Career came out of the blue

NZONE freefall photographer Matt Schreurs on one of the tandem skydives this year. Photo supplied.
NZONE freefall photographer Matt Schreurs on one of the tandem skydives this year. Photo supplied.
In January last year, Matt Schreurs was attempting his second tandem skydive in Queenstown as a customer.

Now, he has joined the NZONE skydive team.

The Invercargill man became a skydive photographer this month after being inspired to join New Zealand Skydiving School in Methven last June.

By January, he was ready to start working as a freefall cameraman with NZONE Skydive in Queenstown, where he made his only two tandem skydive jumps, the first back in 2006.

Mr Schreurs chose to live in Queenstown for the relaxed lifestyle, outdoor sports, nightlife and "the best scenery in New Zealand".

He had been looking for something to get him out of the "nine to five grind" and was considering an overseas trip, but on on a flight from Queenstown to Christchurch, he thought about the rush of jumping out of a plane.

"I couldn't be happier with where I am right now."

The possibilities in skydiving were endless, he said.

"There are a lot of different aspects to skydiving, with freefall, canopy flight, rigging, plus the different disciplines within them."

His job as a freefall photographer involves taking pictures of customers who are tandem skydiving at a speed of 200kmh.

On each job he jumps with two cameras on his helmet, one for video recording and one for taking pictures, and uses a bite switch in his mouth to operate them.

The company is celebrating more than 21 years of skydiving, having taken more than 180,000 customers on jumps.

 

 

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