Susi & Omar

Ancient Egypt may have been the first place I travelled without ever leaving a classroom.

As a kid in primary school, I remember learning about pharaohs, pyramids and a civilisation so extraordinary it hardly seemed real. Egypt belonged to another world—another planet, almost. Certainly not somewhere I imagined my own little life would one day take me.

When I set out to become a photographer, my aspirations were humble. Photographing weddings at Melbourne Town Hall sounded like a thoroughly marvellous existence—and Lord knows, there ain’t nothing wrong with that.

But the reason I became a photographer in the first place runs deeper.

Before my brother Lee passed away, he left me with four simple words:

Don’t waste a day.

Removed from that moment, they may sound like a familiar sentiment. But Lee knew me in ways I had not yet learnt to know myself, and the gravity of those words changed the course of my life. They became a quiet compass—an invitation to remain curious, take the unlikely road and occasionally step into worlds that once seemed impossible.

Standing in Egypt to photograph Susi and Omar was one of those rare, overwhelming, pinch-myself moments.

And at the centre of this grand adventure were two remarkably gentle souls. Susi and Omar carry a peaceful, gracious energy; theirs is a love that never needs to announce itself loudly to be deeply felt.

Against the immensity of this ancient place, they created something quietly monumental of their own.

Two souls. One grand adventure. Not a day wasted.