Neil Protheroe
I have been photographing, on and off, for most of my life. I was encouraged to pick up a camera for the first time at a very early age by my father, himself a keen photographer who was at the time working for Kodak. The camera we had at home then, in the 1960s, was a Retinette, a very popular viewfinder model made by Kodak over a period of more than 25 years. In 1983, I bought my first 35mm SLR camera, a Konica FS-1 with a Sigma 35-70mm zoom Master lens. There were no autofocus lenses in those days of course, but the camera was at the cutting edge of technology, with a built-in motor drive for the film transport, the first SLR to have one. Living in Florida, USA as I then was, this was a perfect starter combination for the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to photograph the launch of the NASA Space Shuttle, which I was thrilled to be able to do (though I no longer have the prints, sadly!) I started taking my photography seriously with the advent of digital technology. The ability to publish, share and have easy access to the work of others was an inspiration to me and helped me develop my own skills. Landscapes and the natural world have become my preferred subjects, and having had the chance to travel far and wide over the years, I count myself very fortunate to have been able to see and to photograph some of the great sights of the world around us, not least here in New Zealand. After a long professional career in hospitality, I am now photographing full time, teaching workshops in NZ and overseas, and operating a private photography guiding service for visitors to New Zealand.