Meet Leo of Surf Girl NZ | Photography Workshop Co Host

If you've been following me for a while, you've probably heard me mention Leo.

I wanted to properly introduce her and tell you exactly why working alongside her felt like a no brainer from the very first conversation we had.

Because when I choose someone to be part of my photography workshops, it isn't just about how talented they are. It's about who they are, what they stand for and what they bring to the women in the room.

And Leo is pretty damn special.

Who Is Leo?

Leo is the founder of Surf Girl NZ, a six figure photography business built entirely around surf photography.

Anyone who has ever tried to shoot in the ocean knows how genuinely difficult it is. The gear, the timing, the conditions, the movement and the very real possibility of losing a shot, or a camera, to a single wave.

Leo has built an entire thriving business around mastering exactly that.

She knows how to work with the ocean, how to anticipate the conditions, how to use the right gear and how to create beautiful images while literally being in the water.

And she has spent years figuring it all out through experience.

A Woman Succeeding in a Male Dominated Space

Surf culture, and surf photography specifically, has historically been a male dominated space.

Leo built her business standing in that exact lineup, camera in hand, holding her own in a space that wasn't necessarily built with women in mind.

What she has created isn't just a successful photography business.

It's proof that women belong in that water too.

And I love that.

Because so much of what I teach through my photography education and in person photography workshops comes back to the same thing.

You don't need to wait for permission.

You don't need to fit into someone else's idea of what a photographer should look like.

And you certainly don't need to compete with other women to succeed.

There is room for all of us.

Why I Chose to Work With Her

When I think about who I want representing my workshops alongside me, it was never just about skill, although Leo's skill is undeniable.

It's about values.

We both believe deeply in seeing other women win.

Not competing with them.

Not gatekeeping our knowledge.

Not keeping the good stuff to ourselves.

But actively wanting to see other women succeed in spaces that weren't always built for us.

That's why Leo leads the water photography session at my in person photography workshops.

She teaches the exact checklist, gear and techniques that she has spent years mastering, so the women in the room don't have to learn everything the hard way like she did.

And honestly, watching that transformation happen is one of my favourite parts of our workshops.

Someone arrives thinking, “There is absolutely no way I could do this.”

And a few hours later, she's in the water with her camera, shooting.

That is what education should feel like to me.

Not intimidating.

Not competitive.

But empowering.

Our Core Values Line Up

I don't take collaborations lightly.

And I especially don't co host something as personal as my photography workshops with just anyone.

My workshops are about so much more than taking beautiful photographs.

They're about confidence.

They're about getting out of your own head.

They're about learning practical skills while being surrounded by women who genuinely want to see you succeed.

And Leo fits into that environment perfectly.

We share the same belief at the centre of everything we do:

Women supporting women, genuinely, not performatively.

Watching her teach a room full of women exactly how to shoot confidently in the water, many of them nervous and some of them having never even attempted it before, is one of my favourite parts of every workshop we run together.

She brings a completely different skill set to my own.

I teach women how to photograph and confidently pose real women, how to direct a client who isn't a professional model, how to create beautiful portraits and how to build the confidence to lead a shoot.

Leo teaches them how to take their camera into the water and create incredible surf and water photography.

Together, we get to give photographers a much bigger creative playground.

Why I Love Collaborating With Other Women

One of the things I have learned through building my own photography business is that you don't have to do everything alone.

There is this idea in business that you need to protect your knowledge.

That someone else succeeding somehow means there is less room for you.

I don't believe that.

I believe there is more than enough room for all of us.

When one woman becomes more confident, she gives another woman permission to become more confident too.

When one woman learns something new, she can pass that knowledge on.

And when women stop competing and start collaborating, something really beautiful happens.

That is the kind of environment I want to create through Nami Creative Education.

Follow Leo's Work

If you want to see more of Leo's incredible surf photography work, or learn more about her photography business and what she does, you can visit Surf Girl NZ.

And if you'd love to learn directly from both of us, keep an eye out for my upcoming in person photography workshops.

You can expect hands on photography education, real shooting experience, posing and directing, natural light, water and surf photography, business conversations, lots of laughs and a room full of women who are there to support each other.

Because I don't want you to leave my workshop with just a pretty gallery of images.

I want you to leave thinking:

“Holy shit. I can actually do this.”

And having Leo beside me makes that experience even better.

Nami x