By Jenel Hunt
Sports and nature photographer Chris Munro remembers the day that his love affair with photography was born. It was 1970, he was seven, and his grandmother – or was it his mother? – gave him a Box Brownie.
While he might not quite remember who handed him the camera, it was a gift (or maybe it was only on loan) that would shape a lifetime.
“I vividly remember going out to take photos around The Rocks at Sydney Harbour and the Opera House. I still have those photos,” he said.
“It lit a little fire way back then, although I didn’t do much until my mid-20s when I went to Cash Converters and bought a secondhand film SLR camera. And from there, my expensive passion grew.”
For decades, Chris has used his camera for his passion of sports photography, and yet he is largely self taught and holds firm to the belief that taking exceptional photos is a gift rather than a learned skill.
Recently moved to a 70-acre property at Allora with his wife Kim – so they can be closer to family – Chris has long been an accredited photographer to major sports and loves the fact that he gets front row seats to the best shows in town with access to all areas. (He’s been mad about motor sports since time began, so he thinks it’s an amazing job being able to photograph what he loves.)
He has been the official photographer for more rallies than most people have even heard of … there was the Oz Outback Odyssey, the Great Endeavour Rally (for many years), Rally Australia in Coffs Harbour and more. In fact, he has photographed 17 charity car rallies.
“The highlight for me has been the chance to be the official photographer for the Great Endeavour Rally for so long,” he said.
Chris was the official photographer for the Troy Bayliss Experience all over Australia and is in his ninth year as photographer for the Australian Schools Sailing Titles. He’s photographed the World Touch Titles and the World Lifesaving Titles, Premier League Hockey, the National Rodeo Association, Australian Super Bikes and V8 Supercars for years and was even the team photographer for Matt Stone Racing in 2019.
One of his favourite revved-up memories is from about eight years ago when he was asked not to tell anyone but to turn up at the Queensland Raceway at a certain time and bring his camera gear. It turned out he was to photograph Troy Bayliss (Super Bikes champion), Mark Webber (Formula One driver), ironman Guy Andrews and a few bike riders during a private hire day.
“It was so casual, so much fun and so many laughs,” he said. “Definitely one of the highlights.”
During his time around the track he has seen the good and bad of racing. He captured the epic crash of Todd Hazlewood at Sandown and saw him walk away. Some other memories are firmly tucked into a box he doesn’t open.
Chris also takes the rodeo photos where you can almost feel the adrenaline, smell the sweat and taste the dust.
And all this came about because of two things. He’s sports mad and he’s a natural at photography.
Chris has managed a limo company, managed motels, and worked at a group training company for some years. But he received so many requests for photos he took as an amateur photographer at local sporting events that it made sense to open Red Hot Shotz Sports Photography in 2005.
“Probably the best thing about it all is the amazing people I’ve met, from world champions to the canteen ladies at club sports. And of course, the life-long friends I’ve met along the way from all over the world. And absolutely none of this would have been possible if not for the amazing support from Kim,” Chris said.
His love of sport, especially motor sport, was cemented early. He went to a boarding school at Bathurst and was close to Mt Panorama (he has driven a few laps but has run around it many more times), played rugby union until he was 35 and after that was one of the golden oldies in the Masters for a while. He even ran marathons.
“I wasn’t much interested in school. I remember Mum saying to me one day, ‘I hope you can make a living out of sport.’ Looking back, I guess the answer is, ‘Not really, but it’s been fun.’
In his time he has covered rugby union, soccer, AFL, rugby league, sailing, beach volleyball, netball, surf lifesaving, ironman events, surfing, motocross, rallying, off-road racing, circuit racing, rodeo, cricket and others. He has taken photos out of choppers without doors and in cars travelling at crazy speeds. Chris is also a bit of a storm chaser so has an amazing array of lightning shots. Then there are the landscapes, the sunset views and wonderful shots of wildlife at rest and birds in flight. And the photos you’ll see right here in Warwick Stanthorpe Today. You can see some of his images on his Facebook page, My Australia Down Under.
It’s certainly in his blood. In fact, he admitted that he tended to get a little loopy if he went for more than a couple of days without a camera in his hand.
At the end of the interview, I closed my notebook and asked, “Can I take your photo for the story, Chris?”
The answer: “No, I’ll send you something. I don’t really like having my photo taken.”
