Mick, always with his trusty camera, has been a fixture at Coota Beach for eight years, offering his time and expertise free of charge for the love of a good photograph and doing his bit for the community. 

He put his hand up to help when Janine Ricketts and Julisia Cross took on the running of the carnival from Simon Sutherland. 

“I just love the atmosphere; people’s mouths drop when you tell them about Coota Beach and how popular it is,” Mick said. 

What makes a great volleyball photo? Mick has the answers. 

“When they are spiking at the net – I really like getting photos of that, or when they jump to serve; it really is a great sport to take photos of, there is always something happening on court,” Mick said. 

Mick’s other great loves are motocross racing and jetboats. 

He takes photos at the Wannabrook, Golden Wheels and Leaping Log motocross series, as well as the Temora Jetboat Races. 

“Every weekend from March to Mid-October, I’m somewhere taking photos,” Mick said. 

Now retired, Mick has time to devote to his photography. 

“When I retired people said I’d be bored but I’ve never been busier,” Mick said. 

He has been taking photos for 30 years and last year amassed 210,000 shots – mostly sport-related.

With a camera capable of taking 12 shots a second, it’s no wonder he has so many photos under his belt. 

Mick moved to Cootamundra in 1976 as a railway worker. 

“I came here for three weeks work and I’ve never left,” he said. 

He joined the Camera Club after moving to Cootamundra without even owning a camera. 

“I thought to myself, if I buy a camera I can do this,” Mick said. 

He has gone from strength to strength since then with a passion for a great shot, a love of sport and endless energy. 

Starting with slides, he is still amazed at digital technology.

“There are so many more options while taking photos,” Mick said.