Born (1975) and raised in South Africa, I moved to New Zealand with my parents when I was 17 years old. After completing my schooling, I attended Massey University in Palmerston North to study for a bachelors degree in Technology (Biotechnology and Bioprocess Engineering). Disillusioned and depressed, I abandoned my studies during my final year and turned towards artistic endeavours. I became fascinated with the art and science of photography after purchasing my very first camera, a basic Minolta SLR. I set about teaching myself as much about photography as I could through reading books and photography magazines. I returned to university the next year to complete my degree and traveled to South Africa soon after to visit extended family. I ended up finding employment in the water and wastewater treatment industry and stayed in Africa for more than two years. During that time, I went on a six week photographic trip through the arid landscapes of Namibia with only five rolls of slide film (all I could afford) for my Minolta. It was my first real photographic project, a chance to put all my learning to the test and it was an immensely rewarding experience. I returned to New Zealand and seriously started pursuing photography as an art and career. I completed a two-year diploma in professional photography at the Southern Institute of Technology in Invercargill in 2004. As part of my studies, I photographed the privately operated Tuatapere Hump Ridge Track in Fiordland extensively. Work from this project was published as a photo essay in Wilderness magazine and a feature article in Australian Photography magazine, including the cover image for both publications. I have had other work published in Wilderness, in calendars and brochures and have held two solo exhibitions of my work. I have been the official photographer at a number of weddings and events.