| What does CPL mean? It wasn’t a marketing masterplan, in 1993 surf mags were cluttered with freelance photographers trying to get their name and brand out there. They influenced mag editors to help them out by running a long and big photo credit with the full name of their respective photographic companies. It is a common misconception that an editor is obliged to run a credit on an image, it’s not a hard and fast rule and it’s simply up to the style of the publication. More often than not the editor is happy to and wants to help out his photographic buddies. It was often joked that some photogs had gone for the longest possible credit to ensure their images were used a decent size, just so the credit fitted.
So, borne in to a climate of convoluted tags, Craig Peter Levers simply started from the get go with his initials- CPL. It wasn’t being particularly clever, it was more a reaction to the climate, a point of difference and a pleasing adherence to the punk/hardcore ethos of striping things to their bones. Keep It Simple. Besides, invariably it would be Craig that was manually typing the credit in.
It did create a buzz; who’s CPL? What’s CPL? What's a CPL? Two decades on it’s very happily associated with some of New Zealand’s favourite surfing images. But Craig’s photographic work isn’t limited to the world of waves, while it’s his base, over years he has diversified into Commercial, Landscape, Art photography. He’s also worked as staff photographer for NZ Wilderness Magazine and now Alfresco Magazine.
Craig still writes a regular blog on NZ’s best surf website www.surf2surf.com and was the contract photographer for the 2009 Hyundai Longboard Circuit. He's also the proud publisher of 09 Magazine.
Craig is available for freelance work, including surf photography, interested? Email him.
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