The photographers behind Connections - Create 2019

Alan Burke

Alan Burke (@deBurca) came to New Zealand from Ireland 14 years ago after falling in love with the country during a three-week holiday. His love of photography stemmed from his mother, who was never seen without a camera in hand. Alan has loved meeting new people through Connections and being challenged to step out of his comfort zone. He hopes to one day work in the photography sphere.

Emanuel Gomez

Emanuel Gomez (@_ema_g_), a software engineer by trade, has always been enthralled with capturing not just images but emotions with a photograph. Encouraged by Tom’s open-mindedness and guidance, Emanuel honed his love for landscape and conceptual photography throughout the programme and has greatly enjoyed the opportunity to collaborate with the other photographers.

Heidi Adams

Heidi Adams, a dedicated mum and HR professional, has recently decided to dedicate more time to her own interests – in a twist from the usual, it was her son gifting her his camera which sparked her interest in photography. She describes Tom as a bit of a tortoise – “hard on the outside but a very kind soul underneath.” Heidi is keen to invest in the skills she has learnt by upgrading her camera and exploring the South Island.

Leanne Silver

An Aucklander born and bred with five tamariki and six mokopuna, Leanne (@leannesilvernz) is a part-time photographer and community volunteer. She was always interested in photography, but it wasn’t until her husband bought her a DSLR when they toured Europe that she fell in love with it. One of Leanne’s favourite things about Connections has been working in a group, finding “it can lead to something that is bigger than what we could all do by ourselves.”

Martin Eichenberg

Originally from Germany, Martin (@martineichenberg) moved to Auckland six years ago along with his wife and son. Martin bought his first camera about 15 years ago for a trip, and quickly realised that photography is about far more than just documenting his adventures. Finding his passion of ariel photography which you can see in the Connections – Create exhibition, Martin loves to capture the beauty of NZ from different perspectives.

Richard Michael

A social worker for an international children’s charity, Richard hails from Britain and has lived in New Zealand for the past four years. Starting off with a polaroid camera when he was nine, he enjoys taking photos that reflect the mood and the time as a piece of history – which you can see in his photo of his son and dog in the exhibition. The top thing Richard has learned is that photography is highly personal but getting used to sharing your creations and ideas allow you to learn and grow in experience.

Sol Hessell

Sol Hessell is a civil engineer by trade who loves to travel – particularly experiencing new cultures and meeting people as he goes. He loves that photography encourages him to get out into nature and experience new things. Sol thinks Tom was very supportive, encouraging and inspiring throughout the process and provided a lot of very meaningful and useful advice that has already helped him to develop as a photographer. He enjoyed meeting people with the same passion and interest in photography and being part of such a creative process.

Roshan Polhena

Father of two Roshan (@roshan_polhena) is an aspiring photographer currently working as an IT consultant, as well as a volunteer snorkel guide for Experiencing Marine Reserves. Roshan loves using photography to express himself and to get away from day-to-day stress. He loves that he can see one story in a photo yet someone else can see a totally different one. Roshan liked that Tom was willing to let the photographers find their own paths rather than pushing his own ideas. He hopes to one day have his own exhibition.

Charlie Tew

Charlie Tew (@charlie.t_photos), the youngest member of our group, is a 15-year-old student who loves photography, makeup and art. Her dad introduced her to photography, letting her play around with his camera and she’s been hooked ever since. She’s loved meeting all the other participants, seeing all the different things they took photos of and how unique their styles were. Charlie is hoping to continue to improve her photography and would love to make a career out of it, helping people to see things from a different perspective.

Andrew Elcoat

Andrew (@andrewbydesign) was born and raised in Auckland. A property specialist, he loves all things art and design. Although he’s always loved photography, he’s only recently delved into the technical side of the art of photo-taking. He loves that photography captures a moment in time from the photographer’s lens, yet the final image also has the ability to resonate and be interpretted differently by all who view it. Andrew’s loved witnessing the development of all the photographers, and his main take away has been to fully explore an idea, work every angle and don’t be afraid of getting up close. 

Saiya Guo

Saiya (@saibelina), has lived in Auckland for most of her life. She loves exploring how light and colour work together in photography and particularly enjoys taking photos of the built environment and city scenes. One of the things Saiya has really liked in the programme is the collaborative process of Connections and seeing the different photography interests of everyone involved. She appreciated how attentive Tom was in giving feedback during each of the group sessions. Saiya works in a law firm during the week but is keen to develop her photography whenever she can.