BIO
Born and raised in northern England, my childhood and early adulthood was dominated by sport. I gained some success in Triathlon and running, achieving selection for Great Britain at age group level.
In 2011 I moved to New Zealand and quickly established home at the base of NZ’s highest mountain, Aoraki Mount Cook. Initially, I enjoyed competing in the NZ mountain running scene and managed to win a few races along the way. However, after repeated bouts of Achilles tendonitis and years of disciplined training I found my competitive nature start fade and was looking for something else.
Inspired by the landscapes and huge mountains on my doorstep I delved into the world of photography. Having always been a scientific based person I found the creative side of photography opened endless new avenues for me to explore. Choosing the old and the new seemed the obvious choice - combining both photography and mountaineering to find challenging and unique compositions in the highest mountains in NZ. The hunt for a new location is always a major driver for me.
I'm also very privileged to live in an international dark sky reserve and have spent endless cold nights trying to capture the starry landscapes in front of me. Planning, persistence and a hard as nails attitude are needed when trying to capture the stars in the winter months. So much can go wrong, complete nights wasted, sleep deprivation guaranteed - all make that winning shot the more special. Astrophotography has most definitely become my favourite field of photography.
Partnerships
Tamron New Zealand Ambassador
MACPAC - Professional deal with Macpac outdoor clothing and equipment
NiSi Filters Australia/New Zealand - Official Ambassador and reseller for NiSi in New Zealand
AWARDS
2015 - Harry Williams Astrophotography Trophy Winner. Won best newcomer and the overall NZ astrophotography competition.
2016 - Shortlisted for Insight Astronomy Photographer of the Year
2016 - Earth and Sky runner up
2017 - Featured in NZ astrophotography exhibition at the starlight festival
2019 - New Zealand Geographic Photographer of the Year Peoples Choice Winner
2020 - Sigma Amateur Photographer of the Year Landscape Finalist
2020 - Sigma Amateur Photographer of the Year Astrophotography Finalist
@PUREPHOTOADVENTURES.NZ
I've teamed up with two of New Zealand's best landscape photographers, Rachel Stewart and Daniel Murray, to bring our highly successful adventure photography tours. Check out www.purephotoadventures.nz for dates and locations