Me and my vision

From childhood, when I pored over atlases and traced routes with my finger around the world globe, I felt compelled to get out into and experience our world. And so as I carved out my lifepath, I gathered together some willing travel companions: photography, anthropology and journalism. It has been a happy union and in the company of each I've had the opportunity to travel extensively and witness the mosaic of lives and environments that make up our world.

Each journey has exposed me to the riches, challenges and diversity of our world and has contributed further to my longheld belief that we are surrounded by rich abundance. I'm a firm believer that the key to how we experience that abundance is our outlook.  Mine is that the photographic eye can capture a feast of images by slowing down and being open to the little details that lie beyond the obvious.

This is the philosophy at the heart of Abundant Earth Photography and it drives all my work, whether I'm creating a documentary piece for a travel magazine or capturing the special moments of a wedding. 

The products

To complement my portfolio of photographic prints, I also developed a range of products: a line of useable art. From the outset, it was a priority that products be carefully considered in both design and production, and that every item would have a substantial life span, i.e. not join the ranks of single-use objects. Each part of the process was tempered by a commitment to tread lightly and mindfully use resources.

The concept evolved whereby products would have not just one, but minimally two lives.  In the case of the cards, the first life is as a traditional greeting card. When the card has been enjoyed, the photograph is detachable and takes on a second life as a little piece of useable art (a bookmark or a magnet).

I've also sought out materials that have already had a previous life or that can be recycled in the future: recycled papers and envelopes, reclaimed timber.  Considerations at each stage in production also ensure that the products are low impact on the environment:

• Notebooks and cards are individually printed, cut and bound by hand; cards are stitched instead of glued
• Received packing boxes are reused for orders
  
• Paper goods are designed to dimensions that mean very limited paper off-cuts
• 100% recycled paper is used wherever possible (inner page, sleeve, envelope, stickers), and where not, paper produced by a manufacturer with certified stringent environmental policies and practices regarding low water consumption, sustainable raw materials, and renewable energy sources
  
• Support of other small local businesses by sourcing materials/services from like-minded eco-friendly suppliers
  

It is my hope that the blend of global beauty and local purpose captures the hearts of lovers of photography and our world.