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An accident in 2014 left me quadriplegic with no use of my legs or hands and limited arm movement. I was 41 with a wife and 10-year-old son, my life changed forever. It took two years just to get into a basic routine.

 

I grew up in New Zealand and was working in Australia in 1998 when I met Natalie, my Canadian wife-to-be. I followed her to Canada and spent the first 6 weeks on a tiny island on Georgian Bay, Ontario. Soon we bought a resort and restaurant on another island near Parry Sound and ran it for 21 years. 14 years after opening our business my accident happened.

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Photography has always been a passion of mine but after the accident my limited hand function made using a standard camera really hard. Watching drone technology develop I took the plunge and it changed my life! Suddenly I could travel a long way really quickly, moving up, down and sideways under my own control! What an amazing feeling to be able to take photos and easily adjust camera position and angle which was so hard with a standard camera. The drone gave me unique aerial views but also reconnected me with the freedom of exploring the outdoors, even during the harsh Canadian winters with temperatures down to -30°C.

 

I taught myself photo editing and began sharing images on social media then people asked to purchase prints so I built this website. In late 2022, for the first time in 10 years I returned home to Wellington, New Zealand to reconnect with family and friends. 

 

I've had solo and group exhibitions in Canada and a six week solo exhibition in New Zealand.
 

​Matt - March 2025