1. How did you start in photography?
Slightly embarrassing story. I had a fight with my Art teacher in high school and got thrown out of the class and the only other thing at the same time was luckily a mix of art and science…. photography. The school had just put in a new darkroom one of the first for the state I believe and I was left alone to learn the art and science of wet darkroom photography.
2. What is your genre and how did you fall into that genre?
I’ve tried a little bit of everything (art, portrait, wedding, commercial) over the years, but now focusing on fine art photography.
3. What advice do you have for those starting out?
Enjoy yourself and take a lot of considered images. Over time the subject material and style will become evident, no need to rush. Learn outside your craft. Learn computing, play with software, look at art and see what is going on in the imaging world and most importantly, play.
4. If you could elect to have a drink and a conversation with anyone, currently living or not, within the photography world or not, open to anyone, who would it be and why?
Oh gosh, now that’s a hard one. There are a few people I would love to talk to. Right at the moment, I think either Kevin Kelly or Frank Herbert.
Kevin I came across whilst reading Wired Magazine. Such a thinker. Kevin Kelly is the founding executive editor of Wired magazine, and a former editor/publisher of the Whole Earth Review. He has also been a writer, photographer, conservationist, and student of Asian and digital culture. https://kk.org
Frank, well he was an amazing guy. Science Fiction novelist, newspaper journalist, photographer, book reviewer, ecological consultant, and lecturer.
Both future orientated people, systems thinkers, deep thinkers who see the big picture and communicate effectively.
5. What has been one of the most memorable moments in your career so far?
This is probably a little different way of seeing this question, but I still remember taking my first images and developing them in the darkroom all those years ago. It’s just so memorable to me, the interaction of art and science… pure alchemy. I get the same feeling one when I see something, take a photograph, get the raw and then onto the computer for developing, just less smelly. It’s the alchemy of the whole experience that is memorable.
6. What is your favourite piece of equipment?
Computer gear, my MacBookPro M1 Max, Camera gear, my D850 and 105mm macro, the 200mm is epic but its sooo heavy, and my ZWO Astrophotography camera. Oh and I would have to add my drones in as well… they have opened up imaging possibilities I had no idea existed. I like toys!
7. Are personal projects a part of your journey and if so where do you find the inspiration?
Oh definitely, at the moment all my work is self-generated exploration. Inspiration usually comes from random projects and journeys and finding a nugget, then exploring that further to build a vision. That could be photowalks with friends, out in nature, in the city, anything. There are a lot of ‘meh’ images, but then you come across something new or something with promise, and then I’m into refining that further. Probably one good example of that would be my Karijini series. What started to document a holiday soon became an intense focus area to build upon. Currently I’m doing a bit of deep space astrophotography.
8. What do you feel has been your biggest achievement so far?
Oh, there have been some good ones, and the best so far was a commission of 605 images to a new hotel complex in Abu Dhabi. It was amazing to be asked and to deliver on such a big project. I would also be remise if I didn’t mention Gary Giles, Paul Maietta and Paul Jays, in helping me accomplish this project. It was massive.
9. Do you feel your photography style has changed over the span of your career?
I don’t think so, what I think has happened is I can see my style emerging over the years but it’s the same thing that has been my focus regardless of the genre. For me, my style is about colour and form.
10. Do you have a dream you are yet to fulfill in your photographic journey?
Hahaha… sell another 10 hotels worth of images! Seriously though, there is so much to see in the world, and I have been grateful to have had the opportunity to see some of it (pre-COVID). I look forward to seeing more and creating images from those experiences.
11. If you had not have chosen photography as a profession/interest, what would you be doing?
Well, I am also a health care consultant, having spent 35 years in health care in the public and private system. Though biology was my first love at university.
12. How do you approach your post production and what programs do you use?
My approach to post production is very similar to wet/darkroom photography processing. My intent is to reveal my vision of the image. I am more an artist in that respect. The programs I use are varied. I use whatever works for me and the image. I explore and play a lot with various programs but there are a few core favourites. Capture One, Photoshop, Affinity, Lightroom, DxO PhotoLab, 3D LUT Creator, Topaz Labs Suite, Nik, Shape.
13. Where do you see the future of photography heading?
I see photography and imaging in general becoming much more accessible and relevant to our lives. Imaging is going to continue to make big leaps in capability, and then there is in the intersection of AR and VR as well. Interesting times.
14. Do you currently shoot film?
Yes, though its Instax film. I love it! Reminds me of the old Polaroid. I am doing some other chemical photography including wet plate collodion. That’s a learning challenge.
15. What is your favourite food, book, and movie?
Food: A good spicy seafood curry I think or a great salad.
Book: Dune or Gameplayers of Zan
Movie: Bladerunner or Dune (2021)
16. What is your guilty pleasure?
Time to play with image making. I still feel it’s a gift to be able to create images for a living/passion.
17. Is there a genre of photography that you have not tried but would love to?
Wet plate work is fascinating me at the moment. All has to be done live and quick. Also astrophotography is another recent project and if you thought Photoshop was complicated, wait till you try astrophotography post processing!
18. What makes a good photograph?
Gosh, I’m not sure there is a good answer for this one. One that captures your vision. It is such an interesting question. Sometimes I think I take a good photograph, only years later I think, yeah, its alright, not sure if its good. So there is definitely an evolution in style, form, competence and enjoyment.
19. Tell us what you’ve got going on with your photography and/or business right now?
Right now, I am looking at 1161 images from the Exmouth Solar Eclipse and about 100 images of deep sky astrophotography captures (nebula) from that trip. Business wise, I have been a bit slack with photography as I have spent the last year transitioning from my Health career into consulting. As that has settled down its time to deal with the backlog! The images are all there, they just need some love and attention.
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