biographically speaking

After a very long time I went back to university to pursue a masters degree in social science. I was motivated by my travels in and around Nepal and working with several NGOs on community development and projects focused on health, clean water and sustainable development. I ended up designing a long-term study on the effects of failed NGO project initiatives on human and community health and culture.

The research was well received and earned me the Chancellor's award for academic achievement when I graduated. I have since gone back into the private sector, consulting on a range of issues concerning organizational development, culture, technology and change management; life is interesting. I have maintained my relationship with the NGOs I work with in Nepal and have continued to be a sponsor of long term data gathering and analysis on the impact of NGO programs on developing communities.

If you're looking for my digital profile, CV/Bio then LinkedIn is the place to get that.
Here's the link: Byron James Bignell.

In terms of photography and the more visually creative aspects of who I am and what I do, I've been in photography since 1982 more or less (probably more). I've also been involved in digital media since the mid-90's; the two disciplines have really become heavily integrated, which is both a good and bad thing, but that's not the point. The point is that I've been doing this for a very long time and have a great deal of experience.

I'm not a wedding photographer and arguably my work isn't exactly commercial either, however it sits comfortably in the documentary space where I am quite content to work and observe the world around me as well as situations and events I am asked to observe and make images of.

You won't find me sticking out like a neon gazelle in a crowd. Fact is you've probably passed right by me while I was working and not noticed me. This is exactly how I like it and precisely how I make the images I do. No, it's not a case of calling me an hour beforehand, though sometimes it works out that way and no, it's not going to magically happen just as I arrive. It can take days, or weeks of patient involvement and observation. It takes commitment and understanding that these are people and places that are as dynamic as anywhere else on this marvellous little blue sphere and we need to take the time to observe and respect what we experience.

So, that's a little about me and who or what I am. I'm not everyone's cup of tea and I'm not out to make images for the sake of awards and accolades. I am however there, observing, waiting for the crowd to move and making images that tell our story, one person, one experience at a time.