At school, I had to make a decision to stay and go to Year 10 or Year 12, or to leave in Year 9 and become a fisherman with my father. I chose to leave school and my friends against my mother’s wishes and become a professional fisherman at 15 years of age.

This is what helped me become happier as I enjoyed adventure.

I was soon driving the boat to and from the fishing grounds and at age 16 I was skippering our original prawn trawler before dad bought another trawler for me to skipper myself. I became very successful as I had a hard work ethic which I learnt from my father, plus I saw things through my own eyes differently and was a bit more savvy and creative. I learnt quickly that it was up to me to motivate myself to keep going through the tiredness of trawling through the night and be attentive to the best grounds to fish at the right time to get the nets full every 3 hrs when I hauled them up. It was up to me to do this right so that I got paid as well as dad and my deckhand. So it was a big responsibility for a boy growing into a man. Now I use these skills in my photography. I have to plan and search for the right light and I set the mood for the client as at the end of the shoot I must capture and create the good work so we all are successful in our project image wise. The main goal is to have fun and be a bit silly to relax the client. Some clients will not want their photo taken for their company so I work

a bit more gently but harder to get the outcome.

I have toured Australia with a comedian as a sound engineer and tour photographer in the 80’s which enabled me to be myself and have fun and overcome fear of the stage as I would appear in some parts of the acts and I also wrote comedy too.

I then worked as a photographer at the Newcastle Star and Maitland Mercury for 2 years and then the Newcastle Herald for another 6 years before starting my own business.

I always knew I would be working for myself and having the freedom to help others be the best they can be through the right mix of positive communication and fun.

When I am not at work you can find me riding my cervelo pushbike 30-90 km at a time and running 10-25 km on different mornings. I love exercise. My partner has me embracing

sunbaking as I live 110 metres from the beach and ocean swims are now back into my regime as they were when I did long course Ironman Triathlons some years back.

I find inspiration everywhere and I see my photography as the vehicle to inspiration. The people who inspire me are the people who are positive, open and kind. I love connection as at the point when you connect with another person the two of you together can create things that you alone may not be able to. So when creation happens and you achieve that and share the reward of satisfaction of that creation with someone you then become inspired and empowered. You become greater than becoming full,…you actually overflow with joy and happiness. This is what love, life and happiness is to me. I also find my partner Wendy an inspiration as she supports me with her beauty and kindness along with making sure I enjoy my time with her and that when it’s time to work I go out the door and work.

Being confident in my technical ability and myself personally has helped me in my photography field. Some business people and celebrities can walk over the top of you and you can face presenting average images to the client’s company if you do not have confidence. Not everyone is nice. My father always taught me to stand up for myself and do my best. There is also one thing I learnt early and that’s to be honest and open and be courageous enough to admit you are wrong where applicable. Another favourite from Primary School was “if at first you don’t succeed , try, try, and try again.

I recently became a grandfather to a boy (Carsen) and I love to eat chocolate from the fridge in a hot shower and deliver surprise flowers randomly, often to my partner Wendy at her workplace.

I love Newcastle and how it has grown and I look forward to that continuing positively with the negative nay sayers becoming fewer as we all adapt to this better change.

My favourite café is 2300 on Pacific Street for its community feel.

My favourite restaurant is Jonahs in Noah’s on the Beach.

Self-development books.

Tour de France

From the movie Love Actually…..

”Love is all around us”