Meet the face behind the photography

 I recall my first field trip to the Mt Cootha planetarium. Looking up, as the ceiling was transformed, taking a ride through the cosmos. I was so in awe. It was the very essence of magic, sparking a lifelong fascination with the mysteries of the universe. As a child, I would lay on my trampoline at night and watch the stars. Scanning the sky for meteors and slow-moving satellites. Growing up, I watched every space-themed documentary I could find and read books, looking at all the images of galaxies and star clusters inside. 

My passion for photography began in my teen years. I studied art all through high school. One year the class studied photography. We got to use the school's darkroom. I had so much fun. Trying to load the film into the canister inside a sack, in the dark. Mixing the solution to develop the film. Then projecting the negative onto the photo paper, soaking the paper waiting for the photo to appear. 

Since then, I have always had a camera in my hand, figuratively speaking. I went on to study at Torrens University, completing a Diploma in Digital Imagery and Photography. In 2017 I established a wedding and portrait photography company. I really enjoyed meeting new people and sharing their wedding day with them. It was fun, exciting and often hectic. 

My greatest achievement as a portrait photographer was being runner up in the Smithsonian Magazine's 2018 Photography competition for my submission 'The Twins'. It wasn't until 2020 that I jumped headfirst into astrophotography. Using my tax return. I brought my first equatorial mount and telescope. There are absolutely no words to explain the feeling you get. Seeing a deep space object for the first time on your camera's LiveView screen. I jumped up and down with childish glee. I continue to be blown away every time I photograph the night sky. I feel truly blessed, to be able to combine my love of photography and my love of the universe.