Hailing from the rolling hills and valleys of the mighty King Country, I feel grateful to have grown up in rural New Zealand. The pretty little town of Piopio was my home, growing up exploring forests, caves, streams and paddocks. 

The moment my cigar-smoking uncle Roy kindly gave me my first film camera at the age of ten, so began my fixation with photography. From that day on, I have never strayed far from the lens. Vintage or new, they fascinate me.

At 17, with a desire to broaden my horizons, I set off to Hamilton to study Media Arts (majoring in graphic design). I still kept my hand in the photography world. Some days you would find me hibernating in the tech darkroom, developing films with fellow students. Back then you didn’t have the luxury of taking multiple digital photographs so it was important to think carefully about your apertures and shutter speeds. I can still remember the excitement and anticipation as we patiently waited for a blank piece of photographic paper submerged in a developing tray to transform into stunning imagery.

After graduating I worked for a few years at a small advertising company but soon I was on a plane to Bristol in the United Kingdom. Time exploring London, Europe and Asia followed. I travelled with my first digital SLR camera, a little Rebel. I’m proud to say that I still have today and my daughter is even experimenting with it.

Returning home in 2002, a stint in Auckland beckoned for 15 years before I felt the welcoming pull of country life again. This lead me a beautiful rural community, just outside of sunny Tauranga where I now live with my husband and two children.