Footy can be tough. It was and continues to be one of the hardest things I’ve done in my life. The daily grind can get us all down sometimes, players, coaches, staff; we all feel the effects at times.

So it’s important to find that special something that helps realign your focus and motivation. For me that is photography.

I’ve always had a passion for photography. There wouldn’t be many out there who don’t love travelling and seeing the sites of the world and I enjoy capturing it and creating memories that can last forever.

I’m a Melbourne boy and regard it as one of the best cities in the world, some of the views you can find there are a great source of inspiration for me.

When I moved to Adelaide after being drafted, I lived with Lewis Stevenson and his passion for photography helped grow mine — he’s actually doing a bit of it in Sydney at the moment.

I guess I’m a self-taught photographer, in a sense, and I haven’t had any formal training or education — I just bought a camera and went from there.

For me, it’s about a sense of freedom. Once you’re there in the moment, taking some photos, you forget about everything else. We all know how important it is to have something outside of football and this is my avenue and I feel like it’s helping.

Every break we get, I try to go away for a couple of days and that’s where I take my camera. It’s my way of getting out of the footy bubble. It’s important for me to have that balance.

When you first get into the system, you tend to live and breathe footy because you want to earn the respect of your teammates and coaches, so you focus all your energy into that.

You’re trying to do everything to get a game, essentially. But later on, I’ve been able to balance my life a bit better and photography has gone a long way to helping me find that.

These days, I feel like I’ve got it pretty close to spot on. It’s great to get out by myself, take in the views and just take some photos.

I recently made a website to display my work but it’s not about selling the images, I get greater personal satisfaction in seeing my work highlighted in such a way.

I do a bit of research and scouting for locations — a lot of which involve Instagram, which is great these days for finding specific areas to draw inspiration — where I think I can add a different perspective.

New York provides a lot of inspiration for me. A favourite image of mine came from on Top of The Rock in Manhattan, where you can see the Empire State Building, the whole of Manhattan and views expanding to Brooklyn.

The architecture they have in America is another level. I also enjoy landscapes and street shots, which is in abundance in the states — if you haven’t seen either Cole Younger’s, Ray Livez or Debodoes’ Instagram page, you’re missing out!

Next on my radar is Europe, where I’m sure I’ll be blown away by the scenery. Ultimately, this is a passion for me and a way to escape and explore the fruits the world has to offer, but I can’t wait to share it.

TO SEE ANY OF KARL AMON’S PHOTOS, YOU CAN FOLLOW HIM ON INSTAGRAM OR GO TO HIS WEBSITE.