NZPhotographer Issue 55, May 2022

Lake Alta I
Canon 450D, Canon EFS 10-22mm lens @ F10, 1/5s, ISO100
HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR
PHOTOGRAPHY?
The one constant in my imagery is that I work in the
landscape and draw my ideas and inspiration from
my surroundings. Recently I had to write a 35-word bio
that sums up my work. It’s a very broad sentence, and
some might say it says a lot while saying nothing at all!
“I specialise in landscape and creative
photography. Working in colour
and black and white, I use motion,
colour, light, tone, shapes, and forms
to create both representational and
abstract images and impressions of the
landscape.”
This sentence describes where I am at the moment in
my creative journey. I have spent a number of years
exploring the representational aspects of landscape
photography, and I now feel a pull toward the abstract
or semi-abstract. As far as a style is concerned, I think
that it is still evolving as I learn more techniques and
more about what resonates with me creatively.
My photography as a business is a work in progress.
After much reflection, I have only recently realised
the direction I want to take my photography, and
because it’s not my main income, it is a slow burn.
I have submitted words and images to magazines
and have photos in stock libraries. At different times
I have been approached by companies who are
interested in using my images for their promotional
material. Last year, one of those was Doppelmayr
Garaventa in Austria, who were looking for a picture
of the Queenstown/Remarkables area for their 2022
calendar. It was a thrill to be able to provide them
with an image, especially since their lifts have carried
me up many of the ski fields around Central Otago.
CAN YOU TELL US MORE ABOUT THE
ABSTRACT AND CREATIVE SIDE OF YOUR
PHOTOGRAPHY...
Recently I have been exploring both in-camera
techniques and Photoshop to create images that
appeal to me. It has been quite a revelation to
discover that I can use the camera in more painterly
and artistic ways. These techniques allow me the
freedom to express creatively my response to the
landscape in abstract ways.
‘Coastal Shadows’ and ‘Illustrating lines’ are both
examples of the spontaneity that comes from using incamera
techniques to create abstract landscapes.
44 May 2022 NZPhotographer