artin Bennett is a photographer, a designer and a teacher.

His interest in photography started at the age of 10, when he was given a book entitled ‘Pocket Money Photography’. This led to experimental efforts with a pinhole camera and developing prints in his parents’ garage at their home in Blackheath, south-east London. His leaning towards scientific experiments led him to complete a degree in Geophysics at Edinburgh University and pursue a career in the oil industry. His passion for photography stayed with him throughout.

Martin moved to Jakarta in 1997 to work as a geophysicist for a British oil exploration company. In 1998, he bought his first digital camera and from then on much of his spare time was spent experimenting with this emerging technology. He soon found that his camera, when combined with his Apple Mac computer, produced a powerful new design tool; all of his panoramic images are created by carefully stitching together a number of individual photographs. His work in digital photography as a hobby proved so successful and enjoyable that in 2001 he made the quantum leap to depart corporate life but stay in Jakarta to set up his own company – Gambar Panjang – specialising in digital imaging and graphic design.

These days he uses a Canon D60 camera and prints his photographs on an Epson 2100photo printer.

Martin and his family moved to Christchurch, New Zealand in 2003. In addition to photographic work Martin is now establishing a brewery and bar specialising in English cask conditioned ales. Gambar Panjang products contine to be available in the shops of Jakarta and Martin returns regualrly to Indonesia to exhibit, run workshops and of course take more photographs.