My whole working life has been spent as an Operating Room Nurse. Immersed in humanity at their most vulnerable times, it has served to shape me as the person l am today. I thought this is it. My only job in life. But as often happens, life threw me a curve ball. The death of my brother Michael, a gifted photographer, in Udaipur India in 2017.

My family travelled to India to bring our brother and his belongings home. Most importantly, his photographic images and beloved camera needed to be collected.

On returning to Melbourne l needed to sell his camera. I stood at the counter of a shop and considered the small payment they were willing to make for his most prized possession. I said “give me a few minutes” while l made my decision. I decided l couldn't part with his camera and turned around and walked out . Unbeknown to me that decision would irrevocably change my life. I didn't hear them, but those Sliding Doors had opened, and l stepped through them, unaware of what this decision would mean for me.

I decided to try and learn to use his camera. The modern DSLR is like a mini computer. I did not even know how to turn it on. I was determined to master the skill of photography, but the learning curve was so steep. I began to realise a whole new world existed through the camera lense . Very quickly, like my brother , l became obsessed with telling a story using his camera as a tool. Every time l pressed the shutter l paid homage to Michael.

When the winds of change blow, the embers of our lives ignite .

Pauline Klemm