Rad Livin’: Meet Stella Crick

Stella Crick is a beautiful soul with a big underwater camera and even bigger heart. She has inspired dreams with her underwater photography, and is not one to wait for her dreams to come to her; she believes in going out and making them happen now.

Meet Stella Crick…

Where are you in the world?

I live in a small coastal community on the south coast of New South Wales, Australia. I’ve lived here all my life and wouldn’t want any other place to call home, we have beautiful uncrowded beaches that back on to steep mountains, so our community is nestled in between the bush and the sea.

How do you follow your bliss all year round?

Sunshine, surfing, smiles and summer keep me content, but unfortunately due to the climate I have to face the dreary winter every year. During the winter months I find that I tend to get the blues so I try my best all year round to keep up an active lifestyle and pretend it’s summer by wearing bright colours, going hiking with friends, chasing waterfalls and road tripping up and down the coast for surf. Although sometimes it’s best to book a plane ticket to somewhere tropical to follow summer for just a bit longer!

Photo by Harry Sweeney

When did the inspiration for being a photographer first come about?

Growing up I had always loved taking photos of the beach and my friends. In my early teenage years I bought a gorpo and that was when I found my passion for underwater and surf photography. A few years later I met my friend Kelsey Finn, who is a talented underwater portrait photographer, I modeled underwater for her and thought her job was amazing! She inspired me to upgrade my camera gear and buy a waterproof housing so I too could take beautiful, high-quality underwater photographs.

If fear ever shows up in your life, how do you move passed it?

I find it’s easiest to calm down by taking deep breaths or going to the beach, as it settles me and helps me to feel relaxed.

Why do you love what you do?

I love photographing the ocean because the conditions are constantly changing, no two days in the ocean will ever be the same. In the last two years I have been working as a freelance commercial photographer for swimwear and surf brands, so through this it has taken me to a lot of amazing places and I have met so many awesome people, which I am grateful for.

What’s one of the biggest risks you’ve taken, and how did it feel to go for it?

I’m always networking with creative people from all over the world, a few months ago I took up the opportunity to go stay with people who live in Hawaii that I had never met in person. I ended up having the most incredible time and became really close friends with them; I now call them my sisters!

Tell us a time when something totally synchronistic happened…

I can’t think of an exact event but it happens all the time when you meet someone and it turns out that you are linked somehow through people, places and things..like you are meant to meet them.

What advice could you give to someone who knows what they love to do, but haven’t gone for it?

Always find time for the things that make you feel happy, life is way too short to glum! You have to get out there and do something to make your dreams come true because nothing is going to happen by sitting and waiting for things to come to you.

Follow her journey over on her website and Instagram x