture to the place we had planned initially. We made it. 98ft above sea level. The huge sand mountains that rolled for days. A place you could easily lose yourself. The sun set high, embracing every shadow of every peak. We hiked up the dunes to the part the wind had erased the footprints that had come and gone that morning. Where no one was in sight and all we could hear was the wind on the sand, our laughs, and our intense excitement of what we were about to create.

Magic happened.

That day was more than just a pastel blue sky, smooth wind sculptured surfaces, and a backdrop that looked like a paint brush had caressed the canvas. It was a day of stimulated discussions of life, exploration of the unknown, creative connectedness, a successful days work with absolutely no expectations, and letting mother nature take its course and lead us to a place you could easily get lost in its beauty. A day where the roads less travelled were treaded upon, but still a light footprint left behind. A day of three inspired and passionate artists, on the road, naturally letting magic happen, and making the unseen seen. A day that our work has come together to co-create something that came so effortlessly.

This is our work. From us. To you.

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My co-creators:

Pete Balmer – Photographer

Instagram - @southofthebridge

Website – www.southofthebridge.com.au

Kirk Jenkins – Model and artist

Instagram - @kirkjenkins

Website - Coming Soon