Veterans Instameet's 10th Birthday.

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 I can't believe it has been 10 years since Warrick Eady and I decided to get together and create our own little veteran based photography group. It was May 2014 and we'd both recently discharged from the Army and had our shared passion for photography. Looking around Sydney there were no veteran support networks that offered photography, so we decided to set up our own. 

Veterans Instameet #1 saw Warrick and I at Bondi, we put out the word via our small social page (less than 100 followers) and had one other attendee, a Brazilian bloke who hadn't served. The Veterans Instameet has since grown into the community we have around us now, 41 past instameets across three states, two virtual instameets and a huge support network stretched around the nation.

I am deeply grateful for everyone who has supported this little Veteran support organisation over the years. A big thanks goes to Andrew 'Juddo' Judson for stepping up once Warrick left to help me running the events themselves. To all those who have attended events, those that have purchased our merch and donated to funding, even to those who are always liking and sharing our posts on social media, I say thank you!


To celebrate, we're getting together for a few drinks and dinner on Sunday 19th May 2024 from 5:30pm at the Pyrmont Bridge Hotel.

It is going to be a chilled out evening, order your own food and drinks, we didn't want to go through the pain in the ass of setting up anything formal. We'll have our own space reserved, so you're more than welcome to just drop in and say HI, or hang around all night. All we ask is you register so we have an indication of numbers.

We will be drawing the winner of our 10th Birthday raffle on the night too, so be sure to get your donation in via our PayPal account, click here.

Our Veterans Instameets have always been and will continue to be free of charge, though participation via contribution is encouraged. We don't ask for a huge donation, though each event is costing us money through insurances etc. We wish to continue to build a kitty to help us purchase more gear and fund events in the future. To donate to our PayPal account, click here.

Let me know if you have any questions or queries.

Mathew Bell - 0409 241 419







Location:

We will be meeting at the Pyrmont Bridge Hotel, 96 Union St, Pyrmont NSW 2009 at 5:30pm. 




Our Supporters for the Giveaway!

We have teamed up with some of our long term supporters in a raffle to raise funds for future events and more gear to support our crew. Each dollar donated to our PayPal account puts you into the draw to win an amazing prize pack from these champions:







Who Are We?!


We are a veterans photography group called the Veterans Instameet. Initially set up in 2014 by myself, Mathew Bell, a former grunt and an ex-engineer, Warrick Eady. We had both just come back from service in Afghanistan and found common ground through photography. After discharge we both felt completely disconnected from the defence community and found there was no photography outlets or groups veteran based. We felt that having this shared interest, we could get other like minded veterans together with photography as the basis and have fun and keep the connections to members post discharge. We soon expanded the group to include families of defence members and then the emergency services. We welcomed Andrew Judson on as one of the event volunteers, with his 10 years in defence, a background in personal training and a budding outdoorsman to boot.

We have since run 41 events in and around Sydney, Canberra and the Gold Coast.

We are comprised of former ADF members, current serving members, children of veterans, the emergency services, SES and a number of non serving civilians who support us and what we've been through.


Please Note:
As most of the events are outdoors, there is always a physical element. Most events require a walk from the carpark to the area of interest or a more strenuous trek. The majority of events are mobile, meaning we're constantly on the move while shooting. The important aspect to us is the psychological well being that comes from a day. The aim is for everyone to have fun and make connections to other people with shared backgrounds. Photography is in the background most of the time, we have the aim for everyone to chat, laugh and shoot photos. 
Each event carries risk and by registering and attending the event, each participant agrees to take responsibility for their own safety. Safety is everyone's responsibility and if in doubt, or if anyone feels unsafe it is the individual’s responsibility to sit out the event or highlight it to the other members.  Each participant assumes all risk associated with any activity whilst with the Veterans Instameet. Each participant assumes full responsibility for themselves, their choices, their actions and their equipment. 






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Veterans Instameet #41 - Refuge Bay

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 Come and join the Veterans Instameet crew for our 41st instameet on Sunday 10th March 2024.


Grab your sunscreen and towel as we're hitting the water with the Saltwater Veterans crew for a special excursion to Refuge Bay.

We will be meeting at Rowland Reserve at Bayview, near the boat ramp, then heading up Pittwater and into the Hawkesbury via the Saltwater Veterans fleet of boats. The plan is to land on the beach, listen to archaeologist Stirling Smith give an overview of the site with Z-Force, and then for those fit and able, a climb up the cliff to the top of the waterfall. Of course, taking photos and having fun along the way.

Be sure to wear sturdy footwear, bring plenty of water and some snacks. We still strongly encourage wearing appropriate footwear and bringing some wet weather gear in case of rain.

Registrations via the link below are a MUST for ALL wanting to participate on the day, numbers are capped at 15 participants. It is first in with the full registration and payment. We are asking for a $15 contribution from each participant to help pay for the the fuel for the boats.

If you can't make it along, please SHARE this event with any Veterans you know that are into photography, word of mouth is our best tool in spreading our reach and growing the community.

We have three cameras available to anyone who wishes to try their hand at photography but doesn't want to commit to buying their own gear. If you'd like to borrow the cameras and tripods please let me know beforehand so I can ensure there are there on the day.

Our Veterans Instameets have always been and will continue to be free of charge, though participation via contribution is encouraged. We don't ask for a huge donation, though each event is costing us money through insurances etc. We wish to continue to build a kitty to help us purchase more gear and fund events in the future. To donate to our PayPal account, click here.

Let me know if you have any questions or queries.

Mathew Bell - 0409 241 419






Location:

We will be meeting at Rowland Reserve on Pittwater Road, Bayview NSW 2104 at 9:30am. Parking is available via the carpark or on street parking, which we'd recommend as it is free street parking vs paid parking in the carpark.






Our Supporters on the Day!

We have teamed up with Saltwater Veterans and their crew of volunteers who are donating their time and boats to get us out onto the water. Be sure to follow them on your socials, take plenty of photos of the on the day and tag them in your posts and stories.




Who Are We?!


We are a veterans photography group called the Veterans Instameet. Initially set up in 2014 by myself, Mathew Bell, a former grunt and an ex-engineer, Warrick Eady. We had both just come back from service in Afghanistan and found common ground through photography. After discharge we both felt completely disconnected from the defence community and found there was no photography outlets or groups veteran based. We felt that having this shared interest, we could get other like minded veterans together with photography as the basis and have fun and keep the connections to members post discharge. We soon expanded the group to include families of defence members and then the emergency services. We welcomed Andrew Judson on as one of the event volunteers, with his 10 years in defence, a background in personal training and a budding outdoorsman to boot.

We have since run 40 events in and around Sydney, Canberra and the Gold Coast.

We are comprised of former ADF members, current serving members, children of veterans, the emergency services, SES and a number of non serving civilians who support us and what we've been through.


Please Note:
As most of the events are outdoors, there is always a physical element. Most events require a walk from the carpark to the area of interest or a more strenuous trek. The majority of events are mobile, meaning we're constantly on the move while shooting. The important aspect to us is the psychological well being that comes from a day. The aim is for everyone to have fun and make connections to other people with shared backgrounds. Photography is in the background most of the time, we have the aim for everyone to chat, laugh and shoot photos. 
Each event carries risk and by registering and attending the event, each participant agrees to take responsibility for their own safety. Safety is everyone's responsibility and if in doubt, or if anyone feels unsafe it is the individual’s responsibility to sit out the event or highlight it to the other members.  Each participant assumes all risk associated with any activity whilst with the Veterans Instameet. Each participant assumes full responsibility for themselves, their choices, their actions and their equipment. 

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