Contributors

Published May 1, 2009 @ noon

Laura Westphal is an Auckland-based freelance writer who originally hails from Minnesota. After dipping her toe in Corporate America, she quickly realised that life down under held more appeal. Laura enjoys writing about creative Kiwis whose determination, humility and originality never cease to amaze—like inventor James Madelin and the furry Nick Fracture on pages 20 and 21. In her spare time, you can find Laura teaching the occasional yoga class or trying a new pose in search of enlightenment. Namaste.

Phillip Simpson trained as a zoologist, but as his passion for music, film and photography grew he became concerned that a life spent in a white lab coat with a bushy beard might not be for him. Over the past 15 years he has fused those enthusiasms, photographing actors and musicians for magazines as diverse as Spin (New York), Time Out (London) and our own Metro. He’s best known for creating contemporary images of people in carefully considered locations—like the cloudscape that surrounds webheads Rob Coup and Ed Corkery on page 38.

Chris Tobias is founder and lead strategist at Forward, a consultancy specialising in sustainable development and communications. He is also currently the editor of Celsias.com, a climate change and environmental issues website, has been active with Unitec Hortecology Sanctuary, and mentors the leadership of Nexus, the student sustainability group based at Auckland University. Just the man, then, to introduce a more sustainable, more productive way of managing staff—particularly if you like to go to the movies during work hours. Chris’ column is on page 86.

G Venn is a freelance illustrator, currently based somewhere in the North Island of New Zealand. He uses mixed media, combining ink drawings with acrylic paint and collage to create a unique signature style. It’s just the thing to introduce our tale of Mountain Buggy’s rise and decline on page 46. You’ll find more examples on his website at www.gvenn-illustration.com.