Riptide Magazine

I Love your Friends they're all so Arty

Thursday, 04 March 2010 17:33

This isn't a picture of TM, but one of his pictures. We think the guy looks like he should be called Harry and it turns out that Harry enjoys a spot of bok-choy.

Riptide: Hi TM, so tell us, how'd you end up becoming a part of Travis Rice's new gallery, Asymbol?

Trent Mitchell: I was lucky enough to become involved in the Asymbol movement by pure chance. Travis was scouting the web for images that aligned with the Asymbol vibe and the vision of his project - which was an outlet for adventure sport images that evoke feelings of wonderlust and capturing the essence of each the sports, but with an artistic bend to them.

He had the best-of-the-best in the snowboard world already working with him on the project and wanted an artistic surf photographer to complete his photographic team as it would allow them to cover all facets of extreme action sports.

So Travis was flipping through web pages and he stumbled upon my "Kirra" image in the Surfer Magazine Peer Poll awards. It connected with him so much that he said he just wanted to get me over to Jackson Hole as soon as possible and get me on board the project. He hunted me down over the Net and via his Quiksilver contacts here in Australia. Then, out of the blue, I got a phone call from him. It rattled me a bit; I thought it was a joke somehow. I kept doubting it. What would one of the highest paid snowboarders in the world want with an Australian no-name photographer?! I've just been really lucky to have the opportunity to be able to mix with such talent and it's been such a great ride.

We've heard (somewhat enviably) that you went over to the States to hang with him, how was that?

Travis flew me out there and the ride began, and it was undoubtedly the best trip I've done in my life. I flew out to LA for a total of six days. It started out so funny, I arrived to see a driver holding a sign saying "That Australian Photographer Guy". I just started pissing myself laughing - gold. Just showed that the man had a really good sense of humour. The limo driver took me from LAX down to San Diego and we got to work. During that time I signed my limited edition prints, met all Travis's crew and his lovely girlfriend Evan. He took me snowboarding three times with everything taken care of. I freakin' love snowboarding! I'd never done it before, Travis and his crew were awesome and just super patient with teaching me how to snowboard. Shit, on my first run I was kooking it HARD and I felt so bad and nervous, but they kept helping me out which was great. It was such an inspiring trip. Travis taught me a lot about passion, quality and creative vision. Man, I get excited just thinking about that trip!

Did you meet some of the other photographers in the exhibition?

Yeah, I worked really closely with Tim Zimmerman, who is one of snowboarding's best photographers. He's a freak at quality control. I was stoked that he was loving the wave images too. He worked on my large format files and even wanted a print for his office in Canada. It was a pleasure working with him and learning from him as he's a freaking good image maker.

Sounds incredible mate, congrats! Thanks for chatting to us.

Thank you.

Now some links for you guys so you can check it all out. Click on here to check out the Asymbol Gallery and Online Store. Snowboarding magazine wrote a cool piece of the gallery and ESPN has got a vid on the gallery opening (below). To relive many of TM's photographic creations you can visit his website tmphoto.com.au and also The Short Straw which featured in the Riptide 20th Anniversary Issue.

For fresh gear from TM get ready for Riptide #175 which will land in your newsagents in the first week of April.