The Story Behind the Lens

Hi, I’m Alan - the eye behind Troposphere Media. I'm a coastal kid at heart, now based in Esperance, Western Australia. My love for photography began with my Grandad’s digital camera. I’d spend hours in Lancelin experimenting, not knowing that those early shots would eventually lead me here.

In high school, a photography assignment reignited that creative spark, and after moving to Esperance for my teaching career, it all came flooding back. The landscapes here were too beautiful not to capture. In 2017, after months of hesitation, I bought my first drone. It felt like a huge creative risk - one I’d talked myself out of for so long. I had all the usual doubts: Is my work good enough? Would anyone even want to see it - let alone pay for it? But eventually, one thought cut through: There’s only one way to find out.

That was the start of Troposphere Media.

The name came to me naturally - a nod to the layer of Earth where drones and planes fly, and a metaphor for perspective, clarity, and freedom. I chose “Media” because I never want to limit myself creatively. While photography is at the heart of this, videography is another passion I plan to pursue as this platform evolves.

My work is grounded in instinct. I look for patterns, textures, and the moment when everything just clicks. I can take 30 photos in a session, but I know instantly when I’ve captured the one. I aim for something refreshing, peaceful - imagery that gives people space to breathe.

This project is personal. It’s about sharing what I see from above, in a way that’s honest and considered. My hope is to grow Troposphere Media into a sustainable business that lets me chase light, explore places that fire me up, and connect people to wild, beautiful corners of the world - one frame at a time. One day, I’d love to take this lens to Antarctica - a bucket list dream that feels like the ultimate frontier for capturing raw, untouched beauty.