MATT CAMPBELL

INTERVIEWED BY: VIV KLEEMANN Recently I was fortunate enough to catch up with local Veteran and photographer, Matt Campbell. We met on a dirt track not too far from Fogg Dam where he showed me a magical little-known place called Harrison Dam. Matt tells me that you’ll find a croc, evidence of water buffalo, Magpie Geese, Jabiru and many other birds and wildlife. Today we took particular notice of the Jabiru.

As we wandered along the track and across the almost empty dam, he spoke about his time in the military, how he deployed to places like the Solomon Islands, East Timor and Afghanistan. And on one of those deployments, they sadly lost 11 men - the greatest loss of Australian life in a single incident since the Vietnam War. He reminisced about being near enough to the Himalayas through his deployment and how he wished he’d had a camera back then, to capture the breathtaking view. These days, he spends his Monday mornings at Fogg Dam with a dear friend (who is also a Veteran), as they patiently wait for the perfect shot while solving all the world’s problems, usually by sunrise. I’m sure you’ll enjoy his story just as much as I did!

Tell us a little bit about yourself:

I grew up in a Town called Nowra, on the NSW south coast. My father was in the Navy and my Mother was a local girl. We lived on the base called Albatross.

My Dad served on the Aircraft Carrier HMAS Melbourne, so he was away a lot.

Could you share a brief history of your time in Defence?

I joined the Army as an Infantryman in December 2001. I was initially posted to Townsville, then posted to various units in Darwin, Brisbane, Sydney and Northern NSW.

I deployed to East Timor twice, Solomon Islands twice and Afghanistan.

What inspired you to join Defence?

In 2000, I was doing some contracting work for a Vietnam veteran, and I loved his Army stories.

I grew up with my father in the Navy and my brother in the Airforce, so I found the new stories so interesting. It was something I wanted to be a part of, and I also wanted to be challenged and pushed to my limits. 

What is your favourite memory from your time in Defence?

Achieving a level of rank where I could lead and have a positive impact on my soldiers’ careers, as well as their lives.

What was your greatest challenge?

For me it was age, I didn’t join the Army until I was 27 and I was very competitive, I wanted to keep up with the 18 – 20 yr olds - I never wanted my age to be a factor.

What’s a life skill that you learned in Defence that you still use today?

I would have to say patience. Not everything happens straight away and not everything works the way I may have wanted.

Got any advice for someone thinking about joining?

My best advice would be to read up on all the military jobs and go into it knowing as much about your potential trade as possible. It’s also smart to start basic training and trade training as fit as possible – being physically fit will make you more confident and capable, and therefore, more successful.

Now that you’re out of the ADF, you’ve taken up photography. What initially led you to that skill?

When I left the ADF I was a little lost, my wife suggested photography as a hobby and I wanted to try something different.

How does photography differ from down south, where you started out, to up here in the Top End?

When I started my photography journey I was living on the North Coast of NSW, so I found myself doing surf photography. I would photographer surfers from the shore, from in the water and from the air using drones.

My photography has taken a leap forward since moving to Darwin, it’s so much harder trying to capture a bird in flight and have it crystal clear or capturing the legendary Top End storms and lightning. I’ve found the other wildlife photographers in the NT are so willing to pass on knowledge.

Why did you choose to move to the Top End?

The first time I moved to the Top End was due to the usual ‘service needs posting order’. The second time was purely by choice. I found when I moved away, I missed the laid-back lifestyle and the quality of life I had.

What do you love the most about living in Darwin?

I was lucky enough to move to Darwin with my wife, and we purchased a home up here. Houses are so much cheaper than down south. The Veteran community is amazing up here, medically there’s so much help but socially there’s so much around to stop me feeling lonely. There’s also so much to do up here as a family, with so many activities for all ages. The NT has things you’ll never see anywhere else.

My favourite thing about the Top End is the extremes! The weather, storms and the wildlife. 40mins outside of a capital city I can be photographing a crocodile, it truly is great!

How do you cope with the build up?

To be honest I don’t mind the build-up; the way the Top End starts to change, the photography side of things is great, colours changing in the bush and animals start to arrive. I find the more I can stay outside in the heat the more I am prepared for the buildup. Don’t get me wrong, I love the air conditioning in the evening.

Where’s your favourite place to capture wildlife? Do you have a favourite dry season and wet season location?

During the wet season I love going to Fogg Dam for the birds, buffalo, crocodiles, and amazing waterlillies. During the dry season, I like to travel more – Shady Camp or Cahills Crossing for decent croc photos, Jabiru for amazing landscapes and Litchfield for swimming holes, waterfalls and walking tracks.

How long would you normally have to wait to capture the perfect photo?

During the wet season, chasing storms requires a lot of planning. Knowing which direction the storm is coming from and the best area to see the lightning. With animal photography, I take all types of photos during the day and hopefully by the end of the day I have a couple of keepers.

Any tips for someone starting out in their own photography journey?

Photography can become quite an expensive hobby; there are heaps of second-hand cameras around and you can use the ‘automatic’ settings until you start knowing what kind of settings you need. As time moves on, you can slowly update your gear. Never forget the reason for starting up – HAVING FUN!

What’s you proudest achievement?

My proudest achievement was being a single parent for 11 years and still having a successful career in the Army. My son is a well adapted, well-travelled young man and a tradesman, so I’d say that’s a proud achievement.

Huge thankyou to Matt for his time!

You can find Matt on social media

@northcoast_photography_

Images supplied by Matt Campbell - Copyright North Coast Photography.