As a photographer, writer and conservationist, I have an enduring preoccupation with people at large and genuinely believe that natural portrait photography enables us to tell stories, share experiences and document our lives in sensitive and meaningful ways which can do much to improve our understanding of each other. Whether it be on assignment or just out of my own sense of curiosity, one of the things I enjoy most about travelling to some of our more remote and inhospitable places is the opportunity to capture the essence of ordinary people, at home or in their places of work, where they can be completely at ease in front of the camera. This is something I have often had the privilege to experience in recent years, particularly when working in parts of Africa and Asia, where the living and working conditions still being endured by some of the poorer local communities can provide the setting for so many graphic and memorable images and an all too brief glimpse into their lives.