How long have you been a photographer?
I have had an interest in Photography since I was a child. I went to School on Sydney's Northern Beaches Peninsula. I used to take black and white photographs of the sand hills and beaches. I had my own dark room and I eventually went on to study photography at college and university and I also obtained a Graduate Diploma in Media Studies. After my studies I moved to Western Australia where I lived for eight years. During that time I explored the wild coasts, gorges, deserts and forests. Since leaving there I've travelled all over Australia.
What is your favourite place?
I'm now based on the East Coast but I call every part of Australia home, as I travel for many months every year. Some of my favourite places include The South West, Ningaloo, The Kimberley, Queensland's Islands, The Desert Regions, the Headlands of the East and South Coast, the Tropical Rainforests and the wilderness of Tasmania. Australia is so diverse it's impossible to pick a favourite. However I love camping by the coast and looking out to the horizon, there are some magic places in Australia where you can do this.
What makes a good photograph?
As well as classic subject matter a combination of good composition, technique and great light. I've sometimes camped in spots for days and during these time you can see the light work it's magic. Photography can capture those fleeting awe-inspiring moments. My love of the outdoors has led to a fascination with photographing the beauty and moods of the natural world. Rather than manipulate the image on a computer or in a darkroom I use the light and the weather to achieve what I want to say about the landscape. The print is a reproduction of what the scene actually looked like.
What equipment do you use?
I use both panorama and technical cameras. The panorama system is wonderful for capturing wide vistas. I can achieve a 140-degree angle of view with a Noblex camera, which has a rotating lens. One of my favourite cameras is a 5x4 field camera that I had custom made, it is made of Titanium and Ebony Wood. With the Ebony I can achieve a greater depth of field and perspective control through camera movements, while still using a wide-angle lens. This means I can concentrate on details in the foreground as well as the background - giving the viewer a sense of standing in the scene. This camera also allows me to look at minute details in close up, which is something traditional panorama cameras can't do. While the Ebony may be technically difficult and slower to use, the print quality produced from the transparencies is stunning.
What was your most difficult assignment?
In late 1999 I was selected as the official photographer for an expedition into the remotest part of the Karakoram Range, Pakistan. The expedition trekked the entire length of the longest glaciers in the world - The Biafo and the Hispar. The goal was an attempt at the summit of an unclimbed mountain on the Hispar Pass. I returned with some stunning high altitude panoramas of the peaks and the beautiful and seldom visited Snow Lake. During the trip I lost 10 kilos and we ran out of food for three days. I was snow bound in a tent for 4 days. It was an experience on the edge. |
