Simon has had an interest in photography since he was 12 years old. At this time he joined the school photography club to see it was about, and this has since developed into a lifelong passion.This interest continued into secondary school where he eagerly devoured every book on the subject he could get his hands on.

When he left school he continued to read everything he could get on the subject and in 1988 he spent a year studying for a Diploma in Photography at the Photographic Training Centre in Christchurch.

Simon has a passion for landscape photography especially in Black and White which he processes in his own digital darkroom. “I prefer to process my own Black and White work as I believe that part of the magic is the interpretation of a picture into tones of black and white. With colour there is less room for interpretation as the colours have to be accurate, whereas in Black & White there is room to shift the tonal range and that is the part that takes place in the Digital Darkroom.” When I shifted to digital some 16 years ago one of the most difficult parts was trying to create the same look I got in a darkroom on a computer. However digital allows so much more to be done to the image, and it is much safer health wise.

I feel that black and white brings something to the image that colour cannot do.

Without colour to draw the eye to an image, you have to have something else in Black and White. So you need to have textures, tones and shapes. While a colour image can certainly have these elements, it is usually the colour that draws the eye.

I am an accredited Judge of the Photographic Society of New Zealand and I love to pass on my knowledge to others.

I am also a member of the New Zealand Institute of Professional Photography.

I am available to tutor people who want to learn more about the fascinating  subject of photography.

I believe that photography is both an art and a science. An art because it involves
vision and seeing an image, and a science because it  can involve use of chemistry, and physics to create the image.

If you would like to know more please engage me in discussion.

I especially enjoy portraiture, particularly families, but also kids, couples and pets.

I believe that a family portrait is something that reflects the family’s relationship with each other, and that every family is unique.
I particularly  enjoy outdoor portraiture because it provides for a more relaxed atmosphere that results in a more casual and special portrait.