Hi, I’m John Russell. I’m a formally trained, multi-award winning photographer with a career spanning more than 20 years.
A selection of publications my photos have appeared in:
BOOKS
Photos that changes the world – The 20th Century. Prestel Publications.
The Unthinkable. Amanda Ripley
Tsunami – The worlds most terrifying natural disaster. Geoff Tibballs
The Faces and the Streets. Charles Sturt University
Aonami Collections. Veronique Sergrais-Saita
NEWSPAPERS & MAGAZINES
Time Magazine
Australian Geographic
Inside Sport
The Age
Herald Sun
The Border Mail
Stern Magazine (Germany)
U.S. News & World report
Australian Financial Review
The Australian Woman’s Weekly
Kansai Scene
Japanzine
Some of the more prominent achievements I am proud of include:

- Bachelor of Arts – Photography
- Border Morning Mail Scholarship

- News Photograph of the Year

- Photographer of the Year
- Best News Photograph

- Photo of the Year

- Young Australian of the Year Awards 1999
Nominee for Outstanding Achievement – Arts.

- South East Regional Media Awards
Excellence in Regional & Rural Photography

- Best Action Photograph
I have been in love with photography all my life. I developed my first black and white print in a makeshift lab in my parents’ laundry way back in primary school, about 35 years ago. Back then digital photography was a concept that no one had even thought of.
I had an old, beaten up Canon A1 35mm camera with a slightly dodgy lens, but it was enough to get me hooked forever.
Fast forward a decade or so and I found myself traveling around the world with a camera permanently attached to my arm, shooting everything from kids playing in the dusty streets of Luxor in Egypt to yaks grazing in the dizzy heights of the Himalayan mountains. I returned home after several years to bolster my practical knowledge with formal training in the shape of a Bachelor of Arts in Photography. I wanted to know more.
The landscape has changed dramatically since then. Digital images are now the industry standard and computers have long since replaced the darkroom. I loved watching black and white prints materialise as if by magic in the deep red glow of a developing bath; however, new technology, with all the possibilities and challenges it provides, keeps me excited to see what’s around the next corner.
I consider myself fortunate to have worked as a professional photographer for an extremely diverse range of clients. I have worked with everyone from international brands to the bloke next door, from small and large businesses to community and sporting organizations, and spent almost a decade as a staff photographer at one of Australia’s most successful and respected daily newspapers.
I think I’m pretty lucky – I have the best job in the world…