THE heaving media pits of the Rio Paralympics are far removed from a tractor seat in a dusty paddock, where Durham Ox farmer Drew Chislett spends most of his time.
But for the next two weeks the hobbyist photographer is rubbing shoulders with the world’s best lensmen, with the opportunity to have his images published around the world.
The whirlwind journey began less than a month ago, when Mr Chislett was contacted by the photography team contracted by the Australian Paralympic Committee to document the journey of the Aussie team and provide photos to the world’s media.
He came to their attention thanks to his penchant for sharing his work on social media, particularly his shots of close friends and freestyle motocross riders Matt Schubring and Kale Makeham.
“It completely caught me by surprise; I’ve always posted photos to Instagram and over that time I’ve developed relationships with other photographers and suddenly a few weeks ago one of those guys approached me and asked if I wanted to go to Rio,” Mr Chislett said.
It was a surreal feeling for the exceptionally talented but modest Mr Chislett, who questioned whether they had the right person.
“It’s just ridiculous; I’m just a farm boy from Durham Ox, what the heck am I doing going to Rio,” he said.
He joked that his inclusion in the four-person team amounted to cheap insurance.
“I wondered why this team of top-end photographers was bringing me, then I realised they can run faster than me so if muggers chase us they’ll flog my stuff,” he laughed.
Once the reality of it settled in, he said about preparing himself for the experience of a lifetime, purchasing a new computer to handle the massive amount of data he will process throughout the games and expanding his camera kit with a second-hand 400 millimetre lens, valued at $12,500 new.
The monster lens will be attached to a Canon 1DX, while he will also be armed with a Canon 5D Mark III and shorter lens.
“My days are going to be fairly hectic; our roster will be decided each morning depending on who is competing and I will be moving all the time from sport to sport,” Mr Chislett said.
Mr Chislett said the opportunity presented to him demonstrated the power of the internet.
“Taking the pictures of Schuie and Kale, it was amazing to see the mileage some of those photos would do on social media,” he said.
“In these rural areas we sometimes get left in the shadows a bit, but with the world becoming smaller thanks to social media you never know what opportunities are around the corner.”
Mr Chislett developed an interest in photography at an early age and later it was useful as a means of keeping in contact with his wife’s family in Canada, but Mr Chislett said he only began taking it seriously after meeting Schubring.
“The reason I got into photography was I didn’t want to do those crazy jumps he does; I had a motorbike and I needed an excuse and if I had a camera I didn’t have to get on the motorbike,” he joked.
In an age where most people are armed with relatively high quality phone cameras, Mr Chislett said there was still a place for professional photography with more sophisticated equipment.
“Everyone has a camera these days and I think that’s excellent but iPhones have their limitations,” he said.
“Without equipment and the knowledge to use it there will never be exceptional photos and I’m not sure whether people really appreciate that.”
The completely self-taught Mr Chislett said the pursuit of exceptional images gave him much satisfaction.
“I enjoy the challenge of trying to get better all the time and I love the feeling when people get a great image – that’s very rewarding for me.”
Mr Chislett said it would be awe-inspiring to photograph athletes who have overcome such challenges and worked so hard to make it to Rio.
“Reading the biographies of these athletes, they are just incredible; some of the hurdles they’ve overcome are incredible, so I think it will be terribly inspiring,” he said.
“I’m so glad that these guys who’ve had sometimes a tough go and have worked so hard can be celebrated.”
Mr Chislett jetted out on Sunday morning and will return on September 22. Follow @drewchis on Instagram to keep up-to-date with his Rio adventure. His published photographs will be attributed to explorermedia.
