Up until meeting Lee, motocross photography was a relatively untouched scene for me. I think every kid, big or small, has grown up looking at magazines and admiring the tricks and jumps that the riders test themselves on. It was around 2009 that I met up with Lee and another friend Collo when we went to a local track/park and I was completely amazed at how high and how far these guys went on the jumps. No photo in any magazine can substitute the amount of appreciation I had as to when I saw freestyle motocross in person.

Anyway, fast forward to the end of 2011 when Lee was progressing further and further with his riding. Lee and I had been planning on doing some really unique photo shoots by combining some whacky ideas to achieve something special. However, Lee got himself in a bit of a predicament with a relatively serious accident one day and he has been on the mend ever since. Now, I don’t want this interview to seem like it is putting a dampener on riding by dwelling the injury side of things, because I can safely say that Lee is back on his bike. However, I did want Lee to offer an insight as to what some of these guys go through when things turn bad.

Riding Photos: Pete Jaques // Injury Photos: Supplied

So Lee… for those that don’t know you, tell us a little bit about where you’re from, what you do for a crust, and how long you have been riding for.

G’day, I’m Lee Van Bruinessen and I live in Pittsworth which is a small country town about half an hour west of Toowoomba and I work as a salesman at Toowoomba Honda selling motorcycles. I moved to Pittsworth in the summer of 2002 from Kyogle N.S.W when I was 14 years old. I remember being pissed off about having to move because I had a bunch of really good mates down there and where we lived I had access to hundreds of acres of trail riding through the hills of the Boarder Ranges National Park. I got my first motorcycle for my ninth birthday, a brand new 1997 Honda XR80. To say I was stoked is a complete understatement as I was completely obsessed with dirt bikes! I’d race my XR around the paddocks pretending to be Jeremy McGrath, dreaming of being a Motocross/Supercross star. My motorcycle aspirations faded when my XR80 got sold just before we moved to Pittsworth and that was that, no more dirt bikes. Moving turned out to be sweet though, the skate park is a 3-minute ride from home and riding BMX would become my new hobby!

So with having a background in BMX, how does that compare to things on a moto?

Having learned the basic skills of riding a motorcycle on the farm when I was younger gave me the confidence and some knowledge of what I’d be in for when I bought a mates 2004 YZ250 when I was 19. The step from an XR80 to a YZ250 is a big one, especially with 5 years between rides. It didn’t take me long to get the hang of riding again, but jumping was a different story… Compared to jumping my BMX, my YZ felt so strange and foreign. I couldn’t get my head around it and after 6 months riding, I was super frustrated as to why I wasn’t progressing with the jumps. Riding every single weekend started to show though, my skills were increasing and confidence growing. Before I knew it I was hitting jumps that a few months earlier wouldn’t even consider doing. The technique of jumping a BMX and a motorcycle is completely different, but jumping a BMX helped so much in judging speeds and distances when it came to the Dirt Bikes. Having good timing is crucial when you are hanging off the back of your bike 40 feet in the air, years riding BMX with out doubt is a huge contribution to my awareness of where I am in the air when I’m on my motorcycle.

So on the day of your crash, where were you when it happened?

It happened on a private property at Boonah, South East Queensland.

Talk us through what went wrong man?

It went wrong a month before my crash when I bought a CR250 (2-Stroke) ha-ha! I’ve been riding a CRF450 (4-Stroke) since May 2009 and was chopping and changing between the two bikes in the weeks leading up to my crash. The power delivery is so different between the two machines and that’s what caught me out. The day I crashed I was riding my CR250 and didn’t give her enough herbs off the ramp (which was set at 75 feet). It resulted in me coming up 2 feet short and casing the landing. Just before I cased, I panic revved like a mofo to get the back wheel down and braced myself for a big impact. The bike cased out underneath the engine with no suspension at all to absorb the impact and came to a complete stop in a split second. I folded around the bars copping a massive blow from the front wheel through the mudguard to the jaw and then bounced off the bike and down the side of the landing. I screamed Ambulance, call the fucking Ambulance!

Now obviously when you were on the ground, you would have known you weren’t in a good way. Did you have any idea as to the extent of your injuries?

At first I thought both ankles were broken, right wrist and I knew my jaw was buggered because my bite wasn’t remotely lining up and when I moved it slightly it would make this really disturbing grinding noise. I forgot to take my plate out, so when I bit down during impact, I managed to chip some teeth that it connects to as well and also manage to bite a decent size hole in my bottom lip. On a pain scale of 1-10, I’d describe the experience as fucking horrible!

Now just so we can get a better understanding of what you achieved, tell us a bit about what you broke and the process of how the surgeons fixed you up.

When I first got into Ipswich Hospital they stitched my lip up and then I seemed to lie around for ages. After doctors established that I’d shattered my right ankle (5 breaks to 4 bones) and dislocated it as well as breaking my jaw in three spots (straight down the front and down both sides), I got to lay in hospital and wait for five days before they could even do anything. I then went in for the first surgery and they went in behind my ears and in through my mouth, building my jaw up with three titanium plates and six screws. I was really lucky because they couldn’t wire my jaw closed as surgery on my ankle the next day made that too dangerous. I still had wire in between all of my bottom teeth, which was an absolute bastard to get out. Imagine flossing your teeth with tie wire!

The following day I had an ambulance ride from Ipswich Hospital up to the Wesley Private Hospital in Brisbane to have my ankle fixed. Five titanium screws hold it all together. It was very draining having the two operations only a day apart, the pain in my ankle post op was even more intense than the crash itself, so I was a mess on the painkillers for a good while. It was a rough few months… I found out a month and a half later that I broke my hand as well, but it was too late to do anything about it. 3 months on crutches is something I hope I’ll never have to do again. I pretty much lived on scrambled eggs, KFC’s potato and gravy, banana smoothies and anything else that fits the MUSH description for a couple months. Before I crashed I was 94kilos and the day I could eat solid food again I was a weedy 73kilos. How’s that for a weight loss program? Ha-ha.

Surviving that is a feat on its own, but I can pretty much assume that the doctor’s bill would have been a bit of pain to deal with as well?

The medical bills involved with my moto crash topped $9500. Here’s a little word of advice, if you’re going to jump motorcycles or do crazy shit, get yourself some sort of medical cover. I’m very fortunate that I listened to Mum and got onto it a few years back, because $2000 out of pocket is much better than $9500!

So at the time of this interview, it’s now June 2012. Are there any physical goals you need to achieve before you consider yourself healthy again?

Doctors told me I would never run again, that I would always walk with a limp and that I wouldn’t be riding my dirt bike in 2012. I got back on my bike mid April, I’ve been doing a little bit of racing, jumping ramps again and I’m walking fine when my ankle is warmed up. I’ve even been down the skate park on my BMX. I’ve got a long way to go, but I’m getting better every week… I’m healthy bro!

Now I mean this in the nicest way possible, but you were a pretty crazy dude before the crash. Do you think the whole experience has changed your outlook/attitude towards life in general?

Absolutely! Its rather cliché to hear the injured bloke babble on about taking things for granted, but damn it is so easy to do. I really appreciate everyone and everything I got going on around me a lot more now. We aren’t here forever and the wild things we do in our youth won’t be happening later down the track, so enjoy it now while you can! I’m not going to be looking back in 20 years thinking oh I wish I did this or that, I’m going to be looking back thinking wow we had some awesome fun! I’ve got the best mates in the world and am blessed to have a wonderful family who has helped me through the toughest time of my life. I’d like to thank my folks for accepting that this is what I do for kicks and letting me go for it. Cheers Pete for the opportunity to do this interview.

The end.

Above photo by: Morgan Sgro

Usual stuff first man, age, location and what you do for a day job?

Good evening. My name is Christopher Cooper; I’m 27 and living like a 17 year old. I reside in a reasonably small town called Albury, NSW and I work logistics at a Bio Diesel plant just outside of town. By no means is it career based, but the freedom allows me to take photographic adventures on a regular basis.

Did you study photography at any stage or did you just take the whole ‘hands on’ approach and do things by trial and error?

I studied photography in high school which is now, a long, long time ago. However, it taught me the fundamentals of photography as the course was film based. After school I played around with the camera for a wee bit, but sometimes life throws you lemons and the passion was soon submersed. It wasn’t until my 21^st when I scored a Canon 350d that the passion slowly but surely raised its beautiful head over a few years persistence and love. It has been through experience in the field and constantly talking with photographers where I have learnt everything I know today. Meeting my “mentor” for the first time, I learnt more about photography in 2 hours over some rather nice java than I did over 2 years.

Tell us a bit more about this mentor of yours.

It’s a little weird calling him that, but he has taught me so much in such a short amount of time, and almost on a daily basis we speak photography. Craig Nye from Sydney is the man. I met him through Cooper B’s lady, Sarah Petchell of No heroes’ Online magazine. It isn’t all that often that you instantly “click” with someone, and ever since helping him out on a TDEP photo shoot, that click has continued to grow into an amazing friendship.

Craig has been shooting for a very long time. Both digital, in his earlier years and now committed to film. This experience with both mediums of the photography world has given him a great deal of knowledge of camera gear, technique and processes of both worlds. A lot of photographers out there are living in a dream world. Craig isn’t afraid to set me straight with constructive criticism, and I believe this is one of the most important learning tools one can have.

It always intrigues me as to what makes people get a camera and find their little niche that they become well known for working in. With the whole hotrod and classic scene, was there a defining moment when you decided that that’s what you enjoyed?

I first picked a camera up to document the crew I was riding with. It seems like the cliché thing to say that most riders soon turn a certain age; they find “cars” and put the bike down….my passion for photography has slowly evolved into the car scene as I have grown up in a car family. My first big car show was Summernats 6, so that sums up how old I really am. As for taking a step into the left field, judged by some and becoming so involved with the hotrod and custom scene, it has been an on going and ever growing passion. I have always howled like a wolf when I see hotrods burning through the hills. It wasn’t until a few years ago when some of my closer friends gradually started to get a lot more involved in their project cars that the same instinct clicked…….I have always been into cars, my friends are now getting a lot more involved, and I can a take a photo. Let’s document this shit!

Haha. When you hang out with your friends or go on cruises, are they all generally pretty cool to let you roll with your camera and share the good times online?

Yeah man! They certainly are!

Some guys are a bit weirded out when they turn around and here I am snapping madly towards them. But it’s just like BMX crews, everyone is stoked when their photographer friend randomly grabs a sweet shot of them riding, chilling, whatever. Same goes within this scene. A lot of blood, sweat and tears go into these art works and when the finished, or not so finished car gets on the road, and a photo pops up of their pride and joy, they are stoked! It’s a very humbling feeling knowing you are documenting the life of a car build.

Certain modifications of cars drastically change the lines of the vehicle and enhance the overall appeal of the build.  Majority of onlookers will look at a car, say “sweet whip” and walk off. I too, am guilty of this. But you soon begin to realise what has gone into the car and pick up even the subtlest changes. How different roof chops make lines flow better, different car parts such as lights that make the build a lot more appealing and unique. A photograph that portrays these differences from original to custom and enhances the uniqueness of the build is something car guys lust over.

Now when it comes to people, I know that judging a book by its cover doesn’t mean shit these days. But when you began shooting in that scene, did you find it intimidating in any way or was it pretty easy to do?

Not intimidating at all. It’s not like you’re setting up flashes at a skate park filled with riders, it is generally a lot more relaxed.

With that said, there is a great deal of “it’s not what you know, it’s who you know”. And I guess that’s with everything in life. Personally I think it’s a bunch of flipping shit, but it is to be expected. The car scene is predominately popularised by older gents. They have close friends who have been shooting for their publications for years and years. Why let an unknown kid shoot an event or feature car? With that said. Everyone deserves a chance. If a photographer, young or old has a unique and fresh style, take them on board, give them a chance, and talk with them. If they turn out to be arrogant assholes, then let them loose. No harm done. But the point is to give them an opportunity.

I have met some guys and gals who have welcomed my work with open arms and I am very grateful and humbled by their reactions.

I’m so glad you subtly mentioned modesty because I think it is one of the major attributes a good photographer needs to have. Generally speaking, do you think it’s hard to walk the line between being modest and respectably making a name for yourself?

For a photographer to make a name for himself, they have to be confident in what they do. Something I personally struggle with. If you start to be offered commissioned work, you have to be confident in saying yes to produce the best possible work you can. This will help ensure possible work in future. Networking is the biggest key in this industry to making a buck.

I agree that modesty is a huge attribute a photographer should possess; you must know when your work is below par to improve your overall portfolio. You must be able to accept and take on board criticism. Being modest towards your work allows you take in other peoples views, ideas and opinions. It allows you to move forward as you are open to new roads of information. And in the end, no one likes an arrogant ass.

You take lots of photos of random people at these events and get pretty good results. Does having a camera help as an ice-breaker or are you just a smooth talker? 

Haha far from a smooth talker! In some cases it is very much an ice breaker. You soon meet the owners of the car if you are firing off a thousand shots of their car or bike. Shooting up front and in person is not my style though. I like shooting from a distance, observing each persons actions, and waiting for that decisive moment. A hand gesture, a smile, a hug, a skull of a beer. In my eyes, you capture the person in their entirety.

Just recently I’ve noticed you getting a bit more exposure online with selling your prints, how is that all working out for you?

I must admit it has been going pretty well thus far considering the circumstances. A lot of my friends new and old are really syked on the prints that they have purchased which is an unbelievably humbling feeling. Print is the Holy Grail. I’m still yet to really have a consistent flow of purchases; however that will take time and the hard yards. This is a new avenue for me; everything takes time, hard work and persistence.

Some days I do get burnt out when no one is interested. I have had prints for sale at hot rod shows with no one buying……I also have prints on display and for sale in my local coffee house, which are still for sale….. Targeting the right people is the key, especially for the niche market I have happily fallen into.

As one of Tumblr & Facebook’s top customers, has social media helped you diversify your followers beyond what a normal website would?

Most definitely. As much as I hate to say it, the networking bookface creates is invaluable. Within a matter of minutes, a status update, advising people of updates on your website, new photography avenues, ideas, sale items etc to a vast group of people. However, I do not have a bookface page for my photography, I see no point in uploading a photo for the site to shrink and destroy the quality of an image.

Tumblr, is tumblr………it’s just shits and giggles for this little cat.

Aside from your personal work, do you do any commissioned or contribution work with other websites or magazines?

I used to do a lot of commissioned work for our local council, but there hasn’t been much offering for a while now. The one magazine I have regular photos contributed to is FocalPointBMX. Coop is an absolute champion who I look up to a great deal. We bounce ideas off of each other quite often which is a huge learning tool for myself. Our town used to have a massive music scene of metal/hardcore and from shooting the majority of local shows I was a regular contributor to No Heroes’ online music magazine, but since the scene here has died completely, again, I haven’t had much to submit.

Fuel magazine is a coffee style magazine which I have had photos published in a couple of issues. Luke who owns and runs the magazine is one of the nicest people in general I have met. A big shout out is needed and well deserved for what he is achieving in the kustom culture scene. X-Magazine is a free regional magazine that has issues for a selection of different towns around Victoria. I am the photographer for the Albury issue.

Other publications I have had photos in are FLY WHEELIN – Japan, 2020BMX, CRUIZIN, CHOPPED and various other little magazines/brochures.

I know we probably have similar outlooks on this topic, but what is your opinion of every second person buying a camera and starting a business to make a quick buck?

The first thought that comes to mind is that it really, REALLY pisses me off. But there are always two sides to the story. Technology is moving at a rapid pace, so much so that it is hard, financially to keep up! Entry level cameras are able, with a little PS involved, to produce some very impressive works. If digital cameras had stayed the same price as 5 years ago, and film was the only option for people on a budget, then I really don’t think this issue would be as relevant.

The other side of the spectrum is what makes me worthy of claiming I am a photographer? I am more than sure that a lot of “pros” out there would look down on my work and have the same irritable feeling that I do with hacks earning the big bucks. In the end, people are buying their work. If the general public can’t tell a piece of shit, from a piece of art, then so be it. I would rather a niche market out there that know a great image when they see it and know how hard and how frustrating it can be to produce decent work. This topic is brought up quite often within the group of photographer friends I have, and only recently an opinion popped up. “They’re trying to beat style and technique with technology”. I think this little quote alone sums up my personal opinion on the situation. No matter what camera you use, a brilliant photograph comes down to style and technique, you need to know what the hell you are doing!!!

Now speaking of gear, would you care to share what’s lurking in that bag of yours and possibly how long it has taken you to piece it all together?

Haha it has taken me since I was in year 12 to get to where I am camera bag wise. Forever evolving and changing as money lets me.

Camera bags: Lowepro Computrekker and Lowepro shoulder bag
Digi body: Canon 5dmk2
Digi lens: Canon 50mm 1.4,  Canon 135mm f2L
Flash: Canon 530EXII & Vivitar 285
Film bodies: Leica M2 & decora folding Medium format
Film Lens: Voigtlander 35mm Nokton 1.4
Accessories: 2x light stands – shoot through umbrellas – 3x Pocket Wizards – 2x 8g 1x4g memory cards – Kodak Portra 35 film, Kodak Tri-x 35 & 120films– numerous batteries – on camera flash bracket – flash sync cord, Sekonic 308 light meter.

I haven’t bought much gear of late due to funds and debt elsewhere. That doesn’t mean to say I don’t have a wish list in the back burner…

I also collect a lot of old cameras and bits and pieces. There isn’t a great deal there but my little museum is coming along nicely!

Tell us a little bit about that car of yours and any plans you have for future cars.

I own a 1965 Ford XP Falcon Deluxe sedan. Just over a year ago, I had the money sitting there and it was time to hunt for a project car. A few days later, my little gem popped up on eBay……2 days later it was in my driveway. I am far from being mechanically minded, but with the solid group of car guys I roll with, I have learnt an absolute shitload. The Falcon hasn’t had any drastic modifications or repairs done to it. I Re-built the carby after a 7hr trip to the Kustom Nationals in Phillip Island, a heavy cut and polish, lowered her, replaced front springs/shocks and that’s basically it. I never intended on “customizing” her, I wanted an original cruiser…..

But the time has come…. that word again…. to pursue yet another project so hopefully by the time everyone reads this, I’ll have a 49/50 Ford single spinner on the ocean.

I am sure there will be many envious people out there that are reading this and want to see this project if it goes ahead down the track. Would it be safe to say that with a serious hobby of hotrods and photography filling a solid chapter of your life, bottomless pockets are a pre-requisite? Haha.

Haha I NEVER have any money. Photography as a whole is my life. Majority of my pay check each week is spent on funding this lifestyle.

Having the best of the best in camera gear is NOT needed to produce beautiful images, but when you’re somewhat of a “gear head” it’s hard not to spend money. Travel expenses is the killer though. Cars on the other hand….. Ask any car guy; whether they’re into new, or the old, money comes in, money goes out, EVERY FLIPPING WEEK.

If your passionate hobby starts to take over your life, let it. If it brings you happiness, let it take over. Money means fuck all when you’re 6 foot under.

You are spot on my friend. Well Chris, thanks heaps for taking the time to share a bit about yourself with us and I am sure that those reading this will have well wishes for you and your progression.

If you would like to view more images from Chris, head on over to his blog at https://crcooperphotography.wordpress.com/

The end.

Enter the Lytro.

This little camera has the ability to simply take a photo without focusing, and then with the click of a button, you can nominate any object in the focal plane of the shot, and the Lytro software will make it sharp. To get a better idea, check out the quick review I found online.

I got off my ass by buying a copy of it so I could re-watch it and pay a bit more attention to it to appreciate their music a bit more. The film was released in 2004 and it was the 7 year project of Ondi Timoner where she filmed and interviewed the love/hate relationship between rival bands ‘The Dandy Warhols’ & ‘The Brian Jonestown Massacre’.

Admittedly, it’s not hard to realise that the movie definitely favours the Dandy’s as the good guys of the film and paints the BJM as a bunch of reckless junkies that fight each other and seem to have no sense of organisation within their own band. It has scenes of BJM front man Anton in fights with is own band members and even a scene where he kicks a fan at a gig for disrespecting him. However, this aside, if you watch the film you’ll soon realise that you would be very hard pressed to find a musician as passionate about his music as Anton.

Bias & controversy aside, the film makes for some really good viewing if you’re a fan of either band. Even if you aren’t a fan, I am near certain you will enjoy it as an industry insight into the struggles that bands have to deal with.

Check out the trailer below!

I’ve known about the site for a little while now and am always eagerly anticipating every video they publish. The interviews are raw, they feature highly accredited photographers and most of them should leave you feeling a little bit inspired to step out of your bubble and try something new.

I highly recommend visiting the site and checking out the Scott Pommier video to give you a bit of a feel as to what the site is about.

Anyway, to cut a long story short, Pocket Wizard have just announced their latest version, the Plus III. The latest installment boasts a new 32 channel system which is a steep improvement over the current 4 channel option in the Plus II. Another new feature which I was pretty psyched to see is the selective quad-zone triggering mode that basically lets you assign each flash to a different zone, and you can specify which flashes you want to fire and which ones you don’t. All at the push of a button from the comfort of wherever you’re shooting!

There are other new improvements which include a long range mode, and also a repeater mode which I will let the official video explain. But the best bit… the price will be lower than the current model.