Stefan was born and raised in Colombo, the capital city, business hub and corporate centre of the emerald isle called Sri Lanka. He attended the prestigious private school St. Thomas’ College, Mount Lavinia and migrated to Australia in April 1977 at the age of twenty one. As Stefan recalls, he became fascinated with the diversity of wildlife in Sri Lanka around the age of five. Always the adventurous spirit, as soon as he was old enough he was off on a variety of journeys within Sri Lanka with his close group of friends. Determined to capture the essence of Sri Lanka’s wild diversity on film he started off with a 35mm camera in 1979. Somewhat unsatisfied with his early efforts he then dabbled in video taping wildlife in the jungles of Sri Lanka over the next seven years. He returned to still photography in earnest in 1998. Commenting on his passion for wildlife Stefan asserts, “I am certainly not in the league of the professional photographer; I am just an amateur enthusiast, with a lot to learn, who enjoys photographing wildlife in a beautiful, complex and exotic land”.

Stefan states, “Whilst I am totally fascinated with the wildlife in places like Africa, South America, India and South East Asia, nothing stirs in me like the wildlife of Sri Lanka. From my earliest childhood days I would watch the fog swirling around the peak wilderness and thick mountain jungles and I knew I had to get up there to discover its amazing diversity.”

Stefan visits Sri Lanka at least twice a year and never fails, no matter how short the stay, to travel to a National Park game reserve or sanctuary. He also continues to be very active in developing Rugby Union at his alma mater. His other interests are old books, particularly on the colonial era of Sri Lanka and India. Stefan insists that his close friends since childhood – Eric, Ali, Mahes and Weli – are acknowledged in this website for their unconditional support and patience in accompanying him to the jungles of Sri Lanka over the past thirty odd years. This is his first book, with plans on the ‘drawing board’ for a few more. His wife of twenty eight years and two children play a large part in supporting his travels to the jungles of Sri Lanka.