The Camera Life Podcast has interviewed countless Australian and international photographers, videographers, and image makers. In the course of running our humble little podcast, we’ve met and spoken to some pretty interesting and amazing characters shooting a broad range of styles and genres through analog and digital applications. Now and then, we come across a visual creative with a story that demands to be told. Especially when it's a story involving a sudden shift in career to photograph and video an unusual, unique, or mind-blowing genre of our craft. While we’ll get to Aidan’s story in a moment, first let me explain what slackline walking, or slacklining, actually is.
Born in NSW’s Blue Mountains, Aidan had access to adventurous locations and a creative community. His parents were incredibly supportive of any direction he headed. At age five, he got his first taste of photography while on a family vacation. Given his interest, when he was seven, his parents gave him a point-and-shoot camera that he would take with him on family trips, to family sporting events, and hang out in his local area. During his final years in high school, with the guidance of his photography and visual arts teacher, Aidan discovered he could combine his love of sport with his passion for photography. One of the most important lessons he learnt was the value of the journey and what it takes to be a good photographer. It wasn’t until 2021, while undertaking agency work for a newspaper, that Aidan found himself burnt out from the ongoing grind of the job. On a whim, Aidan travelled to Tasmania (the southernmost island state of Australia) for inspiration. At this point, he learnt about his photography idol, Kryslte Wright, working on a slackline shoot. While he missed out on joining the shoot, it had already planted a seed in Aidan’s mind to lead him on wondrous worldwide adventures.
Fast-forward a handful of years, and Aidan has since travelled to 49 countries to follow, photograph, film, and immerse himself in the team culture of slacklining. A few days after our podcast, Aidan travelled to China to photograph another extreme event. Aidan had discovered his niche and pursued (he calls it pestering) slackline walkers to have him along for the experience and to document the sport. Aidan was so inspired and transfixed by slacklining that he quit his photojournalism job and booked a one-way ticket to photograph a group of slackliners in France. He had no plans or accommodation, and didn’t even know the athletes he hoped to locate and document. He knew the risk but saw an opportunity to elevate (pardon the pun) his craft and make a name for himself in this genre. He learned along the way and, given the team and community environment of slacklining, was soon tasked to attempt slacklining as a form of acceptance. Aidan’s courage and determination paid off as he is now considered one of the world’s most sought-after highline photographers.
I love what we do, and it was an absolute delight to chat with Aidan (one of our longest podcasts to date) and unpack his journey, craft, and what’s on the horizon. Behind Aidan’s youthful energy (and appearance) is an experienced, thoughtful, courageous, and creatively brilliant image maker and storyteller. Read the full story to discover more of Aidan’s incredible journey.
If you’re unfamiliar with The Camera Life Podcast, be sure to take a look at our YouTube channel for the latest episodes and, of course, our back catalogue of weekly shows. Our shows are also available on popular audio podcast platforms. If you like what you see, please give us a thumbs up, subscribe to The Camera Life, and click on the bell icon to receive notifications of upcoming shows. We host two shows weekly, the first being every Thursday at 9am AEDT (Australia), where we interview amazing guests. The second show, The Random Photography Show, airs every Monday at 7:30 pm AEDT. The Random Photography show is a little random, a little loose, and a lot of fun! Be sure to check them out.
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