ENTRY DESCRIPTION
Lenticular storm clouds build up over the Southern alps near Lake Hawea, South island of Aotearoa New Zealand

AUTHOR
Eric Schusser, friend of the mountains and the snow

Photography has fascinated me since I was a boy and watched my father taking photographs and printing in his darkroom. It was a special time of walking and talking together along the southern Wellington coast at sunset with camera and tripod in hand, developing patience waiting for the right light to develop, hearing my family history, learning to speak my father's native language - magical moments together experiencing and creating beautiful images and building a life long relationship.

Over time, I came to love the intense colours of the New Zealand landscape, the big skies, the dramatic weather changes and clouds and the graphic wide open spaces of rural New Zealand. More recently I have developed an interest in the abstract beauty to be found in urban spaces. In later years I have come to appreciate people more and the importance of telling stories – the power of text and photo fascinates me. "EXTRAordinary" was a 10,000 copy run of a book of interviews and photographs telling the stories of Ambulance Officers/ EMT's in New Zealand and the extraordinary work these ordinary (largely volunteer) people do.

I have a diverse style and portfolio that covers social documentary, landscape and fine art. I specialise in classic toned black & white fine art images. Contemporary fine art black and white prints have led to me being the Central Otago winner of the biennial National Arts Gold Awards in 2013 and 2015. In 1999 I completed an Advanced Diploma in Photography at Massey University of Wellington and in 2007 I was awarded an FPSNZ, Fellow of the Photographic Society of New Zealand.

Photography allows me to connect with and to the land and it's people and to communicate emotionally around important issues

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