It’s a changing of the lifeguard at Rainbow Beach this month with Rory Sanders moving into the lifeguard spot vacated by recent permanent lifesaver Jake McKellar.
Twenty-nine-year-old Rory is from Noosa and has been working in this region on and off for seven years helping the lifeguards especially during the summer holidays.
Rory’s passion is photography, and he found this love during his time in Norway when he picked up a camera to photograph the northern lights given to him by the photographer who shot a wildlife show called 71 Nord.
“It was a Nikon D750, and I thought it felt pretty exceptional capturing photos I could bring home to family and friends. I felt it was quite special.”
He said that is when his love for the lens began and when he arrived home after his trip to Norway, he was motivated to become a professional photographer.
Rory was 24 and went back to Norway and secured a job at Tromso, which they call the Paris of the North located so far north in latitude that the sun disappears for two months of the year completely in a phenomenon called the Polar Night.
“I knew what I was getting myself into and was asked in the interview for an artic guide and northern lights photographer, if I could handle eight weeks in pitch black.
“I said yes, and the reality is that winter depression is a real thing.”
“I had practiced with the camera a lot while I was in Australia and was familiar with the region, so I had quite a good portfolio and had made good connections with Norwegian guides who worked in the area.
”I even went to Svalbard, which is the last living settlement before the North Pole. It was once owned by Russians and is now owned by the Norwegians.
Rory said he was there for ten days, and felt it was such an achievement as the landscape is so rugged with a lot of adventure to be had if you go after it.
Between trips to Norway, Rory lived the dream in the Whitsundays working as a deckhand/caretaker for Cruise Whitsundays on Hardy Reef, 80 kilometres out to sea on a $15 million luxury pontoon.
“I was doing photography work for Tourism Whitsunday and was featured in a lot of ads for Tourism Australia.”
“I was there for eight months, and it was quite a unique experience out at sea sleeping in the observatory.”
Rory now has a new toy with the purchase of an Astro Modified Canon 6D which allows him to capture the night sky in a unique and special way by allowing more light into the camera.
Now he is living here permanently his intention is to capture this area in a way that he says hasn’t been done prior, by putting more effort into special and unique photography.
“I love how much diversity the area has with the freshwater lakes, remote walking trails, long stretches of untouched sandy beaches, beautiful surf and I like the camping aspect where you can be camping on the Great Walk and only see two people in four days.
“I hope to establish myself as a photographer here showcasing how diverse and special his location is.”
Rory has a HR bachelor’s degree from USC, a coxswain licence and has worked in construction but says being a lifeguard is the best work life balance and profession.
“It gives something back to the community and promotes a fit and healthy lifestyle which I love.”
You can find Rory looking after swimmers between the red and yellow flags at Rainbow Beach when he is not out photographing. His prints are displayed for sale at Brents in Rainbow Beach and Temptations in Tin Can Bay, and you can find him on Facebook.
