About Us

From growing up exploring the Drakensburg as a child in South Africa, to leading school groups realising their own outdoor passions in abseiling, whitewater kayaking and bushwalking in Australia — there hasn’t been mountain, river or beach that Ty hasn’t wanted to explore.

Ty has been leading groups in the outdoors for over 20 years. Upon completing his undergraduate studies with a double degree at the University of Western Australia, Ty rounded his studies with a Graduate Diploma in Education, a vital tool that has enabled him to communicate learning methodologies, experiences and appreciate the uniqueness of us all as lifelong learners.

After graduating university, Ty was fortunate to spend two years working at an Outdoor Education Centre operated by a private boys school in Perth. Seeing students revel in their time in the outdoors, challenging their abilities, self-esteem and emotions, this time was an incredibly rewarding experience. Concurrently, Ty operated a kayaking coaching and training business, Precision Paddling. Coaching state athletes, beginners and leading Avon Descent competitors on their first ventures negotiating the remote whitewater sections of the Avon River in the Perth hills in preparation for the gruelling annual two day event.

Since 2010, Ty has been working in the Emergency Services as a Career Firefighter with the Fire & Rescue Service of Western Australia. With over 12 years years of emergency response and training experience under his belt, has afforded Ty the vital perspective of managing groups in emergency situations and an ability for managing risks and hazards in the natural environment.

Ty’s personal work has been an excuse for many family holidays. To locations off the beaten track, or a ‘short’ detour en-route to somewhere more familiar. Whether it be hanging out of the open door of a plane above the remote Kimberley, Whitsundays, Shark Bay, New Zealand Alps, or simply enjoying the stillness that a five-minute exposure affords on the shores of the Indian Ocean, there is always a good reason to explore somewhere new.

A personal ethos of continual improvement and education, led Ty to set up TAKUMI Studio Fine Art Printing in late 2019. With the mission of assisting regional artists and photographers with high quality printing services, and personal benefit of honing his own printing and image-making skills, TAKUMI Studio has allowed Ty to control and experiment with the critical final step in the image-making process.

After quietly developing his craft through observation, experimentation, assistance, feedback and time, RAW Marvels has emerged as a logical outcome to share our craft, passion for travel and the natural marvels with like-minded photographers. We hope you can join us. 🙂