Chasing Light by Chris Lane

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Welcome to Chasing Light

I first picked up a camera when I was 14 years old, it was a Canon compact camera that was my mums and it was at the bottom of a lounge room drawer.

At the time I had no idea why the sudden urge came over me to pick it up and head out to the backyard.

But that one moment changed my life and put me on a path for the next 20+ years.

Instantly I swore to myself and anyone who would listen that I’m going to be a photographer one day.

I doubt many people believed me back then as it was in the film era and being a photographer at that point in time was like being a pink unicorn.
But I’ll forever be grateful to my younger self for that crazy dream and I’ve been extremely fortunate to live it out ever since.

I quickly dropped out of school at 16 to begin working with at the time the official photographer for the NRL.
A huge step forward from taking pictures in my backyard and a few years later at 19 I began a long standing career with the newspaper company Fairfax Media.

Through this blog I hope to share my stories and show a different side to photography.

Hopefully I’ll entertain you with some behind the scenes stories and share some photo tips along the way.
You can also find me on Instagram at chris_lane_photographer for more pictures.

Thanks for stopping by

Chris
https://chrislanephotographer.net/

Canberra Marathon 2025

I’ve run this race a few times over the years and it’s one of my favourite events of the year. But I swapped the runners for my brand new Canon R3 this year to test it out under race conditions.

It’s always pretty inspiring to see so many people out running and testing their abilities. Whether it’s their first time taking on an event or a veteran of multiple races, the amount of dedication it takes to run and finish these things is just incredible.

So it’s always a privilege to be able to capture these moments. Being both a photographer and a runner I definitely appreciate when other photographers have captured some of my best moments as I take on a challenging.

And I hope to return the favour to my fellow athletes from behind the camera on days like these.

The hardest part of photographing these events is deciding on what to shoot, as there are so many opportunities available for pictures and can sometimes be overwhelming.

The best thing I have really done to overcome that overwhelming feeling is to just start shoot. Once you get in the groove the pictures take themselves.

It’s made even better when I can spot some of my amazing friends along the way and do my best to both cheer them on and press the buttons at the same time.

Long after my legs give way I’ll still be out on a track somewhere covering these impressive athletes pushing their limits.

TIL next time!

Chris

Tour Diaries through Porto Venere, Italy

It’s not every day you get asked to be the best man at your great friend’s Wedding, and even more rarer that you get to travel to Italy.

But back in 2007 and long before this whole Chasing Light thing, I was off to one of my favourite ever expeditions.

My trek started in Sydney, then to London then another flight to Italy landing in Milan.

It was then a bus trip to the train station and about four hours on the train to the sea side town of Porto Venere to where the festivities were to be held.

It was also before we had the internet in our pockets and I remember whists on my journey I wish I had studied Italian in High School instead of Spanish.

But despite my lack of education in the language, I somehow made it there ok and back home all in one piece.

The town itself Porto Venere was just unbelievable. It’s everything you’d imagine the coastal towns of Italy to be. The water is just magical but mixed in with the contrast of the pastel coloured buildings it makes for some great picture taking.

It’s holidays like this that really encouraged me to kick off this blog and explore more of photography and everything that comes with it.

Given the chance I’d definitely recommend a trip here and to the surrounding areas. Hopefully I’ll get back there again one day and spend some more time exploring this beautiful place camera in hand.

TIL next time!

Chris

Christmas Comes Early to Sydney

It’s been a little while since I hit the Sydney CBD for some photo wandering. So earlier today I put the walking shoes on and roamed the city streets for some inspiration.

I wasn’t expecting to see so much Christmas cheer seeing we are still in the middle part of November, but also who doesn’t love Christmas.

If you haven’t been to Martin Place in the city and you love Christmas like the rest of us, then you’ve been missing out.

It’s our version of the New York Christmas tree right in the middle of our business district, and just a mere walk from Parliament House.

It might be a strange location for a massive Christmas tree, but with so much pedestrian traffic and open space it’s probably the best place for it.

It’s still under construction for the final reveal, but it looks to be on track to be completed pretty soon. But with the sheer size of it you can still see it even though there is a fence in place. It definitely didn’t stop myself or many passer buys taking a picture or two.