I am originally from the UK and came to live here in New Zealand in 2011.
I have been photographing, off and on, 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 and who at the time was working for Kodak. The camera we had at home then, in the 1960s, was a Retinette, a very popular viewfinder model from a classic series made by Kodak over a period of more than 25 years. I recall later having the use of a point-and-shoot Kodak Instamatic, then a more portable Pocket Instamatic. Eventually in 1983, I bought myself 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!)

Despite the extraordinary advances in photographic technology which we have witnessed and enjoyed over the last thirty or forty years, all of the basic skills and techniques required to make good photographs are as valuable today as they were when I first started learning. The key ingredients of good light, strong composition, correct exposure and perfect focus are unchanged. It is only the equipment we use to make the image and the media we use to process it which have truly evolved, and which continue to do so at an astounding rate. 

Landscapes and the natural world have always been my preferred subjects, and having had the chance to travel far and wide over the years, I count myself 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.

I’m passionate about sharing my love for photography with others, and helping to educate others on how to make the best photographs they can. It is this passion that led me to begin operating photography tours and workshops in 2012, under the name Images Abound.

See Neil’s website at https://neilprotheroe.com/