KRYSTLE WRIGHT
Krystle Wright is an adventure photographer, cinematographer, and director from Australia’s Sunshine Coast - although she now lives a semi-nomadic lifestyle in her quest to capture and present unique moments from extreme sports, expeditions, and adventures across the globe.
From the Australian outback to Patagonia, the Antarctic and everywhere in between her images have been published in National Geographic magazine, Outside magazine, The Times, GQ, Red Bulletin, and the Huffington Post. And in 2022 she joined the list of worldwide Leica ambassadors.
National Geographic lists Krystle as one of the leading female adventure photographers and when she’s not searching for her unique perspective on a story, she can likely be found rock climbing or swimming in some remote waterhole for fun!
Photography © Krystle Wright: https://www.krystlewright.com Agency - https://thepoolcollective.com
How did you get started in photography?
“Initially my dream was to become a sports photographer, and so my journey began in the newspaper world in Sydney. I was only working a couple shifts a week or as little as one shift a week. With all that free time, I would seek out adventure sports to document. Over the course of a few years, I built up enough of a network that I left the newspapers and focussed all my energy on the adventure realm.”
Any recent projects or assignment stories you can share with us?
“Back in June, I ventured to Moab, Utah to pursue a creative climbing project where I had dreamt up the idea of lighting up a sandstone crack with LED lights. The shoot was documented as a part of a bigger TV project which I'll be able to share more about later but for now I can share the stills aspect to the project. It truly was a wonderful feeling to return to a creative project - it had been some time since I had conjured such an idea.”
(see gallery above)
What's in your bag of tricks .. any gear preferences?
“Honestly, I just absolutely love my Shimoda bag. So often as a photographer I find I end up with multiple bags for different uses, but the Shimoda is an all-rounder, it's by far been the best backpack to use for both travel and work.
The other gear that is a must for me these days is my Leica M11 + 35mm APO. I searched for a simple to use camera that I would want to carry with me everywhere for a long time and the M11 has brought a lot of joy back into my photography. Even with the manual focus, I love the process of slowing things down and choosing my frames as it's how I originally fell in love with photography.”
What's on your bookshelf or playlist?
“Pale Blue Eyes by Velvet Underground has been on high repeat as of late and one book I recently bought is the latin terminology for flora. Those who know me well know about my plant obsession - I think I've accumulated some 300 plants in my apartment, so I'd love to remember the latin terms.”
What or who’s inspiring you right now?
“I've been learning to embrace boredom again! I realised my mind had become so overly stimulated; I wasn’t dreaming up creative ideas anymore. Over travel and constant screen time, I realised my mind was always busy and I felt exhausted. I find making time to sit still, without distraction, is my biggest influence at the moment.”
Behind the scenes with Krystle Wright