Laid up with a knee injury, the young miner studied the manual for his new camera, keen to take a few shots of his mates surfing.

Despite spending half his time in the pits of Illawarra mines, the young Thirroul man quickly developed a knack for capturing nuances of light and the ocean’s form.

His surf shots landed him on the covers of Surfing Life and Tracks, and within a few years companies like Apple, National Geographic, Red Bull and Qantas were using his work.

On Friday, the 31-year-old will launch his first book Found At Sea, which features more than 100 breathtaking seascapes captured by Mr Collins during his career.

‘‘There are so many places in the Illawarra that are really photogenic and they feature heavily in the book,’’ he said.

‘‘I try not to name too many names but they’re pretty much between Stanwell Park and Ulladulla. There are some of the best waves in the world along that stretch.’’

And Mr Collins would know.

He has travelled the globe photographing the world’s best surfers, including Kelly Slater, who wrote the foreword for Mr Collins’s book and counts him as a friend.

‘‘When we see a swell on the weather charts we’ll ring each other and see what the other person is thinking, and organise somewhere to shoot to escape the crowds,’’ Mr Collins said.

‘‘I’ve even brought him down to Wollongong a couple of times, actually.’’

Nowadays Mr Collins is focusing on his ocean photography and can be found hunting along the coastline with a strong coffee in hand, ready to wade into the ocean at first light.

‘‘It’s fascinating how much the water can change from day to day ...  I’m just kind of drawn to it, I guess,’’ he said.

Mr Collins will launch his book at 7pm on Friday at Ryan’s Hotel, Thirroul.