In 1998 I spent three months travelling through Burma / Myanmar. What I encountered – a population living under an oppressive military dictatorship – had a profound impact on the nature and direction of my career. Since then, my work has focused almost exclusively on the human condition – people – particularly in social and humanitarian contexts.

In 2004 I moved to the Thai-Myanmar border and was based there for the best part of 12 years, working on both freelance projects (mainly documentary and documentary photography) as well as many contracts on behalf of international aid organisations including the IRC, Handicap International and Save the Children. These contracts involved a broad and ever-fascinating range of subjects: refugees, migrants, political prisoners, maternal health, education, landmines, and children’s rights. People and their stories were fundamental to all of this work. Indeed, even the work I did on the trafficking of elephants between Myanmar and Thailand focused primarily on the people that were working to mitigate this evil trade.

Now, back in Australia with two high school age daughters, my work will continue to focus on people and their stories, and on this basis I joined Life Stories Australia in 2023. Through this work, I will endeavour to bring the breadth of my skills and experience to helping others tell their stories.

The nuts and bolts of my CV in a nutshell (mixed metaphors, like a bionic squirrel): educated at Scotch College (Melbourne) and the University of Melbourne (Law, incomplete, moved to alternative pastures), author of one book (Welcome to Burma and Enjoy the Totalitarian Experience , Orchid Press 2001), recipient of three pretty decent international photojournalism awards, director / script writer / editor of more than 20 major projects (and lots of minor ones) including Burmese Dreaming, A Documentary Poem which made an international premiere at the United Nations “We the People” documentary festival in London. Many photo exhibitions including exhibitions opened by Sir Ninian Stephen and Mr Jose Ramos Horta.

A final note, and an achievement of which I am equally proud: in 2005 I set up and co-ordinated an art project on the Thai-Myanmar border providing art education to migrant children and refugees. At its height this involved 500 students and the project, Kickstarter-Art, is still running today.

Creativity, people, experiences – the ingredients for a cracking story. Certainly, I think so.