1.What did you want to be when you grew up?

Independent.

2. When did you decide to pursue photography as a career?

I graduated with a degree in Japanese language then retreated to Mt Buller where I worked for a season as a ski instructor, and wrote a few articles about my experiences there. The first question a magazine editor asked me was “Do you have any photos to go with the words?” When another editor asked me the same question a few months later, I figured they were trying to tell me something, so I bought an Olympus OM-1 and three lenses. Eventually I enrolled in a part-time course at PSC. For several years I juggled roles as a writer, editor, photographer, production manager and advertising salesman, but eventually photography won out.

3. Do you think you have your own style of photography, if so, what is it about your photos that stand out?

Strong colours and (mostly) simple compositions. When shooting for editorial purposes, the images are usually telling some sort of story and need to be eye-catching, easy to read and inter-connective.

4. What are some important influences that have moved you as a photographer?

I have great respect for Australian photographers like David Moore, Richard Woldendorp, Michael Coyne, Jeff Carter, Rennie Ellis, John Gollings, Ian Lloyd, Mike Langford, Frances Mocnik – all very different in style and outlook, but all versatile, re-inventive and blessed with a strong work ethic and a creative soul. I have been continually amazed and inspired by a generation or more of National Geographic photographers – William Albert Allard, Sam Abell and Michael Nichols to name only a few of many – who collectively have thoroughly transformed editorial/documentary photography into a genuine art form.

5. How do you define success, and what keeps you going?

Connecting, whether as a photographer or as a teacher. What keeps me going is the thought of all the people I have not yet connected with, and trying to figure out new ways of doing so.

6. What was your best client experience?

Shooting almost 30 major features all over Australia for Australian Geographic magazine.

7. If you could have only one camera and lens, which would you choose and why?

Ah, the eternal quest for the perfect camera! Mine has been going on for more than 30 years, and many cameras have come and gone in that time. At the moment my constant companion is a Lumix LX5, which ticks all those boxes. In six months or a year it will probably have been replaced. The search never ends.

8. If you were to give one piece of advice, what would it be?

There is no “tomorrow” in photography. Life is a continuum and photography is life. If you see something that you want to photograph, stop and do it, because that image will most likely never recur.

9. What hangs on your walls? Do you collect the work of other artists?

My house is full of art - on the walls, hanging from the ceiling, on tables and shelves, in the garden, and behind doors waiting patiently to be displayed. Almost all of it is the work of other artists – lots of photographers, but there are also painters, sculptors and many others who are kind of hard to label but just make cool stuff.

10. What are some fun facts about you that may or may not be directly related to your work?

I came to Australia as a 15-year-old exchange student from the US in the late 1960s and liked the place so much I came back five years later and never left.