Good Chat: Casey Foley
Growing up in Oamaru, New Zealand, during the late '90s skate boom, Casey Foley was hyped on skateboarding the moment he threw down on a $10 board – and not much has changed since. Casey's love for skateboarding has never wavered, even when an ankle injury in 2010 led him to pick up a camera, sparking a new way to document the scene around him.
Photos: Casey Foley / IG: @caseyfoley1 Cover Photo: Martin Matayubura
Fast forward to today, and Casey’s vision behind the lens is just as distinct as his video parts in front of it. It’s clear that Casey’s creativity isn’t just a side note to his skating ability. He’s spent over a decade immersed in skate culture, capturing the raw energy of his peers, along with street and music photography. With roots in Melbourne and Adelaide's skate scenes, he’s been an integral part of documenting both cities' ever-evolving skate landscapes, all while crafting zines like Ducktales, FORM, and his latest project, Terrace.
In this GOOD CHAT, we dive into Casey’s evolution from his Oamaru stomping grounds to the present, exploring the inspirations behind his skating and photography, and discovering what’s next for the multi-hyphenate.
Casey, good to connect man. Where are you based right now?
Hey mate! Yeah you too man! I'm living in Adelaide now. Been here a few years after living in Melbourne for 13 or so.
You grew up in Oamaru, New Zealand. How did you get into skateboarding and what was it like growing up there?
Yeah, man. I started skating in 1999 when there was a boom of baggy jeans, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater, Limp Bizkit (lol) and things like that. It was the shit in school and all the cool kids skated, so naturally I wanted to get into it. I purchased my first board for $10 cash from a dude at school. From memory, it was the biggest hunk of crap ever.
Haha, $10 was a steal...
It didn't even have griptape, haha. The show Rocket Power got me super hyped on skating too. There were some insanely talented skaters in the town at the time to look up to. Some of the guys were so ahead of their time. I remember my friend Ricardo did 10 Kicky BS Tail Shuvs in a row when we were like 15. Being a grommy, watching VHS videos with your homies, drinking fizzy drinks all day and skating every waking moment, there's nothing better. In the later years of my teens, the local store Soul Surf & Skate built a ramp in the attic of the shop, so there were Friday night sessions there, before sneaking into the night clubs. The energy was so good.
Sounds like a pretty solid place to grow up. What inspired you to first pick up a camera? What kinda camera was it?
I'm pretty sure it was when I broke my ankle back in 2010. I wasn't skating so I needed something fun to do. I bought a little Digi Cam to document the good times. We were all pretty wild back then and partying heaps, so I was documenting everything and posting on Tumblr, haha. I have no idea what brand or anything it was. Later down the track, I bought a Canon 5d Mark II from the homie Connal.
The MKII was my first professional digital camera too – its was a bit of a work horse.
Yeah, mine lasted me around 8 years.
As a grom, who were your skate influences?
I've always been so influenced by heads with good style. I remember watching Karl Watson in the Ninja Bearings promo in 411 and being blown away. Same with Henry Sanchez's part in Sight Unseen. Even when I was like 13, I thought that was the best shit ever. That was also the first time I'd heard proper Hip-Hop music (in their parts), which sparked a whole other love of music.
On that, who's had the hardest track in a part that you can think of?
Ooft! Great question... I'd say Pete Eldridge skating to Sean Price is up there, haha.
What about behind the lens?
I feel like I'm a bit of a late bloomer to the world of photography, so I didn't really get inspired by specific photographers till later in my life, but Daido Moriyama's street photography was a huge inspiration for me. Plus being around guys like Jake Darwin and Jason Morey in their early years was also super inspiring.
In New Zealand, you used to skate and film with Geoff Campbell, did he have any influence on your image-making processes or outputs?
Yeah, I met Geoff when I was like 14 or 15! Geoff has been an inspiration on many levels throughout the years. He was in one of the first magazines I ever owned, Switch Ollieing an 11 stair. He was literally one of the best skaters in New Zealand for a while. He didn't have any influence on image-making specifically, but introduced me to a world of underground skateboarding throughout the mid 2000's, which guided my specific taste in skating. He got me into videos like Blueprints 'Lost & Found', the 'Static' series, Zoo York 'Mixtape', Trilogy etc. Geoff’s always had great taste, which heavily influenced the way I skate and what I'm into.
Do you remember your first frame of you featured in print?
My first skate photo in Manual was a Nollie Lipslide at this awesome spot in Melbourne, shot by Jason Morey. I'll try to find it for you.
What about photos you've taken?
Honestly, I never really submitted photos to magazines hey!
What was the catalyst for moving from New Zealand to Melbourne?
As a teenager in Oamaru, I would always get the bus by myself to other cities to skate, so leaving the town was always in the back of my head. I always felt like there was more to offer elsewhere, and the thought of Melbourne was in my head for a long time. Geoff and a bunch of other Kiwi skaters had lived there before, so they pushed me to go. I saved up like $15K working at the local abattoir and got out of there! Best decision of my life for sure. My hometown is beautiful, but there's a lot of negativity there.
What was the scene like when you first landed in Melbourne?
It was weird but cool. Skating in Australia was still very 'hammer' focused, so I didn't feel like I fit in for a while. When Geoff and a bunch of the NZ homies moved back over, I felt more at home. Through Geoff, I made friends with the POON crew (Jack Kirk, Callum Paul, Bryce Golder etc) in around 2010, and they were so incredible to skate with. Proper all-around skate rats and powerhouses.
How has skateboarding influenced your photography process?
I think the act of just 'giving it a go' and trying over and over until you get the right one.
A skateboarder's perseverance.
Even today, I was working with my friend Jay to get an image, and I had to get him to do it like 10 times before I got the right shot. Try not to be discouraged by attempts, and just make slight improvements until you get the right one.
You've always been into DIY projects. Tell us a little more about your personal zines DUCKTALES, FORM, and accompanying projects with Butter (Expansions). Any plans to do more zines or photo books?
Yeah for sure man. Ducktales just came from wanting to document my friends in Melbourne and create memories. When it started, social media wasn't like it is now, so it was a great outlet to showcase my friends and the scene in Melbourne. I look back at Ducktales and think it was a bit cringey, but it was still fun documenting the good times!
FORM was a little more structured. Even though I only managed to print two issues, it was a bit more professional, with distribution through the homies at Cash Only, advertisements & contributing photographers. When Covid hit, I kind of lost the momentum and brands had to cut their advertising spends, so it was kind of the end of that. I've struggled to get the motivation to create print matter since, but I've just started an IG account called @terrace.adl to highlight the scene in Adelaide and showcase the local talent. Eventually, I'll make a book or exhibit the work, but for now, I'm just shooting heaps and trying to light a fire under the scene out here...
You've been shooting for 12+ years, what's your favourite kinda skate frame?
That's a hard question to answer, but I would say my favourite photo I've taken is this image of my favourite skater, Jahmal Williams while filming a line in New York back in 2016.
What's your thought process behind framing and composition?
I honestly don't think about it too much. I usually just have the image in my head of what I want it to look like, and try my best to make it happen, through trial and error. These days I've been really inspired by dudes like Matt Price and Riley Walker. Close up fisheye, 90's shit. It's really fucking hard, but when it works out, the images are priceless.
How long have you been on Butter Goods?
Since 2013 I think! So like 11 years now! Those guys are the absolute best and the hardest-working dudes I've ever met.
You've dropped a handful of signature collection with them. How did they come about and are there plans to do more capsules?
Yeah man, I was so hyped to get the opportunity to do that. I don't think there's any plans to do another one. I kind of like being a little bit more under the radar these days. There's a few younger international riders who are absolutely killing it, so I'm sure they will be next in line for the new signature drops.
The Butter team recently dropped Ginger Shot. What was your favourite line in the edit?
I think Adilson's opening line (46 seconds) was my favourite from the clip. Hitting that ledge at that speed is so ridiculous. He's quite a short guy too, so it was super impressive seeing him hit that with so much power. Dude is a beast!
When you're not rolling, you seem to always have a camera in hand. Do you have a certain approach to skating and taking photos during these group projects?
On trips, I always try my best to have a camera on me. In a new city/country with nothing but your homies and skateboarding, there's always something to document.
Are you cooking up any other parts or projects at the moment?
I'm actually coming back from an MCL injury and I'm still not 100%. Even though I can skate and film fun stuff for IG, I don't think I'm ready to film another full part. I think I've put out a part or clip every year for the past 10 years, so I'm enjoying just filming on my phone and taking it easy.
(Insert iPhone Skate Gif)
Damn, man, I hope you heal up soon. Plenty of extra time for photography, no doubt. A clip or part every year for 10 years is no small feat. You've obviously traveled a lot throughout your skateboarding career. What's been your favorite destination – to skate and to take photos?
I really like New York hey. I first went there when I was 21 to shoot for Manual Magazine, and did some of the best skating of my life! There's something special about that city. It can bring out the best in you for sure. I did 2 other trips there in 2013 and 2016 and had such a good time. Just skating all day, hitting new spots, going to bars and being grimy as hell haha.
Photography wise, Catania, Sicily was super sick. Every morning, my good friend Leigh Barlow and I would go to the markets and just people watch and take photos. The golden morning sun, interesting characters everywhere & awesome food. That was heaps of fun for sure.
What's the wildest thing you've done to get the shot?
I don't think it's wild, but shooting this one (below) at the hip was a bit scary to be honest...
Shit, what's going on there?
This was shot during a filming mission for Lenz 3 in Osaka. We had just finished skating for the night when it started raining heavily. As soon as we left the station, I saw a bunch of police and was curious about all the commotion. As we got closer, I noticed the old man was okay, so I quickly snapped a photo without thinking much about it. The photo looks super gnarly for sure. The look on the police officer's face, the rain, the white gloves, the shoe poking out, and the legs at the back of the car all spark all types of questions.
It looks so gnarly in black and white too – I'm glad old mate was ok. Do you prefer black & white or colour photos?
Both for sure... I think it depends on the photo.
Outside of skateboarding, you've shot a lot of street and some music photos. What else do you enjoy taking photos of besides skating?
I had a solid few years of being into street photography for sure. I was so hyped on Daido Moriyama that I'd just take my Ricoh GR II out every day before work in Melbourne CBD and shoot heaps. I've been getting more into Super 8 and documenting Adelaide City and nature. Super 8 is just so timeless and always looks beautiful.
I've noticed you're an avid Wu-Tang fan. What music gets you hyped to skate?
I'm a huge WU fan, haha. Ever since I was 14 or something. My friends and I would go to house parties when we were 16 or so with 36 Chambers & GZA's Liquid Swords on burned CD's and completely take over the party. We were all wearing Timberland boots and shit too haha. Soo bad.
Haha, 36 Chambers is timeless. There's so many classic Wu albums between all members. Raekwon and Ghostface as a duo too... What do you listen to for creative inspiration?
Right now, I'm really into guys like Galt Macdermott & Bob James, who made some of the most timeless music of all time & pretty much built the sound we know as hip-hop today. I'm super into Thee Sacred Souls at the moment too. They played at WOMAD here this year, which was a beautiful experience I'll never forget. I'm always looking for new songs to edit/skate to, so if I hear a song & there's like 30 seconds in there I could film a clip to, I'll get out there and try to make it happen.
What cameras are you running at the moment? What's in your Hung Supply Sidewalk Camera Sling?
I've got the Ricoh GR II, Canon RP & Olympus MJU ii.
If you could only shoot one camera for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Ricoh GR II.
Name three Instagram handles we should check out and why. They can be photographers, friends, inspirations...
@silvano_wutangforever - It's just some mega fan from Brazil who posts old Wu clips, songs, etc. To any younger guys wanting to hear some proper music, follow his page.
@cultoftom - Tom Penny archival footage, thats just straight up magic from one of the best skaters of all time.
@fredgallsfeet - Classic skateboarding of all generations, with a heavy emphasis on style & trick selection. I don't know who the person who runs it, but we have a very similar taste in skateboarding. I owe you a beer mate!
Finally, which three people (living or past), would you want to take on a skate photo trip and why? Where are you headed?
Jahmal Williams, Quim Cardona and Keith Hufnagel, New York City.
All three of these guys just have so much style and swag. Literally every image taken of these guys is timeless & pairing it up with the NYC backdrop would be a dream. Rest In Peace HUF.
Rest In Peace HUF. Thanks for the chat, man. I hope the leg heaps up soon, we need another part.
Check our more of Casey's work below. Follow him on Instagram and check out his latest photography project, Terrace.
Casey BS 5050 Ollie - Photo: Tomoki Peters
