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In 2007 I ventured to China to teach English, which was really just a creative way to join a panda conversation project. Sadly, shortly after my arrival, I learned the panda project I wanted to join wasn’t a very honest one. I ended up managing a bar called the Sexy Tractor instead. At this bar I met a Kiwi guy who had never studied photography, yet he called himself a photographer. Coming from a culture where photography was seen as a hobby, not a way to make a living, this really got me thinking - and it got me very motivated! I kept working at the bar for a little longer, with a clear goal: to get my first (Pentax) digital camera.
My first photography gig was in exchange for kitesurfing classes. Soon after buying that first digital camera, I moved to Australia. I had always wanted to learn how to kitesurf, but I didn’t have any money to pay for lessons. I decided to offer to take photos for the surf school in exchange for lessons. I learned how to kite, and I learned that my photography skills were valued.