RTG - The man behind the lens

Richard T. Gedye (RTG) was born in the outer suburbs of Melbourne, Australia and has been an avid photographer since he received his first camera for his 13th birthday. He describes the sensation of peering through the viewfinder and pushing the button; the feeling of getting the picture he wanted. By the age of 19, he had built a darkroom and had started developing and printing his own photos, having an amazing time making 'every mistake possible'.

Art school and drawing classes helped him to differentiate between just looking and really seeing what is happening in any given scenario, which has been invaluable in helping him take beautiful photographs. During this time, RTG supported himself by photographing; weddings, theatre troupes, dance companies as well as some fashion photography. However, due to the repetitive nature of the work and the lack of artistic freedom he was given, he shifted his focus away from these styles of photography.

Although RTG identifies himself as an art photographerrather than a travel photographer, many of his photos are taken on foreign lands, and he likes that:

RTG's passion was fuelled by the desperate situation he encountered in Cambodia in 1997 and he felt compelled to photograph it. Since then, he has continued travelling and photographing people and landscapes from other countries such as; Madagascar, Myanmar (Burma), Ethiopia and Cuba.