My work has been shown in New York and London at various art fairs. It’s fantastic to see. I wish I was able to visit the current exhibitions in person, but unfortunately Australia, where I’m based, has very strict rules on leaving. It will ease up soon [1 November], so hopefully I can see it in person. Nevertheless, it’s been nice to see some drone work in galleries!

Detached, in Harmony was my attempt at producing a conceptual fine art series solely with a drone. Conceptual photography is mostly shot on handheld cameras, but I wanted to showcase the value of an alternate viewpoint to convey a meaningful story - perfect for the pandemic, I believe. In terms of relating it to my other works, it’s in line with my aesthetic but it has a deeper story, which is entirely new for my work.

As mentioned above, this was my first attempt at conceptual work. I thoroughly enjoyed the challenge of creating 10 to 20 images with a consistent theme. Having said that, I am very wary of where I want my work to go. I often use my creative outlet to remove myself from the chaos happening in society, whether it’s political or societal. We live in a world of over information currently, so my tactics aren’t avoidance, it’s tactically putting my mind where it’s most happy.

Yes, I believe any type of outlet for people can be harmonious. There’s no doubt that some people have shined and some have struggled. For me, the former. I’ve had plenty of time to really test my abilities as an artist.

The depression era photographers of the '30s and '40s have had an influence on me creatively. Ultimately I believe whenever there is a downturn, there’s a unique impetus for people to push barriers. I am not sure if it is socially proven, however it is something I’ve noticed. We are likely to see some great work coming out of this most recent covid pandemic for the aforementioned as well. In regards to these photographers individually, Coffin was a wild thought provoker who tested fashion photography and took composition to fashion. Cotton’s shadow work is divine. I wouldn’t necessarily push my work into the black and white space, however it was his use of black and white that pushed his shadow play to the forefront of his compositions.

My work is very process driven from conception to execution. But this has not always been the way, however, given my work is now more fine art whereby the concept drives the majority of the project, it has to be that way. I usually begin with a very high level concept and start pinning ideas on a Pinterest board. Then I take that idea and begin adding additional pins to supplement the original idea. By this stage I start drawing out compositions on my iPad, usually 20 to 25 ideas focusing on positioning of subjects and the set. Then comes the fun part - shooting! I leave room in the shoot to free associate.

I’m always looking for a unique approach to anything. I enjoy novelty. Pushing photography into new and exciting angles has been the appeal from day one. Drones have allowed me to do that.

I enjoyed learning about the basics of colour theory, and after a while you start thinking in terms of complimentary, supplementary etc. I have a very loose rule I apply to working with colours: 70/20/10. 70% of the colour is contributed by a base, for example sand or water. 20% is a secondary colour most likely in the form of the human skin, or the costumes, and finally the 10% is the pop, often used to grab attention but not to overpower: Detached, in Harmony employs the pop with the sunhats.

Patterns have always intrigued me. Understanding patterns is complex and ever thought provoking. When it comes to applying it through art, that is where, to me, it becomes simpler. In particular, mathematical patterns that look at proportions, for example, Fibonacci, really intrigued me. Applying these patterns to the subjects provided such harmony and allowed the rudimentary maths to be applied artistically. It’s art versus science.

Much of the art community will turn a blind eye towards sport. Perhaps it’s somewhat less imaginative to other forms, or it doesn’t fit into any idealistic movements. I’ve always strived to highlight the artistry of the sport in an imaginary way. It’s disciplined, formulaic and a perfectionist playground. Additionally the human body is a fascinating subject and I love bringing a different perspective to the table.

This is a funny one as I never know how to answer the question of “How do you want the viewer to feel”, as it’s never in my train of thought when I’m working. I understand the importance of the question, however it’s amiss on me how to properly answer it without being cliché. The most poignant emotion I’ve wanted to portray is the act of surprise. I think this form of photography can be overlooked by the overlords of the art community. Whether that is true or not, I do want viewers to have some sort of aha [realisation] moment.

I am also looking forward to putting together my first photography book for my Pools from Above collection, which went quite viral at the start of the pandemic in 2020. Lookout for that at the end of 2022.