I’m a mum of two teenagers, a business owner, a lifelong animal lover and a greenie and I believe that even one voice in support of animal rescue, rehabilitation and release can make a difference. My interest in photography started when I was a teenager and these days, it’s the only thing in my life so relaxing that I lose track of time.
Considering we get around in this world relying on our sight, photography actually taught me to look more closely at the things around me and I’m always amazed at what I find. I discover beauty in ugly things, my fear of heights disappears when I have a camera in my hand and the most gruesome becomes the most fascinating.
I’m a glass is half full girl which makes me always look for the silver lining. It doesn’t matter how crappy my day has been, just seeing something simple, like the blue of the sky, lifts my spirits. The good helps balance out the bad. Photography for me is an extension of that outlook – recording the things that make me feel good, amaze me or interest me.
What I Do
My love of animals started with my best friend, a dachshund cross, when I was just 5 years old. It continues today with a passion for animal welfare, conservation and ecotourism.
A trip to Bali in 2008 became a defining moment in my life and how I saw photography. It awakened a long dormant desire to work with animals in some way and gave me the idea to use my photography as a means of raising awareness and funds for the street dogs of Bali.
Out of that same trip, I held my first exhibition, co-founded Pathways for Australian Veterinary Volunteers Abroad and revamped my photography business from commercial to freelance photojournalist. Now my photos tell the stories of animals around the world, domestic and endangered, working and wild. Some very lucky ones are given the opportunity for a better life due to the hard work and passion of the people that care for them.
Pathways
Pathways for Australian Veterinary Volunteers Abroad is a non-profit organisation that provides detailed information on Australian and international animal rescue groups for vet volunteers.
The idea grew after a visit to a rescue group in Bali who desperately needed vet help, and a conversation with a vet nurse friend who desperately wanted to volunteer somewhere but couldn’t find any information. The result is www.pavva.org.au and we provide detailed information to help get the two sides together with the ultimate goal of caring for animals in need.