In this interview, Evan shares his journey from his first disposable camera to his ambitious plans for capturing the cosmos, possibly even from Antarctica. Join us as we explore his inspiring story where passion meets the stars.
Evan, how did your journey into photography begin, and what inspires you most to pick up your camera?
My name is Evan, I’m 36 years old and originally from the South Island. I grew up in Invercargill, surrounded by the stunning wild beauty of Fiordland, Central Otago, The Catlins, and Stewart Island. At the time, I took a lot of it for granted, but as a child, I had a fascination with birds. Some of my earliest photographs were taken with disposable film cameras, attempting to document the birds I saw.
I feel like my journey really began in my adult life when I developed an interest in Adobe Photoshop, initially for design purposes. I started studying design in 2010, where I had some photography papers that taught me the basics of using a DSLR. Despite receiving positive feedback on my photos, I didn’t continue with photography at that stage.
Later, I reconnected with childhood interests in space and adventuring. I collected photos of the Milky Way and nebulae, played Kerbal Space Program, and took creative shots with my smartphone, editing them on Instagram. I wanted a better-quality camera to experiment with in Photoshop, so in 2015, I purchased my first DSLR, a used Canon 650D. I became attached to the camera and immediately started experimenting with advanced techniques like blending, panoramas, and HDR.
