Russell Shakespeare: Keep it simple

‘All I knew was that I wanted to take photographs.’

‘It was hit by a drunk driver. I had every limb in plaster – broken knees, ankles, arms, ribs, and nose.’

It was 1987 and Russell Shakespeare was 24 years old. He’d wanted to be a photographer in his teens, but after finishing school he’d reluctantly taken his father’s advice to learn a trade instead. In due course he became a qualified carpenter and for some years he earned a living swinging a hammer. But he never lost his enthusiasm for taking pictures and just six months before the calamitous accident, he’d enrolled at the Queensland College of Art to pursue his dream.

The smash left him flat on his back for three months and he was still recuperating when friends from university announced that they were off on an adventure to India.

‘I asked if I could tag along,’ Russell said. ‘I went with a walking stick for that first trip, but it was amazing. I'd only done six months of photography [at