About Red Dirt Photography

It all started when Nigel was eight years old and his father gave him an Ilford Sporti Camera for his birthday. His father was a photographer with the Civil Defense and he encouraged Nigel to experiment with his new camera. Nigel lived in the small English town of Hildenborough in Kent, where he was often out and about taking photos of the local scenes which he developed and printed in his family bathroom.

At the age of eighteen he started training in advertising and fashion photography at Medway College of Art and Design in Rochester, Kent. After spending three years in this course, he attained his Diploma of Photography and then worked in London for the next eighteen months in various studios. Later he found work as a photographer for South West Gas doing a range of camera work in Bath.

In 1982, aged 27, Nigel came to Australia for a holiday and never went back! While in Perth he worked for various photographic studio’s and was soon directing his own studio in Mandurah where his clients were mainly commercial, portraits and weddings.

Nigel headed south to Esperance and gave away photography while taking up farming for the next eight years. Moving north to Newman in the Pilbara region, he started work as a driller and ended up as a shotfirer for Dyno Nobel. It was in this remote location that his passion for photography was “re-ignited” by the incredible landscapes. From his base in Newman he started to explore the rugged north west of the state with his cameras and during this time he bought his first panoramic camera, a Hassleblad XPan. Eighteen months later he purchased his second panoramic camera, a Linhof Technorama 617S III, which he still uses today.

Nigel realised that his true calling was photography and so decided to leave Newman and set up Red Dirt Photography in Broome in 2002. Here he continues to chase the wild light that makes the red Pindan soil explode into colour and transforms the landscape into an amazing palette for photography.

My images let people view how I see the beauty and ruggedness of the North West, the places they have been to but have never really seen before.

In July 2006, Nigel held a solo exhibition called “Dreaming of Water” in Broome’s The Bay Gallery. This featured his stunning landscapes and introduced the people of Broome to his fine art photography.

Showcased were unique images of reflections, ripples and light refracting through water, printed onto canvas; a stark expression of Nigel’s extension and journey into fine art photography.

Nigel Gaunt’s photography can be viewed at the:
His New Gallery at 2/10 Carnarvon Street, Chinatown, Broome, at The Rendezvous Sanctuary Resort, Lulfitz Drive, Cable Beach, The Bungalow Bar, Dampier Terrace, Chinatown and at The Broome Factory at 9 Farrell Street Broome (off Port Drive).

Now Nigel’s business in Broome is in great demand, with his partner Helen assisting in the administrative and promotional work.

There are many tours operating in the Kimberley but none of them are as instructive or as sharing of photographic knowledge than the Red Dirt Photographic Tour that Nigel personally conducts. For those with an inquisitive mind, wanting to know how some of these photographs are achieved, Nigel’s instructions will help you get there!

In keeping with his community activities Nigel helped establish the Broome Photography Club in 2005.