Portraying traditions and ceremonies encapsulating the character of a country are important elements in my work. On visiting the Himba in Northern Namibia I found a culture largely untouched by western influences. Singapore has changed so much in recent years but my picture of a temple musician playing a nadaswaram has a timeless quality. On a location shoot in Kyoto, Japan I went to photograph the Karesansui ‘dry landscape’ of 15 rocks at the Ryoan-ji Temple. When I arrived five schoolgirls were regarding the stones so, once again, serendipity added an extra feeling of peace and contemplation.