Riv on the Record – Frankie Kaye

THIS  week I had the great pleasure of being joined by local photographer Frankie Kaye. Spin it!

Tell us how you got into photography. Where did it all start for you?

I started photographing things from the ripe age of 10. Growing up, I struggled to articulate my thoughts clearly due to learning difficulties, and that often left me feeling misunderstood or unheard. But picking up a camera felt like discovering a new language — one that didn’t require perfect words or explanations. It ignited a switch in me that I didn’t even know existed — the ability to express how I saw the world, completely unfiltered and without restriction, for the first time in my life.

 

Photography became more than just a hobby; it became a lifeline. It taught me how to slow down and truly see — not just objects or scenery, but moments, emotions, and stories unfolding in real time.

It opened up a deep sense of gratitude within me, a quiet appreciation for the fleeting, beautiful details we often overlook. And once I tapped into that feeling, I couldn’t let it go. I became relentless in my pursuit of capturing that truth — that quiet magic — again and again

 

Who were you inspired by?

My late father, Simon, was a journalist by trade but a poet at heart. He had a quiet gift for observation — always noticing the small, significant details that others might miss. He documented everything, not obsessively or for the sake of record-keeping, but simply to remember — to preserve the weight and beauty of a moment before it slipped away. That instinct to hold onto meaning through words or images is something I carry deeply within me.

One of my earliest sparks of visual inspiration came from stumbling across an issue of Foam Symmetry as a kid. I must’ve been too young to fully understand what I was looking at, but something about it pulled me in — the textures, the colours, the stillness and movement of the ocean all at once. It planted the seed of my obsession with the coast, and ever since, I’ve felt most at home when I’m hanging around the ocean with a camera in hand.

Lately though, my biggest creative inspiration has been John Witzig. His uncanny knack for capturing history, especially within the world of surf culture, is unlike anything I’ve seen. There’s a rawness and quiet poetry in his photographs — especially those taken at Bells Beach and beyond during the ’70s. His work feels timeless and alive, like each frame is humming with the energy of a moment you didn’t live through but somehow still remember. There’s something in those images that moves me in a way I’ll never quite be able to describe — and maybe that’s the point.

 

Where are your favourite places to go and shoot?

Bells — it’s alive. It’s more than just a stretch of coastline; it’s a living, breathing presence. If you stand still and listen closely, you can almost hear the echoes of the past carried in the wind — the stories, the wipeouts, the quiet victories, the cheers from the cliffs.

There’s a history embedded in the salt air and sandstone, something sacred that lingers long after the sets roll through.But it’s not just the surf that speaks — it’s the sky too. The ever-changing palette above Bells has its own rhythm. The shifting colours, the light, the textures — they move like music, in patterns that are never quite the same twice. Some mornings it’s soft and muted, like the ocean’s holding its breath. Other days, the sky cracks wide open with brilliance. It’s in these moments — watching the land, sea, and sky dance together — that I’m reminded why I keep coming back.

You get to invite five people to take photos of at surf break Winkipop. Who are you inviting and why?

Shyama Buttonshaw, Thor Feldman, Dan Ross, Casey Mccrohan and Darcy Day.

Because of their ever-binding connection to the ocean and themselves, forever adapting, progressing, learning and willingness to be humbled.

What do you like to get up to when you’re not behind the lens?

I look after kids — half the week as a live-in nanny, and the other half as an education support at Aireys Primary School. It’s a rhythm I’ve grown to love. Being around them, every day reminds me of the true meaning of life: to have fun and be present.

Kids have this beautiful way of living in the moment, and it’s contagious. Over time, they’ve come to feel like family. It’s not just a job — it’s a connection.

I get to be a part of their world, to share in their curiosity, their milestones, their little wins. It’s incredibly rewarding, not only witnessing their growth but knowing I get to play even a small part in it.

 

What’s good about where we live?

Solace. Whether it’s found in the ocean, the land, or the people, there’s a quiet comfort here that’s hard to ignore. The environment has a way of slowing you down, grounding you.

The community, too — open, connected, real.

Our grass really is greener here. Not because it’s perfect, but because it’s real. It’s nurtured by connection — to the environment that surrounds us and to each other.

RAPID RIV:

I’m coming over for dinner, what are you cooking? Two-minute noodles or a chicken rice bowl if you’re lucky.

Favourite movie? A Complete Unknown.

Pump up song in the car on way to the beach? Anything by Dire Straits.

$1 million; what are you doing with it? Get a neat pick-up F truck, some more camera gear and some travel.

Favourite person to photograph? My dog and 60 series.