the challenge
I actually started out as a photojournalist with a Canon AE1 and a selection of fixed wide angle lenses that I still have to this day. My heroes were ( and still are) Don McCullin, Bruce Davidson and Josef Koudelka among others and I loved the high contrast, black and white worlds of Bill Brandt, David Bailey and Richard Avedon.
My own personal journey took me on the road to exploring other avenues of photography like sports, fashion, and advertising but I’ve always loved portraiture and the telling of a story.
In September 2010 I photographed quad amputee Ray Edwards on assignment for The Guardian.
We got on great and I was fortunate enough to be asked to document his incredible attempt to summit the highest freestanding mountain in the world Mount Kilimanjaro with Charity Challenge.
These images say it better than I ever could….
I’m indebted to Ray for his courage, lack of vanity and dedication to this project and also to the porters and guides of Kilimanjaro who made this such a humbling and memorable trip for me.