Through the lens
Photos Ricky Robinson
If you've flipped through magazines featuring the stunning landscapes of New Zealand's golf courses, chances are you've seen the work of Mangawhai resident Ricky Robinson. His work with golf courses throughout the country has earned him recognition as a leading figure in the world of golf course photography.
Ricky, tell us about your work with the new golf course, Te Arai Links, where you are the resident photographer. What is it like capturing the beauty of what is now a top 100 golf course in the world?
"For me, I'm incredibly lucky to have what I think is the best job on earth with Te Arai Links. I’m usually out photographing the courses very early in the mornings and late in the evenings so I often find myself with the course to myself, and with the combination of a world-class golf course and the views that the Te Arai beach provides - it’s super special. I use a combination of handheld cameras and drones when photographing golf courses, a drone really helps to showcase a different perspective and golf courses typically look great from a higher vantage point. It’s also a very weather dependent job, so I sometimes can wait hours for the right light or scene to unfold for just a matter of minutes before getting a particular photo - which only makes it a lot more rewarding once I get that shot.”
You’ve been involved in the golfing world for over 10 years now, starting out as a greenkeeper in Australia and then Canada before making the move to New Zealand. How has that shaped your golf course photography?
“Greenkeeping definitely helped my ‘eye’ for golf course photography. There are so many elements that go into a golf course, which I think has given me a good understanding of the intricate details, which inevitably reflects in the photos. Te Arai has a lot of great contours throughout the course which make for great framing elements in photos, especially when the light falls across them, it can produce some beautiful shadowing.”
Despite golf course photography sounding very specific, your work can be quite varied, tell us about a typical day.
“It’s a very diverse job as some days I can be shooting content for leading golf brands all over the world, whether it be clothing or golf products, and then I could be photographing a golf course’s accommodation and doing more architecture style photos. As you can imagine in this day and age there is a huge need for online marketing content and to present your brand in the best possible way. This is where I’m able to help a lot of golf brands and golf clubs succeed. I’ve been incredibly lucky to have now worked with a lot of New Zealand’s top golf courses and see my work on the cover of golf magazines which is always a humble and surreal feeling.”
Your work throughout New Zealand has garnered attention from golf courses around the world, so what’s next?
“I have some exciting overseas trips planned next year to photograph some great golf courses in the USA and Australia, however I’m really excited to continue working with Te Arai Links and also promoting golf travel and tourism here to New Zealand. There are so many amazing golfing locations from the smaller countryside courses right through to the best courses New Zealand has to offer. We are very lucky with the golf we have in this country and I’m very grateful for the role I play in showcasing it.”
www.RickyRobinsonGolf.com | www.instagram.com/Ricky_Robinson