How did you first get into golf? Was it a family thing, or did you find it on your own?

My first real experience of golf other than playing it on family holidays as a kid was in high school, our PE class did golf for 2 years and we had to learn the fundamentals of a golf swing. Which I still don’t have figured out to this day.

When did photography enter the picture? Were you a golfer first, or a photographer who happened to find golf?

I was mostly shooting landscapes in scenic places, whilst simultaneously greenkeeping as I enjoyed the lifestyle but never put the two together. I eventually found myself in Canada working at a golf course that was extremely photogenic and it all kicked off from there.

Was there a specific course, round, or moment that made you think "this is what I want to shoot for a living?"

The course that made me want to do this for a living would have to be Tara Iti. That’s where I really realised how beautiful and inspiring golf course photography can be and they gave me the opportunities to take it to the next level.

What's your approach when you arrive at a course you've never shot before? Where do you start?

First thing I do is check sunrise and sunset times for that area and use a sun seeker app to see where will the sun hit the course first - and then just a general drive around the course scoping out angles and getting a lay of the land so I can be most efficient when shooting as there’s always a lot of ground to cover.

How much of golf course photography is technical skill, and how much is just patience and waiting on the light?

I would say a lot of it is patience and the right light.. and I would say composition and having a good eye for photography is much better than having technical knowledge.

Do you prefer shooting an empty course or one with golfers in the frame?

I prefer shooting an empty course most of the time. Golfers really help give perspective though so I always try to rope some people into a shoot when I’m working for a course.

What's harder to capture, the atmosphere of a course, or the personality of a player?

Man, good question. I think capturing the atmosphere of a course is a little more elusive. Those dreamy atmospheric photos only reveal themselves for a brief amount of time and then it’s gone.. which is a big reason I love my job as you can constantly look for those moments and it’s always satisfying to capture them.

Is there a shot or composition you keep coming back to, almost like a signature?

I always love leading lines and foreground elements which is something I did a lot when I was mostly shooting landscapes.

NZ has become almost mythical in world golf. Tara Iti, Cape Kidnappers, Kauri Cliffs. What's it like having those in your backyard?

It’s pretty wild haha, in my opinion we have the best destination golf country in the world.. especially given the variety from sandy beach courses, dramatic cliff top courses to snow capped mountain courses.

Are there courses Kiwis quietly love that the rest of the world hasn't discovered yet?

Hmm how much do I give away here haha I think the word on Waverley is out already.. a sheep grazing country track that has won a lot of attention recently. I would say Ahipara is up there for me, not just the course but its location, remoteness and the surf.

What makes a NZ course feel distinctly Kiwi - Visually, architecturally, in atmosphere?

Perfectly imperfect. A lot of NZ courses are really well placed within the natural environment and use it to their advantage.

Favorite course to play in NZ?

Tara Iti.

Favorite NZ beer?

Ooo I’d have to go Sawmill or Panhead.

Favorite course to shoot - and is it the same as the one you love to play?

South course Te Arai Links is probably my favourite to shoot. So many coastal holes with views and it’s impossible to take a bad photo there.

Favorite hole in the country, and what makes it special through a lens?

15th at Tara Iti - Par 3. I’ve seen it a thousand times and it still wows me every time. Looks like someone just laid a sheet of green down in the sand dunes.

A course you've shot dozens of times that still surprises you?

The North Course at Te Arai surprises me quite a bit still. Doak really loves to get wild with the terrain so there’s endless compositions out there.

Favorite NZ pub?

Mangawhai Tavern.

For someone who knows nothing about NZ golf history, what's the story they should know?

I’m no historian but as a starting point I’d say go and play Paraparaumu Beach Golf Club.

Who are the figures - players, architects, owners - that shaped the game here?

Sir Bob Charles, Michael Campbell, Lydia Ko, Steven Alker have all been big names for NZ Golf. Mackenzie in the early days was here helping with the designing of Titirangi but there were lots of other early golf architects that did a lot for NZ Golf like C.H Redhead. Nowadays the who’s who of golf architects are over here designing all over the country.

The last decade has been a boom for NZ golf. Has that changed the culture of the game, for better or worse?

Way better, a lot more younger people getting into it and the culture of golf is becoming a lot less rigid.

What drew you to the GK Collection project, and what was the brief?

Most of my best mates are greenkeepers and having been a greenkeeper it’s always cool to get out there and showcase what they do.. and the clothing line that’s been put together is sick.

A shot from that shoot that was harder to get than it looks?

Hmm anything with intentional blur I would say is harder than it seems. A lot of the time that would be done in photoshop but I like to get everything in camera if I can.

A favorite frame from the collection, and the story behind it?

The photo of Jordan kneeling down working on a toro mower. Moody shed with some golden light coming in through the window bouncing back onto him. Wasn’t planned but love the look and had to get that shot.

A bucket-list course - anywhere in the world - that you haven't shot yet?

I’ve been shooting a lot in NZ and Aus so doing a trip over to the states and photographing a course has been something I’ve wanted to do for a while.. lots of overseas courses that I’d love to visit.

What's in store for the rest of the year?

Well.. there’s a course in the USA that has just been built that I’ll be photographing very soon. Doesn’t even have a name yet so pumped to share more soon...