PHILLIP ISLAND AND THE PINT SIZE POWERHOUSE
Grace Thek, the Pint Size Powerhouse, is the main character in this story, but Phillip Island was a most excellent supporting character, who almost stole the show.
An unbelievable stunning sunset, playful and unabashed local fauna and a landscape of pure perfection for capturing swim, bike and run. The Italian restaurant with the best potato and garlic pizza I’ve ever had, and a local pinot noir, didn’t hurt either. This may just be my greatest location scouting success story, and the beginning of my love affair with the island.
Grace and I have known each other for years. She’s looked after our Henry-dog, as a physio she’s treated my crook neck, I captured her first ever pro triathlon race where she spectacularly collapsed and crawled across the finish line - the stuff the movies are made of, and I filmed her epic wedding at the Melbourne Zoo.
So when her sponsor, Cadex, asked me to capture Grace’s story, we knew we’d nail it.
Grace, like many others, is not a fan of being in front of the camera. She gets nervous about not saying enough, or conversely worried about rambling on too much, but just like in training, once she warms up and we have a few laughs, she becomes comfortable, relaxed and open. You might notice that her gaze is slightly off camera. I like this technique, particularly for people who aren’t confident on camera. It’s set up so that they’re having a conversation with me, not with the big scary camera. Eventually, they relax and forget that I’m recording. If you squint hard enough, you might see that she’s actually enjoying herself.
What I loved about this project is that Grace is up for anything to get the shot - although, running past the local geese was almost a deal breaker. The team at Cadex had full trust in my ability to draw out a story from Grace and capture it visually, and these are hands down my favourite types of projects, because I’m really allowed to spread my creative wings.
Shot for Cadex [Grace Thek’s sponsor]
BTS
There should be a World Champs for videographers who sprint while carrying equipment. I’ll throw my hat into the ring for the 100m camera rig sprint.
I love getting back to my roots and shooting sport, in particular, the world of triathlon. I spent so many years and tears helping give women in triathlon, and more universally, women in sport a platform. So I will always have a passion when I get to chase athletes with a camera.
I just need longer to recover in between sprints these days.
Working with Stef is always a pleasure! Her fun yet professional approach, coupled with impeccable attention to detail and skilled storytelling, ensures that every moment is captured beautifully, whether she's documenting our wedding day or sharing my journey as a CADEX athlete. Stef brings a vibrant, creative flare that is sure to be a showstopper for any project.
—— Grace Thek ——