About

Craig 'CPL' Levers is an international award winning photographer. In 2008 Craig started publishing books under the name Photo CPL Media, there have been 6 hardcover books made. 

The first book, named Photo CPL, is a retrospective of Craig’s magazine work from 1991 to 2008. It sold so well it made sense to do another book. 

Beached As-Our New Zealand Beaches Vol 1 released in 2009. It hit a common thread with all Kiwis, our favourite stretches of sand. It is now completely SOLD OUT.

Beached As-Then and Now stepped everything up a notch. Over 2 years in the making Craig retraced the travels of his Auntie Audrey- reproducing her images from 70 years ago.

Book 4 was a shift back to hardcore surf. The South Seas- New Zealand’s Best Surf book pooled NZ’s premier surf photographers' best work. The 200 plus page book, credited as the best surf book to ever come out of NZ, is also completely sold out. Watch this space.

In 2014 PhotoCPL published Warren Hawke's retropective; NZ Surf- Captured By A Surf Lens.  The 208 page hardcover coffee-table book is fast becoming a run away hit. 

In 2016 The Big Little Beach Book was published. Distilling the best of The Beached As books and refining the formula. The Big Little Beach Book is exactly that; small in stature [A5 landscape] but stout with over 200 pages of Kiwi beaches.

Before 2008 Craig was New Zealand Surfing Magazine's Editor'n'Chief for 8 years. He was the magazine's Senior Photographer for 15 years [1993-2008]. During this time the title reached all time readership and revenue heights.  Craig was a part of Surf Magazines' [worldwide] golden years.     

Photography remains Craig’s burning passion. He uses both analogue and digital cameras today. A lot of the panoramic images on this website come from his 617 film cameras. Craig still shoots surfing for leading surf brands and media.