A freelance photographer and photography instructor based in Sydney Australia, Chris Bray is Canon's Ambassador for digital photography as well as their online tutorial host, and his photographs have won TIME magazine competitions, been bought by tourism commissions, magazines, used in calendars and more. Sponsored by Canon EOS and Lowepro, Chris has been profiled in photography magazines, travelled to Antarctica as guest photographer, and in 2009 became the first photographer that Australian Geographic magazine has ever sent on assignment overseas. Now recognised as one of Australia's leading outdoor photographers, Chris is involved in representing and judging high profile competitions including Canon's 'Photo5' and QORF's 'It's Better Outdoors'.

Chris is also an adventurer at heart, and having grown up sailing around the world, he has subsequently honed his photography skills in some of the most demanding and inspiring environments on earth - unsupported world-first arctic expeditions, sailing across the southern ocean, hiking the Tasmanian Wilderness and other remote areas. Now chairman for the Australian and New Zealand chapter of the prestigious international 'Explorers Club', and running 1-day photography courses right around Australia backed by Canon, the Australian Geographic Society and Lowepro, Chris's enthusiasm for all things photography and adventure have combined into a successful career.

Chris was born into a life of adventure in 1983, sailing around the world for 5 years with his family on their homemade yacht Starship. Leading an active outdoor lifestyle, when he was just 20 Chris organised and embarked on a 30-day expedition in Tasmania’s untracked south-western wilderness – complete with airdrops of supplies. Australian Geographic labelled this trek ‘one of the toughest foot journeys in the world’ and named him, along with his hiking mate Jasper Timm, the ‘Young Adventurer of the Year’ in 2004.

This trek was soon followed by other journeys and in 2005 Chris lead a 2-man, world-first, 58-day, unsupported expedition part way across the largely unexplored Victoria Island in the Arctic. Together with companion Clark Carter they hauled their home-made wheeled kayaks behind them for 300km, loaded with 250kgs of gear and supplies each. Crossing regions never before seen by human eyes, they filmed and photographed unforgettable encounters with arctic wolves and polar bears and documented archaeological sites while the temperature plunged to minus 38 deg with wind-chill. Only about a third of the way across the island they buried a flag and vowed to return.

In 2008 Chris and Clark went back Victoria Island to finish what they started. They dug up the Australian Geographic flag and after a further 70 days alone and unsupported, they reached the most westerly point of the island, having travelled the remaining 700km through snow, ice, mud, boulders, tundra, rapids, swamp and more, hauling totally re-designed carts behind them (hindsight is a wonderful thing!). They again had unforgettable encounters with arctic wolves and an enormous polar bear – and shared the experience online with daily updates and photos to the www.1000HourDay.com website, watched by over 32,000 people.

When Chris was just 16 he established his first business BlackJackal.com - retailing electronics online, and performed highly academically - coming ‘dux’/’first’ of both Primary and High Schools. A UAI of 99.2% earned him a 5yr scholarship to study Electrical Engineering at UNSW, which he completed in 2006 with first class honours and awards in Leadership and Project Management.

As well as being a part of the Society for Human Performance in Extreme Environments, Chris was elected as a member of the Australian and New Zealand chapter of The Explorers Club in 2005, became Membership co-ordinator in 2006, and now in 2009 is the new Chairman.

Having presented numerous lectures for the Australian Geographic Society, Air Canada, Icebreaker, Gore-Tex, The Explorers Club, adventure expos, climbing festivals and motivational talks for high schools and primary schools, Chris enjoys encouraging others to reach for their own life goals.

On the side, when he’s not outdoors with his girlfriend scaring himself with giant kites, freediving, kayaking, sailing, bike riding, or generally carrying on like a pork-chop, Chris spends his time focusing on his photography, cobbling together websites like this one, and prepping for the next adventure.