Photography series: Dan Campbell-Robinson
Words and images by Dan Campbell-Robinson
Dan is a man of many talents; he markets robotic hands by day and seeks any excuse for an adventure when the night comes. Suffice to say, he exemplifies the old mantra, work hard play hard. He emigrated from England to Aotearoa around 15 years ago and after a road trip around the country in the ‘Magic Bus,’ his family settled in sunny Nelson. Dan now calls Te Whanganui-a-Tara home after making the shift up to study design at Victoria.
He started messing around with cameras and photography during his early high school days, capturing him and his mates skating. This often saw him “jimmying cheap fisheyes onto handy cams or whatever DLSR body I could get my hands on”. Dan took photography classes during his final years at school but saw it as an excuse to go skate more than anything else. Shooting digitally for a while, blowing his course-related costs on a DLSR when he first got to university. “Though like the majority of students, the coin was tight, so I flicked that on relatively quickly to fund the froth.”
Camera-less on a visit back home, Dan found an old Pentax 35mm of his dad’s that hadn’t been fired up for 30+ years. He chucked in a couple of new batteries, and it was good to go. That camera is still going strong, and it’s what he usually shoots with to this day.
Below is a palette of Dan’s work. Sit back, relax, and let his photographs transport you to a simpler time under the summer sun.
If I had to describe the way I shoot in one word, it would be honest; I’ve always attempted to replicate the human eye. Film, for me, captures this naturally. I’m drawn to the tones, imperfections, and colours achieved without the need for much post-production. Then, of course, there is the hype of getting a rollback from being developed. It’s safe to say, I shoot my fair share of duds but getting a few hammers back is a pretty special feeling, the rest are all great memories. Recently I’ve been treating rolls of film as a narrative; I’ve never been that great with words, so I try to let my photos tell a story.
This is a collage I made of photos from a work trip to New York. It was my first job out of uni, and I found myself on a journey to the big apple; the founders were of the pretty impulsive nature. Little to no work was completed, and shortly after they filed for bankruptcy, these photos paint a very different story to my phone camera roll. Between the madness and fresh on the film buzz, I was lucky enough to get a day or so in to explore; I easily could have shot a roll down every street. I’m very thankful for the experience.
A summer tour in the Biscuit – my beloved 1984 Toyota Land Cruiser. I’ve always had a love for old cars and in more recent years, ’80s four-wheel drives. I’m in no means mechanically minded but enjoy tinkering and somewhat restoring them, if I make a few dollars at the end of the process it’s a bonus. I’ve recently got hold of a 1984 Series III Land Rover. A somewhat nerve-racking and dubious decision brought sights unseen during the lockdown, it should make for an interesting daily driver come the winter months. Back to the old bus – Biscuit navigated the top of the south and beyond with next to no drama. The idyllic summer roadie – beaches of all variety, countless country roads, and a shit load of fun. Airbnb hopping split up between some sometimes-questionable camping spots with new and old friends, lovely.
Above, our last day in the South Island. A ray of sunshine on an unusually gloomy morning at little Kaiteriteri beach. Back in Welly, we had a day to unpack the bombsite that was the back of the 60 before getting back on the road, this time cruising north for Nest Fest.
It’s impossible not to enjoy a festival that hands out nectarines while grooving in the balmy Hawkes Bay sun. Our playlist over the last couple of weeks on the road now performing live in front of us. The buzz in the air was magical; a sea of smiles and a beautiful way to wind down the summer shenanigans. Stand out sets for me: Nicholas Franchise and the big man Wax.
As the long warm days began slipping away, a group of us rounded up the summer tour with what would be the last boogie at the 121 Festival – blessed with another high energy Wax set, this time managing to snap a few hazy hammers of the Kiwi muscle in action.