Behind the lens

Anne Moffat: Half Lives


Age?

24

Where are you based?

Melbourne

How do you make a living?

Photography

What camera do you use?

Mamiya 7, Nikon F3, Contax T2, Canon 6D, iPhone, whatever I can get my hands on

How has travel made an impact on your life?

What I enjoy about travel is the ability to gain new perspectives and live alternate existences, whether it be aimless or planned, for a temporary moment in time or an extended period. I grew up in Australia with parents from Malaysia and New Zealand, and studied geography and languages through school and university; these were all factors that led me to have a multicultural upbringing and draw me to travel at various points in my life.

What is your relationship to travel/adventure, and what does it mean to you?

Travel has taught me to question things and keep curious. I’m constantly reminded that I actually don’t know that much; it’s a very humbling experience which both keeps me in check and open to new possibilities. Stay curious and you’ll always be having an adventure. 


When you dig into the sand at Hot Water Beach in New Zealand, water flows to the surface to form a hot water pool. Behind me there were hundreds of tourists shoveling sand and relaxing in their own private thermal hot springs but this lady and I enjoyed a quieter view.

The European Swamp Soccer Championships were coincidentally happening on my first weekend studying in Ísafjörður, the largest town in Iceland’s remote Westfjords region. Teams from all over the world battle it out in the mud against the stunning background of the Tungudalur Valley. It’s recommended for players to duct tape their shoes to their feet.

The Yangon Circular Railway loops through urban, suburban and rural areas of Myanmar’s largest city. These children were playing an elaborate game of hide and seek through the carriages, jumping off and greeting local kids at each station before sprinting back towards he train and magically reappearing on the steps as if they had never left.

It was an incredible experience to watch an AFL match in Lajamanu, Northern Territory a couple of weeks ago. The entire community of children, adults, elders, and dogs had converged around the field while a giant crescent moon glowed above. The newly installed floodlights illuminated these amazing explosions of dust as the players ran around.

After travelling eastward for five days straight on a train from Moscow, and being confined to our carriage for ten long hours awaiting baggage and passport control, it was a relief to cross the Russian-Mongolian border and arrive at Sükhbaatar station where these kids were hooning around on their bicycles.

My mate @jason_uu recently had to transport a bus from Melbourne to Kalkarindji in the Northern Territory. He put out a call for tag alongs but none of our other friends could join, so I had a glorious choice of 22 seats for the entire journey through outback Australia. This day in Longreach, Queensland was perhaps the most bizarre of our three-week trip: we ran into Pauline Hanson in the local bakery and then walked on the wing of the pictured Qantas 747.

My grandma lives in Sandakan, Malaysia and I’m often there spending Christmas or Chinese New Year with her and my relatives. During the unbearably humid afternoons when she is taking a nap, the pool is a delightful refuge.

Having grown up in Australia, snow will always be a huge novelty for me. The dark German winters whilst I lived there were a real mindbender. The gloom really makes you appreciate the summer for what it is.


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