Scott Bridle is what I’d call a true blue, Aussie bloke. He’s down-to-earth, friendly and talented, without a trace of cockiness.
And if Scott wanted to be cocky, he’d probably have every right to be. The South West Queensland based helicopter pilot is also an incredibly talented photographer, and his debut book, Outback, is a stunning collection of his timeless photographs.
I spoke with Scott a couple of weeks ago, and it was so refreshing chatting to someone far less interested in pretention and far more interested in pursuing passion.
Outback is the result of Scott’s beautiful collection of images taken in the most unique way; whilst simultaneously flying and manoeuvring his helicopter. His passion for photography isn’t new; ever since he was a young boy at boarding school in Toowoomba, he’s been obsessed with taking photographs in the most unusual way: from the top of a windmill or standing on the cab of a ute. But what is it about photography that he loves so much? “I like it because it captures a moment,” he says. “Today, with all our films on mobile phones, the moving image is so readily accessible, but photographs allow the imagination to kick in; when you absorb a picture, you become a part of it, it’s not forced on you like a film. My earlier photography was taking pictures of what I loved, and what I did; things like daily life on the farm.”
That love, for the farm and the land, is still evident in Outback. It’s a connection that Scott says is very important to him. “I love the land, I still work cattle now, and I love working with the people on the land. It’s lead me to being in beautiful places doing beautiful things.”
What I love most about Outback is that it’s not just a showcase of how vast and amazing Australia is – it’s as complex as it’s beautiful. Scott is a man that’s experienced the toughness of life on the land, and that’s where the strength of this collection lies. “It’s funny,” Scott chuckles, “I was in Sydney the other week, talking to a taxi driver and he had absolutely no idea as to what’s out there, beyond the city. He didn’t know what else there was to Australia, he’d never even heard of mustering cattle. I wonder if he knows where the meat in his hamburger came from?”
So, I asked Scott, what would you say to people who’ve never been to the Australian outback? “We live in a beautiful country, full of great people, and there’s a real uniqueness about what we’ve got here, a way of life that’s very distinctive – get out there and explore it.”
And as Outback shows, there’s so very much to explore. From sweeping aerial shots of landscape, to close ups capturing the very essence and characters of outback life, Scott’s collection is poignant, inspiring and breathtaking.
“I’m not very well travelled, but I don’t need to be. For me, Australia has it all.”
