I’m 37 and I live on the northern braces of Sydney in a place called Newport. I was first introduced to surfing when I was around seven. I remember being at a BBQ and there was this old beat up surfboard lying under the house - I was fascinated by it. I ended being given it by one of my mother’s friends and my father cleaned it up and fixed it. I used to hassle my parents almost every day to take me to the beach so I could ride it.

I also became interested in photography at a young age. I used to steal my uncle’s camera when he wasn't using it and play with it. I never even knew if there was film in it so I’d push all the buttons and wait for the click, wondering if it was working or not.

I took up surfing professionally for a while. I did fairly well in a few surfing competitions, travelled a lot, beat a few names that I now shoot from time to time. But I got injured, so I bought a proper camera when I was 21 and then moved to Sydney to focus on my photography. I then assisted Adam Watson, one of Australia’s finest fashion and beauty photographers.

I initially wanted to shoot fashion but the 'surf photo thing' slowly took over and I haven’t stopped since then. It's an exciting time to own a camera. At the moment, I just love what I’m doing and that’s all that matters.

I was born in 1985 in Vorarlberg, Austria. When I turned 18 I bought my first SLR camera and fell in love with photography from then on. I started by shooting snowboarding and freeskiing with my friends. After a while I realized that photography was more than just a hobby; I started spending all the money I earned from selling photos on buying new camera equipment, and my photography became more and more experimental.

Nowadays, I’m working for different companies, crews and magazines all over the globe. I’ve shot for Adidas, Oakley and Atomic and many more. A photographer has to learn different styles and show variety in their work, so it was good for me to also get into commercial and industrial photography to help me develop. In 2009, I also finished a master’s degree in photography.

Photography gave me the opportunity to travel and experience different cultures, but also the chance to show others the world through my eyes. But it was my passion for freeskiing and snowboarding that gave me the spark to begin shooting.

I was fascinated by photography at an early age, which meant my mum had to pay good money to develop films of dubious worth! I bought my first new camera at 14 and in the years that followed I got a taste of working for a newspaper, studio, shooting weddings and portraits. As a result I knew I preferred the editorial, photojournalistic style of work.

I like carrying a small kit and not worrying about lots of gear slowing me down. When I’m working my mindset is to try and give an inside perspective of any sport or event I cover and tell a story, particularly the personal human element. I’m not a big fan of preconceived ideas. Rather I enjoy the challenge and buzz of just turning up to shoot a different sport or event, regardless of the location or conditions, and adapting.

I’ve been working as a photographer for nearly 30 years now and in that time I’ve been really fortunate that it’s introduced me to some amazing colleagues, taught me about journalistic integrity, shown me the world, from shooting Olympic Games to international rugby amidst a crowded stadium, to a lonely skateboarder trying to nail a kick-flip or kids playing football in a slum.

I’m thrilled to have been working for some fantastic clients, including international news agency AFP, Getty Images and Red Bull, and proud to have been recognised and awarded in such photo competitions as Picture of the Year International, Red Bull Illume and NZ Press Photographer of the Year.

I’ve been surfing my whole life and photography has been a means to live and express my passion in a different way. I was born in Tahiti and grew up surfing with people like Manoa Drollet, Hira Teriinatoofa and WCT battler Michel Bourez.  One day, I came across a few photoblogs on the Internet, which I fell in love with. From then on, I just had to get into photography.

I’m also an IT specialist and web developer, so I created my own photoblog and website in 2005. In less than five years, my work has been featured in many leading surf magazines and in advertising. My photos have also been exhibited and were also chosen to represent Tahiti at the World Expo in Shanghai in 2010.

My goal is to show the world how beautiful the ocean is, which is why I mostly take shots of empty waves. I love being alone in the middle of nowhere, capturing those magical, beautiful moments with my camera that disappear in a second. I like being there, enjoying the waves’ sweetness, just feeling the 'Hau Maru' as we say in Tahitian – that ‘sweet atmosphere’. By just discovering the water world, I think it helps you to discover yourself.

I was born and raised in Northern Ireland and first discovered photography at the age of 16 after I took a few photos with a camera from my friend’s dad. I never had the money to buy a camera of my own until I turned 19. As soon as that happened, I was terminally hooked.

I was attracted to the immediacy of photography, I was always good at art and painted a bit at school, but found the painting process too slow. I've always been a collector of things: records, books, magazines – so taking photos is sort of an extension of this.

Being from a hardcore BMX/punk background myself, I began to shoot photographs of friends in the different scenes that I was involved with and made regular contributions to DIG BMX Magazine who are based in Belfast. The mag has a passion for stylistic BMX riding alongside a D.I.Y. punk ethic, so I could really tune into the magazine’s vision. These days, I’m the staff photographer, editor and janitor at their office in Belfast.

I'm lucky enough to be able to travel the world with fellow weirdos, documenting the many unique aspects of BMX life. What I’ve learned is that if you have a real passion for photography or anything else, follow your heart and believe in what you do. It’s 2010, let's keep the energy going. It's all about what's happening today, now.