MIKE RILEY

Mike Riley is a hard-working Crayfisherman and Photographer based in Kalbarri, Western Australia nestled at the mouth of the Murchison River, a unique fishing town surrounded by rugged inland gorges and coastal cliffs.

By Russell Ord.

Mikey (as his mates know him by) is about as far as one can get from his childhood home in San Diego, California. He moved to the Barri for a fishing job and brought along his cameras for the journey. Photography had been a hobby for Mikey since he was a kid, making skate and surf clips for mates, inspired by fellow Western Australian Chris White renowned for the old Tension videos. Living surrounded by the rugged red dirt coastline, a few nice waves and the heavily localised surfers, it was inevitable that photography/videography would become Mikey's focus. The first time I met Mikey and witnessed his positioning in the water, I was completely blown away in his water work, especially the late afternoon swims he was doing around home, backlit masterpieces. I know from experience just how difficult those shots are to produce, you miss so many moments going for those shots let alone the dangers involved.

MIKE IN ACTION, PHOTOS: RUSSELL ORD

Russell: What is the most challenging part about being a photographer for you?

Mikey: “I am 100% freelance (self-employed and hired to work for different companies on particular assignments.) Finding places for my images is very difficult, print has been dying a slow death, and companies/brands budgets have been heavily reduced. Unless the image is unique or someone (brand/company/magazine) wants it, they usually end up in the archive or on Instagram. When you think you have the most fantastic shot, maybe the best photo you have ever taken. You email a sneak peek thinking this will be an easy sell, the reply saying "We have no interest or use for this image, thank you for showing us". It can be a be very demoralising, but you have to keep going.”

Russell: How often do you travel and your favourite place that you have photographed?

Mikey: “I have travelled a lot over the years, Indonesia, Maldives, Japan, Maui and through South Australia, however at home (Kalbarri) is still my favourite place to shoot. I am very comfortable here, when I arrive home from overseas I 100% appreciate what I have in my backyard, I love the serenity, the Indian Ocean power, the people and surfers, I am used to the solitude and not the circus-like in a lot of other places.”

Russell: What would you say is your most significant achievement to date?

Mikey: “The Surfer Magazine Cover of Cortney Brown. I had read countless Surfer magazines as a kid, and I was blown away when I first saw it, I will never forget that moment. I woke up at 3 am to get ready for fishing and caught a notification come through on my phone from pro surfer Yadin Nicol, congratulating me along with a screengrab of the image. The guys at Surfer Magazine didn't tell me a thing; I let out a scream. My housemate thought I was freaking out because I think I woke the entire neighbourhood. It was a pretty memorable moment for me. I was so stoked.“

I have only just recently returned from a three-week stint staying with Mikey, being inspired by his work ethic in and out of the water. You know the big fella is loved by his Kalbarri community when you grab a coffee or counter meal in town, the locals always up for a chat with him or a greeting from his two black Staffordshire terriers who can be seen hanging down the point on any given day. For a further look into his work, check him out on instagram at @mike_riley

A few more of Mikey’s favourite images: