What is your favorite place in Africa?
Choosing a place is like choosing a favorite person -- its the diversity of places that keeps me interested and the way that they all fit together. I love going back to the same places again and again to watch different seasons play themselves out. But Zambia does have a very special appeal for me.

What landscapes would you choose?
I love deserts. They are vast and empty and make the world's problems seem irrelevant. In Namibia the gravel plains are so delicate that the stones resemble mosaics. One step on them and the scar is left for centuries. These are humbling places -- and so quiet that you can hear the tap of your pulse in your ears.

What is your favourite African sound?
The whooshing sound that a beer makes at sunset.

Favorite way of getting around?
I love road trips -- they really let you see a country -- but once I get to my destination I like to walk -- or better still, get in a kayak or a canoe. Kayaks are spectacular crafts. One shove off the bank and you leave all your troubles on the shore. I am also keen on flying especially if it means taking pictures. I used to be a big microlight fan -- but now that I have kids I am less keen on them. It's got something to do with the Jesus bolt -- that's the bit that holds the wing on. When it goes people say "oh, ...."

Do you shoot film or digital?
I am now almost entirely digital and using Nikon's D2X -- its like learning to take pics all over again. The real challenge is getting the right quality out of the images and that takes a lot of computer work. I do still shoot film too -- especially for landscapes.

What inspires your work?
Landscapes and open spaces appeal to my inner core as a human being. We belong in the wilds and its where I love to be. I am aware that my work -- and particularly my photographs -- can alert people to the beauty of wild places. I see my work as being ambassadors for the wilds and their preservations. Trying to unpack the details for the smallest creatures to the widest landscapes and in that way let the land to the talking. I am particularly fascinated by plants -- if we can conserve habitats then the rest will follow.

How long did it take you to learn to take pictures?
To quote a friend, it was about 20 000 kilometres of film.