Livingston Armytage is an Australian photographer who has worked in more than 50 countries mainly across Asia in places far beyond the tourist path. His photographs take the viewer behind the postcard view to illuminate and show the lives of others:

My camera teaches me to see. In these photographs, I express what I have seen – both beautiful and ugly – for the viewer to contemplate. While pursuing beauty, I have found that it can often be found in unexpected places. I use the camera as a documentary tool to portray a reality that can affect the viewer in ways that words cannot. Some images are joyful: but others are confronting, even profoundly disturbing. My challenge is to capture these realities with balance, respect and integrity.

Before becoming a photographer, Livingston worked as a lawyer spending many years building fairer societies in remote parts of Asia and the Pacific. In 2018, he was awarded the Order of Australia for his services to justice.

My concern is usually on fairness. So, my camera is also a tool for protest and advocacy. I want my photographs to attract the viewer, but also to disturb and stir reflection.

Click to learn more about Livingston’s book Homeless: Hidden in Plain Sight.