As the raw, confronting images captured by Joel Bouchier often demonstrate, photography is as much about exploration and one’s personal presence as it is about handling a camera. Whether he’s in the Dharavai Slums of India, deep in Papua New Guinea or kicking about his neighbourhood in Sydney, his equipment acts as a passport, an access to places that he could not physically inhabit without it. An important aspect of this is the portrait it helps paint of him for those he’s trying to photograph.
“You’ve got to have a presence where people know who you are so they feel comfortable” he says. It’s not just the camera slung around Joel’s neck, it’s his sturdy shoes, his collared shirt, the air of a professional adventurer, that aid him in creating his desired presence.

We spent some time with Joel in Sydney learning about what motivates him as an artist. His philosophy gives an extraordinary insight into someone whose creativity hinges on spontaneity and the durability of his equipment. Watch Breaking New Ground in the gallery above.