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Hello and welcome to my website.
I have been interested in photography for many years now, since my father first let me use his old Pentax ESII when I was in the early stages of high school. I was very fortunate as I grew up right next to a nature reserve in the picturesque town of Mt Martha in the south of Victoria, Australia. Being right next to the bush and the beach meant I spent the vast majority of my spare time discovering the many fascinating plant and animal communities on offer in that area, exploring them either by foot or in the family canoe. Getting my first car meant a huge leap in photographic opportunities, as I could travel much further, my expeditions sometimes spanning thousands of kilometers in search of new places and new subjects, and of course adventure on the way. Since leaving school I have completed a Batchelor of Applied Sciences degree in Ecotourism and worked as an interpreter/nightwalk guide/children’s activity supervisor on Fraser Island, QLD and around my original hometown of Mt Martha, among a number of other occupations. I have also written a couple of pieces for local publications. These days I spend much of my time around Airlie Beach in the Whitsundays, North Queensland. There are immense photographic opportunities in this region, from the many islands to the rainforests, river and floodplains- and the people. Currently, I work as a tour guide on the local crocodile safari and continue to undertake expeditions to various places in search of unique photographs. Other activities I enjoy include hiking, angling, kayaking, snorkeling, diving, travel, camping and most other outdoor recreational pursuits. As for the photography itself, my interest was initially sparked by some of the small, easily overlooked subjects, particularly frogs, freshwater fish and orchids. These all had a hidden beauty, so easily overlooked that I wanted to capture to share with others. So it was the macro side of photography that was the real driving force, and today still plays a major role in my choice of subjects, as there seems to be a real void in closeups of many of the smaller plants and animals, which all have their own charm. As for the first camera I used, it was my father's Pentax ESII- a camera that had seen alot of action both in Australia and New Guinea. From these very humble beginnings, I have continued to develop my style and branch out into new areas. Since moving to North Queensland, I have decided to move into the realm of digital photography. In doing this I believe I have successfully taken my photography to new levels and explored techniques previously unavailable to me. One of the great advances in wildlife photography I believe is the invention of infra-red beam switches. These devices are very useful. I put my system together out of what is possibly a bulletproof industrial system. Its small size (smaller than an average disposeable cigarette lighter) means it is very unobtrusive and allows some spectacular photographs that are otherwise impossible. It can be set up in the flight path of a bird, or in an animal pathway and when the beam is broken it triggers the pre-set camera to fire a shot. With this system I can be a fair distance from the camera and so minimise disturbing the subject. Disturbing subjects is not something I aim to do. |
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