Born in Nelson, New Zealand, Phillip returned to his hometown in 2001 after many years abroad in Asia and Australia, to pursue his passion of landscape photography. While overseas, Phillip had photographed with 35mm equipment, but decided to change formats and shoot in panoramic to be able to make images which imitated the natural view of the human eye. This move required a whole new approach to his photography as the change in format meant a change in the way each scene was composed.

Phillip uses a Fotoman 617 body, which is essentially just a light-tight box, and Rodenstock lenses. Lee Neutral Density filters provide balance to high contrast scenes and a polariser is sometimes used to eliminate unwanted reflections. Each exposure is carefully composed with all metering, settings and focussing done manually. As Phillip only gets four shots from each roll of film, and changing rolls can be fiddly even at the best of times, every click of the shutter counts when chasing the light.

Having grown up where the sea was a short bike ride away and summer holidays were spent on the beach, the coastline remains a favourite location which continues to intrigue and inspire Phillip. The quality of light, blend of earth, sea and sky and endless array of sculptured rock formations keeps drawing him back in search of the perfect image.

Since early 2007 Phillip has led photo trips for Capture New Zealand Photography Tours sharing his knowledge and love of New Zealand with photographers from around the world. Tour guests are always impressed by the passion he has for photography and his desire to help them capture outstanding images.

"I am always amazed at how much God has packed into this small country. The diversity of landscapes has to be seen to be believed. And I often get to have the place where I am photographing to myself; normal people are either still asleep or having supper. To get the light and weather exactly as I need it sometimes requires multiple shoots at a location, while other times I simply wait an hour or two for the illumination to suit the result I am trying to achieve. Watching the colours of land and sky transformed by the dawn and dusk twilights is an experience I never tire of. I hope you enjoy this collection of images."