Michael is the Sydney-based photographer behind Altai World Photography. He has honed his craft across nine African nations, continental Europe and Malaysian Borneo, capturing the people, landscapes and rituals that shape these disparate locales.

Michael's background as a provisional psychologist makes him uniquely attuned to the nuances of a scene, able to uncover the hidden messages of a moment. From the agonising stories wrought upon a furrowed brow, to the anarchic dance of a buzzing street market, Michael’s photographic eye is both versatile and incisive.

His photo, Spice Harvesting, Zanzibar was named Runner Up in the ‘Touch’ category for the 2010 Gap Adventure’s ‘Sense Appeal’ photo competition with the Matador Network. His collection on the Twa villagers of Lake Bunyoni, Uganda, Homer Sacer, People without Place, was shortlisted in the 2010 World Nomads Travel Photography Scholarship from amongst 1558 entrants globally. He also received an honourable mention in the 2011 Corona Extra, photo competition.

Michael is set to embark on a new photographic adventure commencing an overland trip by rail from Singapore to Lisbon via East Asia, Russia and Scandinavia in early 2014. When he’s not out on a photo-taking expedition, Michael is training to become a drug and alcohol rehabilitation services psychologist.