Sports Camera Dot Com Dot AU

My good friends at;
www.sportscamera.com.au
have everything you need for extreme POV camera ideas. Be sure to check them out.

www.publicity

Ive been quite lucky this month to have a heap of publicity for my new site.
Below are some links and screen grabs from recent internet fame.

fluidzone

vert magazine

 riptide mag

 ben 2b blog

 This was a photo taken OF ME having a mess around at my local wedge. I didnt realise my friend Nick Sheffield had his camera because when i landed this reverse in the flats and got smashed (it was bigger than it looks here) His camera was under the water. I actually said 'ARGH!!! Imagine you had your camera!'

Its been good to get the word out there and have people sending me messages about my work. Since the release of my site i have already been given opportunities to shoot exclusive content for a magazine which was great. It was scary because I had this guy to shoot and we only had one day to nail this shot. That might seem easy but when everywhere is pumping but where you are and you have wasted half the day chasing your tail around the coast looking for something better only to end up surfing where you started with only a little bit of light left and the wind has now gone onshore...it was a stress. I can safely tell you we got the job done (i hope) and the mag was happy (i think) the rider went home and fingers crossed ill have something to show for it next month!
Stay tuned.

I was 'Caught Inside'

www.leekelly.tv
'Caught Inside' is the first feature film from my good friend and director Adam Blaiklock.
You have to check out the trailer;

www.caughtinside.com.au/

I was working on this film as the sound recordist and water camera operator. We were onboard this beautiful old wooden yaught for 5weeks! This might sound great, sailing around all day, snorkeling, fishing, surfing etc but keep in mind we had a film to make. As it was we only just got it completed in time.
For me this shoot was extra tough because i dont eat seafood. Guess what was on offer for breakfast lunch and dinner...
I am really proud of the film and the success its having doing the film festival rounds and cant wait for it to be released to cinema in Australia, so you can all go and see it. Its already won a heap of awards around the world including;
IF 'Independent Spirit' award
Surf World International Film Festival - 'Audience award'
Surf World International Film Festival - 'Best Surf Film'
Sydney Film Festival 'Audience Award'
Its worth it!

Coldwater Classic Tasmania

www.leekelly.tv

This is a long clip.
Its the show i worked on for O'neill in 2009 for their 'CWC Tasmania' Contest.
I was hired as the sound recordist.
It was great fun working on this series, using RED cameras to shoot a bunch of the surfing and all the interviews etc.
Quality is what O'neill Wetsuits is all about.
In 2010 we went back to Tasmania and scored really good waves and created another really top quality show about the contest. 


O'Neill Coldwater Classic Tasmania 2009 from Ben Hall on Vimeo.

Storm Surfers from Discovery Ch.

www.leekelly.tv
www.stormsurfers.tv
I was hired to work on the first couple of Storm Surfers feature documentaries. We took off down to Tasmania for our first adventure to surf 'Dangerous Banks'.
On the back of the success of that show, number 2 was created. This time it was off to the southern tip of New Zealand searching for big wave locations.
I was a busy boy on these productions. My main roll on 'Dangerous Banks' was as sound recordist. We made some secret waterproof microphones to capture the guys' dialogue (read screams) while they were amongst 30ft waves. I had a secondary roll as a stills photographer during the big wave surf shoot. We had a shocking experience out there though and we werent able to get any decent stills from the session. We just couldnt get our jetski into a position where i could shoot any action. Crazy stuff.
Storm Surfers 'New Zealand' was a little bit more controlled and i was there, again as the sound guy but had secondary jobs such as a camera operator and supplying and rigging/operating a bunch of lipstick cameras in special waterhousings.
Youll see in the clip below shots of me at work in the freezing cold snow and icey water. It was amazing!
I am not involved in the new series but i can assure you the next installment will be awesome. Keep posted!


Shooting Storm Surfers from Storm Surfers on Vimeo.

This clip below was fun to shoot. Towing behind a chopper!!!
I shot the water/ski perspective as well as recording the sound during the interviews and special water mics.


Storm Surfers Break A World Record from Storm Surfers on Vimeo.

These outtakes make me laugh...guess you had to be there.
This series of shows was really fun to work on but involved long hours in freezing water, snow, ice, choppers etc. Everyone goes a little loopy...especially Tom. QUEEEEENTHS-TOWN!


Storm Surfers Outtakes from Storm Surfers on Vimeo.

Made in China

Last year I was asked to document a surf trip in China. Ill tell you right now, im not too fussy when it comes to being paid to travel, however, CHINA??? Really?
It was very last minute so we had to run around chasing visas and tickets etc and within a couple of days we were off.
I was actually there to shoot The Hainan International Surf Festival and interview a bunch of key people about surfing in China and the economical advantages to exposing China to the sport of surfing. I was with O'neill guys, Mark Mathews, Rob Bain and Jarrad Howse.
While we were there we decided to edit a little casual clip to show what we did over there and here it is.

Untitled from markmathews on Vimeo.
There are waves over there and if you were to time it well you could score some really good waves. We were there for a week and had these 2-4ft waves everyday. Offshores all day and piss warm water. I wouldve loved some more time to explore and find some exposed areas of the coast which might have some reefs or good wedges.
Next time!
www.leekelly.tv

Wave of the millenium

Back when i shot this day this was the craziest thing i had ever witnessed in my life!!! I was shooting stills from my boat while my friend Simon Fisher shot video with my video camera.
The place was packed with a heap of other photographers but most of them decided to bail as the wind was picking up and we kind of thought it was over.
Lucky for me we stuck around because look what popped up for Paul Morgan!!!
Have a close look at this wave and what happend during his ride.
FUCKED UP!!!!
Look at the explosion, look how big the barrel is, how did he stay on his board???
Then there is Marti Paradisis at Shippies on a monster.
Next is Tyge Richardson on one of the biggest waves anyone has caught on the east coast of Australia...ever.
Last but not least is Dave Winchester at Blackrock.
Check some images from these sessions;
www.leekelly.tv