Silver and Wood

One Beach the film, featuring...me.

2011-09-25T00:59:00.000-07:00

Have you seen One Beach? - A film all about ingenuity, creativity and protecting what we all love so dearly...our ocean. I was lucky enough to be a character in the film, which, was directed by acclaimed surf film maker Jason Baffa (Single Fin Yellow, One California Day).

Watch the film here.

Beach of shame...

2011-06-30T01:55:00.000-07:00

Since being involved in the marine debris issue a couple of years ago I became aware of a specific beach in Hawai’i that was reported to be bombarded with trash from the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre aka…the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. The notorious site is Kamilo Beach. This was the first stop on my Great Pacific Shame project earlier this week.

Yes it really is as bad as they say...

‘Seas of Shame’ first aired in a special 60 Minutes report on Channel Nine back in July 2008. It was a revolutionary story for most Australians eating dinner in front of the telly on a Sunday night, not many had heard of marine debris and not many knew of the mysterious Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Three years after it aired here I was bouncing down the same bumpy trail to Kamilo with the same two people instrumental in having the story told, Suzanne Frazer and Dean Otsuki founders of Beach Environmental Awareness Campaign Hawai’i (www.b-e-a-c-h.org).

The incredibly devoted founders of B.E.A.C.H, Dean Otsuki and Suzanne Frazer

Kamilo Beach lies on the southern-most tip of the Big Island of Hawai’i and hence…is the southern-most point of the entire United States. It is remote and difficult to access, ideally it should be spotlessly clean…it isn’t.

We’d timed our arrival to coincide with a high tide…Suzanne, knowing I was departing for the sailing trip to the N. Pacific Gyre in a week wanted to show me the infamous plastic ‘confetti’ here as it touches land. Within moments of stopping the car I had the underwater camera filming tiny plastic shards splashing into the volcanic rock, I was seeing debris from the North Pacific Gyre for the first time, this was garbage patch trash.

Pretty? Think again..

The shoreline was caked with larger items of debris including huge conglomerates of fishing net mixed with abandoned rope. Everything was plastic – plastic bottles were rife (most of which were in a very brittle state – a sign of the effects of photo degradation where sunlight causes them to turn brittle and break into tiny pieces). So many of the broken items showed evidence of bite marks – some tiny nibbles – some larger, an attempt to swallow the object whole perhaps.

Seeing the shoreline awash with trash was a heartbreaking site despite my knowledge and mental preparation of what I expected to see. The thing I found most challenging was the plastic ‘sand’. I’d seen photographs and heard of the tiny brightly coloured shards of plastic replacing the sand but nothing prepared me for the sheer quantity and the way it infiltrated every corner of the beach. In one case we collected two bags of confetti by simply burying hands into crevasses in between rocks – there must be billions on this beach alone.

Care was taken to wear gloves at all times to avoid being poisoned by the toxins that are reported to be super-concentrated on marine debris from this area. DDT, DDE and PCB – all banned toxins - are known to be absorbed into plastic debris, likened to a sponge taking in water. The longer the items are there – the more toxins likely to be attached. We found an intact fishing crate with some coral growing on it – a sign it has been floating at see for around 7 years according to Suzanne. If it has been there that long and is in tact – how long has the confetti been there? The plot doesn’t play out very nicely for the species who are nibbling and swallowing this toxic laden detritus – wait a minute, don’t we eat fish?

The experience put the problem of marine debris into a bleak perspective for me – and I haven’t even reached the Gyre yet. My mind is spinning about how we can all come together to deal with so much of it. It’s ironic that here I am on a global mission to raise awareness of marine debris yet I hail from a part of the world where marine debris is predominantly consumer waste that has escaped our (possibly weak) clutches to seek out a malicious life on the wild sea. The beauty of Take 3 is that we can put an end to consumer waste entering the sea by simply picking it up off the land before it gets there and being more mindful of our use and abuse of plastic. But Kamilo Beach has REAL marine debris, stuff that has been swirling and circulating the ocean for years or decades: oyster pipes from Japan, eel traps from Korea, consumer goods from the USA – this is the challenge.

Any negative thoughts I developed after seeing Kamilo were quickly quashed by the energy of Suzanne and Dean – a couple who will never say never. Their campaign to save the oceans and humanity from marine debris is full of hope. They know that people can make a difference – they’ve cleaned and cleaned, engaged the community and completely transformed beaches on Oahu previously abandoned by beachgoers due to debris. Despite filling every little nook and cranny (and roof) of the SUV with debris including over 150kg of rope and net over the two days we camped out the beach was still choked. On the drive out you could see Suzanne was upset that she lives so far away and couldn’t do more on this occasion – you get the impression if she had time she would literally clean that beach with her own two hands. A sign nailed to a tree brought a smile to her face though – a child’s drawing with the simple words, “Please look after our ocean”. Kamilo’s notoriety is bringing people together and the clean up will go on.

Our bounty...3 people, around 8 hours of work. If we all pitch in we CAN make a difference.

Check out the work B-E-A-C-H does here. Support them if you're able.

Don't forget to follow me on Twitter here.

2011-05-20T00:06:00.001-07:00

Here's a little promo flick I put together to tell the story of Take 3.

2011-04-15T19:02:00.000-07:00

Take 3 - A Clean Beach Initiative - short promo from Take 3 on Vimeo.

Bad luck first, good luck later.

2011-04-11T07:08:00.000-07:00

For those of you unaware, I'll be sailing across the Pacific Ocean from Hawai'i to Vancouver in July, on an environmental crusade to film a documentary about marine debris. I thought I'd get my sailing skills up to scratch before I go, I didn't expect my first day to be quite so eventful.

One minute into the race there was a major collision with one boat t-boning my mate Ben's lovely new boat Brigus. It was a monster bingle that resulted in the boat sinking by the time we got it back to the jetty. It was pretty gnarly.

I don't know sailing superstition but I'm hoping this means it will be all smooth sailing when I hit the North Pacific??

Read more about my upcoming adventure and donate online here.

2011-03-31T06:55:00.000-07:00

Wet Floor Rowdiness...

2010-12-13T03:27:00.000-08:00

Wet Floor Rowdiness may seem like a bizarre title for a blog so I think it is necessary I explain myself.

Years ago…in our early twenties when the time for juvenile shenanigans was rife, a ‘CAUTION WET FLOOR’ sign mysteriously found its way into our world. Not long after it’s welcome it was violated with marking pen with the following amendments, ‘CAUTION… WET FLOOR ROWDINESS’ to which the dark silhouette of a man ever so innocently slipping on his way to the cereal isle in Coles was ‘modified’ to have a long neck in his possession and the resulting tumble a reflection of his drunken, rowdy, wild night out behaviour.

Last Saturday night, the master of wet floor rowdiness, Kerry Down turned 30, celebrated his engagement and earned his kudos as a new father in a fashion befitting of the master of wet floor rowdiness.

Thanks for a great night out and a catch up with friends that have been in the shadows for too long.

The Wolsk...

2010-11-29T05:19:00.000-08:00

The Wolsk, Chickawolski, Chicken, Kerby, Kez-Balls...whatever you call the man is not gonna change the fact that he is one of the best damn tube-riders around. Growing up since the age of 9 with this fella means I've had the pleasure of watching this man slide into a countless number of exceptional barrels on an array of surfcraft. The best thing is, he's now becoming quite the expert on capturing the experience and in the following clip you get to see just what the man can achieve. Nice work Chicken, I can't wait until the day when a grey haired Tim is watching your little Sonny do the same. Check his blog here.

The Wolsk

Baby got a brand new thing...

2010-11-22T12:17:00.000-08:00

Like a proud father at his daughters first ballet recital I watched as my lovely Lisa purchased her first 'log' on Sunday, and what a divine creature it is. Nick Mcarthur of Changi logs (here) constructed a bunch of incredible boards recently and it was pretty hard to decide which would be Lisa's new baby...

Nick points out the pros and cons of the 13 or so boards she had to choose from...

Lisa fell in love with this 9'1" golden delight. Beautiful board, beautiful girl.

Visit http://www.nickmcarthur.com/ to see more of these magnificent creations and to find out more. Thanks Nick!

Photo Exhibition = Free Drinks + Hot Women + Grateful Eyes = Happy Soul

2010-11-18T03:27:00.000-08:00

Who lives in or near Newcastle? Not many of you I'm guessing but for those who do or feel like visiting to see some of my travel photos on walls...

'With Dusty Feet' is all about revealing the beauty, horror, wonder and intrigue of the world through photography. Featuring photographs by Tim Silverwood, Lisa Lowenborg and Bradley Wheaton.

The details are: Sat 4th December, 6pm - 8pm, Salawi Fair Trade Cafe,
462 Hunter St, Newcastle. Come one come all, party into the early hours if you dare.

Timelapse...my new friend.

2010-11-16T12:02:00.000-08:00

Timelapses are so super deliciously cool. I've been attracted to making timelapses ever since watching Baraka for the first time when I was about 12 years old!

Timelapse Sequence Canon 7D & Timer Remote from Tim Silverwood on Vimeo.

This sequence definitely isn't as cool as watching Baraka but it's cool enough to make me want to stitch together some more of these in the future.

Pose-age

2010-11-16T02:50:00.000-08:00

Exploration leads to impromptu model shoots on the vast sand dunes of Stockton recently...you gotta have some fun in life...

Me and my hobo princess know how to have a good time.

Time for a tredley...

2010-11-15T01:35:00.000-08:00

Summer's here so dust off the tredley and feel the wind through your locks...

No frills.

2010-11-10T02:29:00.000-08:00

It's been a while...

It's been a while...

a) Since I've blogged
b) Since I've logged &
c) Since I've experienced the goodness that is Queens Beach.

Here Chris Del Moro rips it up on 9'6" of the finest en route to Sydney during the Transparentsea Voyage with Rasta & Co 2009. It's been almost a year since this somewhat life-changing weekend I had with the crew that has led to me promoting the minimisation of marine debris in our oceans. And a good year at that.

Take 3 - A Clean Beach Initiative

2010-10-27T23:32:00.000-07:00

Take 3 - A Clean Beach Initiative - Short Promo from Tim Silverwood on Vimeo.

As you guys may know... I'm all about protecting the oceans. Watch this to learn more.

Three Amigos...

2010-09-06T01:56:00.000-07:00

Friends together to the end...

Three photos of Amigos enjoying a moment, from my travels.

The last blast of winter...

2010-08-27T20:27:00.000-07:00

The sou-wester tastes of snow but the golden wattle says stay tuned for summer. Gliding amongst H2O is a funny and intoxicating thing, how convenient that the element we need to survive is the element that we need for play. We should always be grateful for what life's most precious resource provides us. Thanks water.

Kashmir, India.

Goa, India.

Celtic cool...

2010-08-19T17:52:00.000-07:00

MPORA Action Sports >>

Is it this guys accent? Is it the raw beauty of Scotland's coastline? Or is it just the incredible photography? For whatever

reason, this is the best clip I have seen on the web for a while. Enjoy

Shroom-age...

2010-08-10T02:42:00.000-07:00

Some micro shroom-age out the front door. Delectable or detestable? I don't know...

Gutslides & Goodtimes

2010-07-28T02:13:00.000-07:00

Gutsliding is all about the simplicity of man vs. ocean. An opportunity to cast away the throws of consumerism and all manner of surfing paraphernalia that inherently rely on petro-chemicals as key ingredients. Bodysurfing = simplicity = fun.

Don't believe me? Watch the following video and you'll see what I'm all about.

Good Times & Gutslides - GoPro Bodysurfing Video from Kerry Down on Vimeo.

Film produced by the talented Kerry Down of

http://theblackwhitelife.blogspot.com/

fame.

Morning of the Flossa...

2010-07-20T04:11:00.000-07:00

Another golden shot from my birthday weekend up at Crescent...

Hopes and dreams...

2010-07-13T20:50:00.000-07:00

Kashmir Powder, Snowboarding Gulmarg India. Go Pro & Canon 7D from Tim Silverwood on Vimeo.

For those who don't already know, I'm heavily addicted to snowboarding in the Himalaya. After travelling there for the last 3 winters I think I am ready to introduce others to the spectacular skiing destination. Hence, I've started Kashmir Powder in the attempt to find people out there who may wish to join me in Jan/Feb/March 2011 for a personalised tour complete with professional photography. Sound like you? Or a friend? Tell them to get in touch. Peace.

Go Go Golden Flo...

2010-07-12T23:12:00.000-07:00

Flossa is a man, a big man who likes to ride big boards, small boards, no boards and take photographs of people doing the same. Here he glides across some late arvo golden glass on his masssssive 12ft paulownia wooden board shaped by Tom Wegener. Check his crafty chronicle at:

http://flossages.blogspot.com/

So angular....

2010-07-07T05:51:00.000-07:00

One person's rough is another person's smooth.

Drop Cliffs Not Bombs...

2010-07-04T02:54:00.000-07:00

Oh Kashmir... you continue to intoxicate me. So much so that I must come back to your majestic peaks again next year but this time I plan to bring others. I've constructed a blog to attract these persons and provide them with all the best info and photographs to get them excited. It's:

http://kashmirpowder.blogspot.com/

Take 3 Initiative - Part 2 - The Grommets

2010-07-01T04:43:00.000-07:00

One from the vault...

2010-06-30T01:08:00.000-07:00

Oceanic micro-chaos during the big dust storm of 2009

Wood...

2010-06-30T01:03:00.000-07:00

Wood is good.

Some days...

2010-06-28T00:43:00.000-07:00

Some days you just say to yourself, "It's good to be a surfer on the East Coast of Australia".

Sunday May 30. Magenta Madness.

Aperture...

2010-06-26T00:53:00.000-07:00

Early morning lens flare, Seal Rocks hinterland.

I miss this creature...

2010-06-23T00:55:00.001-07:00

It's been four weeks since I last saw this human being. Four down, four to go. Come back Fisk!

She takes wonderful photographs too..

http://ishouldhavegonewalkinginstead.blogspot.com/

Desires...

2010-06-20T23:01:00.000-07:00

The Greening of Kashmir - short - Canon 7D from Tim Silverwood on Vimeo.

Sometimes it's a real test to make dreams into reality. I'm fantastic at projecting ambitions and establishing foundations but sometimes come short in the end, often as I bite off more than I can chew. In Kashmir this year I filmed and recorded hours of footage for a pilot documentary and realised when editing this short promo just how much work needs to be done to see this realised. Still I soldier on. Anyone feel like editing a documentary for me??????

Experimentation...

2010-06-14T20:49:00.000-07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N9-kh0-U7uI

I am very excited about Magic Bullets - (not the type that miraculously don't hurt you when fired from a viciously designed mass of steel) - but the computer software that enables you to add cinematic filters to your videos. Here is a collection of shots from my backyard with filters and backed by the soulful sounds of the Cinematic Orchestra with a track appropriately titled, Familiar Ground.

It's everywhere...

2010-06-14T01:42:00.000-07:00

You could argue that photography was born out of a need to document a moment. I never would have expected that it would manifest into the present state where the masses swarm to a dead whale and pull out iphones and gadgets to pose in front of a lump of decaying blubber.

This juvenile sperm whale was washed up on Bar Beach recently, no autopsy was undertaken so we will never know what killed this magnificent creature. It's the second sperm whale on this stretch in 6 years... spooky.

A moment...

2010-06-06T03:11:00.000-07:00

It' easy to forget the most beautiful and critical element about photography, time. The split second a mirror flips to expose a sensor/ film strip to a beam of light focussed through glass and complex mechanisms. Sometimes the elements align and you find yourself with an image that just says, "Yes.".

2010-06-05T19:26:00.001-07:00

Where I lay my head...

The nights are getting colder, the rain seems incessant and my angel is a long ways away in a country where strawberries taste better.

Home is where I lay my head, here is some images taken metres from my place of slumber.

Adapting...

2010-05-26T04:11:00.000-07:00

2007

Many moons ago in land far away my Angel was christened with henna for the first time by strangers who giggled and laughed at the fair cleanliness of her hand. They will never see her again, we will never see them again but we shared a moment on a dusty roadside. Now my angel doesn't go a week without a new self-addorned henna design.

2010