Jason Morey has the same stylish poise on a whizz plank as he does behind the lens. His complete understanding of the complexities of both machines makes him an amazing force for documenting the current scene in Australia. Here is a Chin Wag with the man who is also known as Moey: one of our strongest up and coming lens bandits.
MC: So you are from Devonport, Tasmania right? Can you explain the Dev to the uninitiated?
JM: Devonport is at the top of Tassie where the Spirit of Tasmania docks. Devo has a skatepark, beach, KFC and McDonalds. It's pretty good.
Age?
Twenty-two
What year did you start whizz planking?
Probably when I was about ten. One day Dad brought home this cool blue plastic skateboard. It was really fast and smooth but I always wanted a wooden deck like my friend Alex. I think I had that board for about two years then I got a proper deck and learnt ollies and the basics. Before that I was pretty much just bombing super mellow hills.
You also formed a pretty early friendship with the camera right? What sparked this?
When I got to high school I started videoing my mates skating and that sooner turned into (taking) photos. I would borrow copies of ASM and Slam from the library and try copy the style of photography. I invested in a fifty-dollar optical slave flash (ebay!) and taught myself off-camera lighting. Lots of experimenting and lurking on skateboard.com.au and skateperception forums.
My understanding is that after finishing high school you migrated south to Hobart to study photography. What exactly was your degree and would you recommend and inspired photographers to take this walk with their studies?
It was a three year 'Bachelor of Fine Arts' majoring in photography. I started the course thinking it would have a lot of photography involved but it ended up being about 40% photography and the rest all art theory, history and support classes like drawing, video, etc. I went to an Art School so it was very arty at times. I enjoyed everything besides the theory... It got really hard because we were expected to get super conceptual and think outside the box when writing essays. We were also 'trained' to speak the language. At the time I hated it so much but in hindsight I learnt heaps and have a different perspective on art and stuff now. In a nutshell I guess it's all about the concept behind the work, plus you can contribute to conversation with artsy sprouters on Brunswick Street mahn. Ha-ha. It's a good degree if you're interested and want to learn about art and photography. It's not the kind of study that will set you up for work and money... but then again the time spent at uni is good for networking and making friends and thinking about what you really want to do, and stuff.
My guess that as a skater; skating was one of your early and consistent subjects. What is it that you find fascinating with shooting skating?
I think my favourite thing about shooting skateboarding is the fact you're working together with the skater to produce the photo... Whether it's the one picture or an entire interview you're ticking boxes and thinking about how it looks in print or for whatever the photo is for. There's also the broad scope for composition and lighting, which is always fun to experiment with. I get to skate and hang out with my friends too.
Which photographers inspired you when you were growing up?
Definitely Gourlay and Mapstone, but to be honest I never really followed specific photographers… Didn't know anything about skate photog outside Aus. I didn't buy that many magazines either. I usually get bagged out for not knowing 'OG' video parts and 'OG' people in the media. I just skated a lot and kept borrowing Tweakage 2 from the library and watching my VHS recording of the Globe World Cup.
Your fellow Tasmanian Sean Holland did the isle proud by repping through his skating and then going on to start the Skateboarder’s Journal. Was Sean one of the first people to publish your photos?
Sean was famous for wearing a bucket hat, that's about it. Ha-ha. Nah it took a long time to get photos in Journal. I pretty much bought a Hasselblad and started shooting medium format just to get photos in there. Sean gave me heaps of advice and encouragement before I had anything in his mag which was really good because it made me push myself and try reach my then goal of getting something published.
What was your first published photo?
It was a Gabbers’ Focus in Slam. A back smith down a handrail in Launceston.
We all know that skateboarding photography is pretty hard to earn a living from. Are you going to have a crack at concentrating it as your sole professional direction or are you going to also focus on other things? If so, what?
Sadly it's almost impossible to make a comfortable living from skate photography in Australia. I've also been shooting real estate, weddings and assisting and doing heaps of bits and pieces here and there. I'm going to keep shooting skateboarding but I don't want to rely on it for money. I'm happy to shoot other not so exciting things to pay the bills but I'm also really keen on photo series'… I guess art photography. In school I really enjoyed planning and working on series’ of photos so maybe one day I will get more into exhibitions and printing books, I dunno.
Many skaters from the mainland are not experienced with the Tasmanian scene, do you find it all different to the scene on the mainland?
Everyone knows everyone in Tassie. Melbourne has so many more skateboarders and crews so there seems to be a lot more strangers. I've also found that there are always foreign skaters and tourists at Riverside. If there are ever unfamiliar skaters at EC (Hobart) all the locals are aware and there's an awkwardness across the whole skate park. Ha-ha. Especially if they're a good skater.
What are the top five skaters to come out of Tassie?
If I were to spotlight any 'well known' skaters probably... Tom Cuthbertson, Sean Holland, GG, Dix, Gabbers!
Top five spots in Tassie?
Six Pole in Hobart, Summerdale in Launceston, EC skatepark, Devonport High three stair hubba and Queechy four stair.
Top five skaters to visit Tassie?
So many awesome skaters have been to Tassie but my favourites (that I can remember) would probably be: Koston, James James, Andrew Allen, Dollin and Brian Anderson.
You have recently made the move to Melbourne. How are you finding your new home?
Great. I live really close to a crappy skate park and shopping mall full of crack heads and the elderly. It's nice though.
Where are you located?
Northcote.
Where are you working?
Freelancing and a wedding studio in the city. Photozzz.
Any good spots near where you live?
Maybe Northcote skatepark? Or the Reservoir skatepark.
It is often hard for photographers to find a niche shooting with locals when they move to a new city, how have you found the adjustment?
Pretty easy. I'd been over to Melbourne a bunch of times so I had the chance to meet people before making the move. It's a one-hour flight from Tas and sometime's only fifty bucks a flight!
Melbourne is full of blow-ins from pretty much all Australian cities. Do you hang out with many actual true Victorians here?
Yeah it's weird. Heaps of New Zealander's and people from WA and Tas and everywhere. I just hang out with whoever. It was kinda funny when Gabbers first moved back over here because we lived pretty close yet he was out skating with other people and shooting with Mapstone, then when it came to night time we would go get drunk together ha-ha. Usually you can just rock up to Riverside, the library or Lincoln and someone familiar will be there to skate with.
Have you checked out any other capitals? If so which ones?
Yep all but Darwin and Adelaide. Hopefully get there sooner than later.
Do you have a list of dreams?
Ha-ha. World peace and to achieve inception!
What is on your list?
Probably just to make a comfortable living shooting photos and travel to new places. Shoot a cow with a bazooka... joking. Mainly travel.
You have read his wisdom now go scope his website.
