About me
I am a photographer and story-teller.
I'm a New Zealander, the girl pictured there on the gate. Apparently I began wandering as soon as I was strong enough to climb the old wooden gate.
Even then I was off and searching for stories, and I managed to become a little famous, not just for my wandering (despite the best efforts of my mum who wanted to keep me home) but also for some of my friendships with older people ... but they were the best storytellers.
After a marriage that saw me living all over the South Island of New Zealand, one that gifted me a beautiful daughter, life changed. In a period of three years, I earned a university degree in literature and anthropology, lost my mother, and was divorced.
And so ... I flew.
I flew and that took me further than the other side of the old gate, further than the childhood neighbourhood, and way beyond the confines of the South Island of New Zealand.
In 2003 I flew to Istanbul ... not long after my dad said that I couldn't, due to the neighbours being perceived as a bit dodgy by those living so far away. And there was the war in Iraq too. A few bombings in Istanbul, and the big earthquake.
Needless to say, I went and, even better, I loved my life there. I had two years in that magical vibrant crazy-beautiful city. Sometimes, I was completely lost in life, other times sad but mostly I felt exquisitely alive and oftentimes stunned by the ancient beauty of that city of more than 14 million people. I had a woman fall past my 5th floor balcony one night, I had a gunman loose in the school where I worked but those things can happen any place in the world. Living in Istanbul was all about the magic that only happens in Istanbul. It was that that captured my soul.
In 2005, I was lured to Belgium by the man I later married. The photographer in me was officially invited out to play and voila, life took off again. I lived in Berlin for 3 months, working in one of those old east Berlin exhibition halls as photographer for a massive international exhibition. I met incredible people, artists, curators, writers ... the world was there.
In the years since arriving in Belgium, I have traveled to Cairo for work, discovered Rome, wandered all over France, become friendly with Paris and Amsterdam. Played in Naples, returned to Istanbul to take a few million new photographs, and finally explored tiny parts of London and Ireland. I even returned to America, almost 20 years after my first visit.
I exhibited my photography in 3 exhibitions. I met remarkable locals and traveled all over Belgium. I was introduced to Genova (Genoa) and fell in love with that beautiful Italian city. Then it stole my soul, more than any other place I had lived.
These days find me a dual-citizenship holder. 'Home' is Belgium, one of the flattest countries in the world. I miss mountains and long empty beaches, something fierce. I climb the gate and run off to Genova as often as possible.
To give you an idea of how my work and I are perceived, here are the words that others have written of me because, in the end, that's the simplest way ...
Compelling, engaging, vibrant, sensual...Di's ability to translate a sense of person and of place through her photography is remarkable. Her images permeate the beholder and have this way of coming to feel like old friends when you revisit them (which you will). That is quite difficult to do in this age when everyone with an iPhone fancies themselves a photographer. But one has only to view the world through Di's eye to know that she is the the real deal.
Laura Young
The disk arrived 4 days ago and I still can’t get my head around the amazing amount of information, details, memories and emotion that you have captured and generated! The pictures are simply amazing, you have an exquisite gift for creating such intimate portraits that are completely natural and utterly captivating. I cannot thank you enough for the photos that have formed such a critical record of what really was one of the highlights of my life.
Garry Brown, MD and Parent, Seraphim Choir Tour, Belgium
Working with Di is a pleasure from start to finish. Her love of people and passion for art and communication translates to an experience where those in front of the camera are as relaxed and happy with the photography process and results as the one behind it.
Veronica McCabe Deschambault, Freelance Writer/Communications Professional.
I am an opera singer and an amateur photographer. I have been surrounded by photographers (both amateur and professional) for most of my life and I can say, without any hesitation, that Di is the best photographer I've worked with.
Di is professional and friendly throughout the whole process. A wonderful human being who is truly interested in her subjects and what they are about. She uses that knowledge to inspire and inform her photography.
Di's photos are just plain wonderful. Beautiful. Alive. Truly capturing the moment (I know it's cliché, but in her case, it's true). Her photographer's eye is just... incredible. Wonderful. Awe inspiring. How she see things that we witness only in passing and captures it to its fullest depth is astounding.
I give her my highest recommendation. Period. She is superlative.
Peter Gage Furlong, Tenor.
Di è riuscita a catturare in un paio d'ore tutto quello che rende ciascuno di noi unico e speciale. Con la sua presenza discreta e tanta naturalezza ci ha messo subito a nostro agio e la sessione fotografica è stata un'esperienza piacevole e divertente anche per i bambini. E che dire del risultato? Decisamente al di sopra di ogni aspettativa: foto bellissime, originali, divertenti, commoventi e tanto, tanto speciali.
Paola Ottonello, Client.
Stunning is the word I've been thinking when I saw what she did. The way she is capturing details, moods, the vibes of the moment. A very talented lady. And discreet too when working, good listener and good observer and very prompt to finish the job too. So what more can one want? Fort impressionée par le résultat de son travail et la façon dont elle le réalise, très recommandable. Heel professioneel, afgewerkt, haar foto's vertellen een verhaal. Indrukwekkend, keer op keer.
Dominique, Author and Historian.
My flaws ... Since leaving the land downunder, I have become adept at recognising the bewilderment a kiwi accent sometimes creates out here in the world. I am almost used to the fact that when I say words like pen, guest, and bread, people will have no idea what I'm talking about and my translation will, quite possibly, cause them to fall about laughing.
I am a complete failure with languages. I am not proud of this. However something drives me to wander and to live in other countries. I guess I'm still climbing gates. But more than that, I have learned, over time, that I actually enjoy my place on the edge of societies, observing body language, listening hard and having long conversations without a language in common. It's a good space for a photographer to inhabit.
I love books beyond reason. Finding a new bookshop in a new city, or small village, is my idea of heaven.
My passion is in finding what is 'real' in a person, a place, or even an event. I don't want to prettify people, or to create an untrue story, I just want to capture the soul of a place, the feeling of it, and the beauty that is already inside us all.