Krystle Wright is the Aussie woman who'll do anything for a photo. Anything.

Image: Ben Sturgulewski

Krystle Wright hasn’t led a traditional sort of life. The 32-year-old born and raised Queenslander has built a reputation for being into the extreme: travelling where there’s no WiFi, hanging from cliff faces, wading through murky waters… and taking exquisite photos at the same time.

Which is why the Queensland-born adventure photographer has earned the reputation as a woman who pushes the boundaries of life and art – literally.

Growing up on the Sunshine Coast of Australia, Krystle says she knew from a young age that she was meant to live the life she’s living.

“I knew I had to be outside, I knew that’s the only way I could be happy,” she tells Mamamia. “I was always comfortable being out of my comfort zone.”

 

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This is 21 year old Krystle (which btw is 10 years ago). I gloriously fucked up many times throughout my 20s in both my career and personal life but I can say that I don’t carry any regrets… Even my overseas adventures to exotic dentists who caused the odd momentary excruciating hell. • On April 28/29 in Sydney ????????, I’ll be sharing my story on stage for @apertureaustralia and be sure to use This code for a discount: KW150 \\||// @canonaustralia @aquatech_imagingsolutions @keen @bigagnes_ @fstopgear @thepoolcollective #sponsored #KEENambassador ????

A post shared by Krystle Wright (@krystlejwright) on Mar 19, 2018 at 4:06pm PDT

 

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????: @thebuslife // Currently I’m posted up by a power socket in Heathrow airport awaiting my next flight after wrapping a two week trip rallying around the West Coast USA. Occasionally I talk about the pitfalls of a transient lifestyle but one of the greatest things I’m thankful for is the chance to bring the crew together in different cities/places over ‘family dinners.’ Because I don’t have the luxury of time to stay in the one place for long, I want to make the most of the fleeting moments and bring friends together over good food and (subjectively) great music. It’s good for the soul. And so is cuddling dogs at the bottom of crags @garminoutdoor #descentmk1

A post shared by Krystle Wright (@krystlejwright) on Nov 6, 2018 at 3:18am PST

Now, a self-described “international nomad”, Krystle travels to the ends of the earth for one thing: the chance to get that elusive, but perfect, shot. Of all things, it was a severe hang-gliding injury in Pakistan that helped her decide that adventure photography was her life’s calling.
“At the end of 2011, I was injured very badly, and then not long after, I was offered the chance to be a guide on a ship,” Krystle explains.

“It was to teach people how to take photos of wildlife in Antarctica, and I loved that idea. Being on the ship, it’s meant I’ve been a nomad ever since.”

 

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A post shared by Krystle Wright (@krystlejwright) on Dec 13, 2017 at 4:54pm PST

At the end of last year, Krystle was called home. She was asked to capture the spirit and warmth of spectacular Cairns and the Northern Territory in the latest campaign for the Great Northern Brewing Company.

It was a chance to combine three of her great loves: a cold beer, Queensland, and photography. The 32-year-old was also enthusiastic about the opportunity to show that yes, women drink beer too.

“Seventy-eight percent of women agree that beer advertising tends to talk more to men than women,” Krystle says.

“I so wanted to talk about beer from a female perspective. “It was exciting to think I was bringing a message from one Queenslander to another.”

And so last December, Krystle travelled to Cairns and Darwin to photograph model, hiker and camping enthusiast Shayelle LaJoie, and others, in the breathtaking natural scenery of Tropical North Queensland and the Northern Territory.

One of the days of the shoot was the hottest day on record in Cairns (42.6 degrees). The shoot itself was gruelling: Krystle waded through leech-infested waters, and scaled her way up rocks, to capture the magic of the natural landscape.

For Krystle, it was absolutely worth it. Take a look at some of the incredible images she captured:

It's an experience Krystle says she'll never forget.

"It's not often you do a shoot and then jump into a waterfall," she says.

"The challenge as a storyteller is to make people relate. I wanted to talk to a female audience about something they don't often get to hear from women about, and something they aren't usually involved in, and I got to do that with this campaign."

It should come as no surprise that Krystle loves a crisp beer after pushing herself to the limits.

"It's the best way to end the day."

This content was brought to you with thanks by our brand partner, Great Northern Brewing Company.

For more information, and to see Krystle's full campaign, visit Great Northern Brewing Company on Facebook and Instagram.