Saxon Kent. Byron Bay photographer, in his own words.

Who are you?

I'm Saxon. 24 years old. Photographer. Born in the old Byron Bay Hospital, raised right in the Bay, still here. This is my store.

What do you shoot?

The ocean, mostly. First light, wildlife, surfers, whales, dolphins. The moments where this coast actually feels like itself.

Why Byron?

I didn't choose it, I was born into it. My whole eye was shaped here. Travelling everywhere else has just made me more obsessed with this place.

What are you actually chasing?

A feeling. I'm not chasing the technically perfect shot. I'm chasing the moment that makes you stop. The subject matters less than what you feel when you look at it.

How did this all start?

I was nine, had an iPod Touch with only a front camera, and figured out you could press the volume button to take a photo. I spent the next few years aiming it backwards at sunsets. By sixteen I was selling prints from my bedroom. This is the same store I originally built.

What do you shoot with?

A Leica M10 and a DJI Mavic 3 Classic. The Leica is fully manual, no autofocus, no shortcuts. The drone gives me the view you can't walk to. Both are just tools.

Who have you worked with?

Over the years I've been lucky enough to shoot for GoPro, Kathmandu, Virgin Australia and the World Surf League, alongside a community of over 300,000 people who follow the work on Instagram. But the part I'm proudest of is this store. Knowing a moment I captured at sunrise is now part of someone's everyday life is the thing I'll never get tired of.

What makes the prints worth it?

SIHL 250gsm archival paper, Epson UltraChrome Pro inks, printed on the Gold Coast. Frames handcrafted to order in Tasmanian Oak. Signed certificate with every order. If a print is going to live on your wall for ten years, it has to be good.

Do international customers get the same quality?

Yes. Same specs, produced locally. Australian orders ship from the Gold Coast. US orders are printed in Los Angeles. European orders are printed in Germany. Identical paper, identical inks, identical standard. I don't compromise on this.

Who buys your work?

People who feel it. Most can't fully explain why they picked the one they picked, they just felt pulled toward it. That's the only part of this I really care about.

What do you want them to feel?

Immersed in the shot. Inspired by the work. And ultimately, like the piece has transformed the room it's in.

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Contact
hello@saxonkent.com.au

Follow
@saxonkent on Instagram