ITALO VARDARO - Photographer: In the Riverland Region of South Australia

For Italo Vardaro another day at the office is a little bit different to the norm... From the back seat of the car he grabs his favourite camera and heads off to work at one of his favourite spots, a scenic lookout near Paringa.

"Not only have we got the green areas. But we've also got the struggle of life and the plants and the environment and that's what brings a stark beauty to the place."

From the harsh environment to be found in the quiet backwaters off the Murray to the gnarled river cliffs the Riverland offers a host of opportunities for a bloke who's true obsession is with the small and intimate things which ultimately make up the big picture.

But his true love is portrait photography as his lens takes in the characters of the Riverland whose faces have been sculptured by the elements. Just like the environment they live in.

"We've got people who are very inventive. Let's put it that way. Not only are they inventive but they're a different breed. The people that I have photographed have got stories that are so beautiful."

Like Myra Dyer, one of the Riverland characters Italo featured in his recent photographic exhibition entitled 'Living Proof'.

"Not only is she a battler but she is a very good truck driver and things don't sway these sorts of people."

Italo likes to photograph people in their work environments.

"A lot of my stuff... The way I photograph it is to use their environment and their shed and places where they normally work. These people have lived in this area and you can see the stories in their eyes and how they've battled on through hard times and good times. It's part of our human heritage which would be too valuable to lose."

Italo Vardaro's search for the characters of the region is never ending and he obviously has an uncanny ability to get them to relax in front of the camera. A good example is a photo of Grant Telfer from Monash. He built his own catamaran and as he puts it "kept turning left until he'd sailed around Australia".

For this local photographer the day-to-day work place is the logical setting in which capture the lives and characters of the Riverland.

Italo Vardaro's photographic studio is at 26 Kay Avenue in Berri. It's open on weekdays. Italo also does commission work and can be contacted on 8582 3111.