Specializing in adventure, wildlife, people and nightlife, Nate captures his subjects' emotion, pace and buoyancy, bringing them to life, whether it's tack-sharp landscapes or the dynamic motions of a rave, striving to freeze those fast-paced moments of feeling and movement.
Born and bred on Stewart Island/Rakiura, the third-largest island of New Zealand, Nate was exposed from a young age to the wild environment and the wildlife of one of the remotest places on Earth. This is where his love of nature film and photography originated.
It's hard to find a niche in a creative industry like film & photography, and Nate has moulded himself into a versatile and prolific artist that can handle any project or client, no matter how big or small. From weddings to international nightlife events, from mountain bikes to the wild corners of the earth, he can be there.
Nate has worked with many local and international companies, artists, musicians and sole-traders. Working with brands such as Greggs Coffee, Yeti Cycles, The Highlanders, Orokonui Ecosanctuary and many more. His biggest shoot was with Tony Colman (London Elektricity), founder of Hospital Records (the largest drum & bass record label in the world), at his show in Poznań, Poland, in 2024.
Nate has worked with some of the most prolific artists and producers in the drum and bass world, such as London Elektricity (left), Inja Music (right), Degs, Unglued, Enei, Jakes and many more. Nate works face-to-face with his clients, carefully considering their tastes and styles before shooting. Recently, Nate worked one-on-one with Inja (one of the biggest and most admired dnb MCS in the world) to create promotional content for his new music (above). And in 2024, Nate worked with Tony Colman, AKA London Elektricity & Dynimite MC, in Poznań, Poland at his first international gig.
Raves are something Nate is passionate for. The nights are late, the venues are hot & crowded, loud and smelly, and the people are alive. These ingredients create the perfect blend for life and movement to bloom, and Nate doesn’t miss a beat. Regularly shooting with a slow shutter speed allows Nate to blend and swirl the lights and movement into a river of life that captures the sensations and warmth of the moment.
Nate began shooting nightlife in 2022 with the Nörty Club Collective, a Dunedin local DJ trio of three talented women. From then onwards, the contrast between Nate’s daytime work and the fast-paced nightlife hooked him for good. With his first international gig in 2024, Nate plans to move forward with larger clients and venues around the world, and share his taste in nightlife and rave culture.
Working with the Nörty Club Collective has been a fantastic start for Nate, with opportunities for meeting new artists, making connections and creating an image for himself in the music content scene. Rhythm & Vines, a three-day international music festival held in New Zealand, used Nate’s image (below) for their artist promotions in 2023. The photo is of artist Justine De Guzman (Jousey), one-third of the Nörty Club Collective.
Nate doesn't strictly shoot electronic music and raves though; his work with local bands such as AOSI and Ivy brings just as much life and energy as his other nightlife work. Recently, Nate was commissioned to shoot album cover and promotional content for artist Becca Caffyn, as part of her EP “Hallways”. Hallways went on to take the top spot for the Radio 91FM Top 11 twice in a row, and Radio One’s favourite song of 2024.
Live music and bands are something Nate has been doing even longer. Although live rock and metal may not be as rowdy and dirty as drum and bass, Nate takes the excitement and intensity up a notch and focuses on the raw emotions and talent of the artists and listeners.
This is a Southern Buller’s Albatross, captured by hanging off the side of a small dingy on Stewart Island on a dramatic evening. The centre picture was used by the Tuhura Otago Museum as their promotional image for the 2022 Otago Wildlife Competition. It was also vinyl wrapped to the back of a bus, and used in various banners, posters, stickers, social media and newspapers around Dunedin city.
2022 Crankworx Dual Slalom race, Queenstown, NZ
Nate worked one on one with Emma Olossnsnnn at Skyline in Queenstown NZ to create a video showcasing her partnership with Yeti Cycles, her new bike and riding skills (above) and in 2022 Yeti Cycles New Zealand commissioned Nate to introduce Bradley Harris and Cooper Milwood to Yeti and showcase their riding collaboration in the rugged and rocky hills of Alexander in Central Otago NZ (below).
Nate has worked with a variety of renowned and talented athletes in the mountain bike world. With names like Bradley Harris, Emma Olofsson, Casey Brown, Bas van Steenbergen, Sam Blenkinsop, Kialani Hines, Tuhoto Ariki, Louise Ferguson, Caroline Buchanan and many more.
Nate found himself amongst the mountain biking community at a young age, which jump-started and moulded him into what his style is now. The fast-paced, rough and dangerous environment inspired him to take a different approach with his art, turning races, people and scenery into painterly, lively and engaging films and photographs. Working in such environments has taught Nate to be incredibly quick with his camera and miss nothing.
Nate has worked with Bikehouse Dunedin (formerly Cycleworld) for several years to create a variety of films and photography work, showcasing new riders, bikes and events. He worked closely with rider Nathan Gilbert for Bikehouse Dunedin and toured the country in search of unique and innovative ways to capture Nathan’s riding, from rural rock slabs to sanddunes, Nate has curated an eye for some truly standout material. (Images for Cycleworld below)
2022 was a busy year for Nate, who found himself in the midst of the annual Crankworx downhill and slalom races in Queenstown, NZ, where he worked with riders such as Casey Brown, Tuhoto Ariki and Kialani Hines to photograph their winnings in the slalom event and capture their portraits (above).
I’M ISLE - this exhibition explored the ideas of nostalgia and home. Stewart Island/Rakiura is experienced mostly through the eyes of visitors - as a national park, nature reserve and hot spot for wildlife, avid fishers and trampers. As a Stewart Islander, Nate strayed away from the tourist gaze and focused on the road less travelled, on the smaller things, such as the water dripping off the tip of a friend’s nose, and an old yellow chair in a bush garden.
The work was entirely shot on 35mm film, and the black and whites were developed by Nate. An experimental film called Lomochrome Purple was used to transform the greens and blues to vibrant pinks and purples to highlight his emotional attachment to home
