Simon Burstall, at age 17, began photographing Sydney's underground rave scene in the 1990s, using borrowed school cameras and sneaking out in the family car to capture the burgeoning subculture. His images from that era were later compiled into the photobook '93: Punching the Light, published by Damiani in 2019.
The article matters because it highlights how a teenage photographer documented a pivotal moment in Sydney's youth culture and electronic music history, preserving a raw, authentic record of a scene that was both underground and transformative. It also underscores the role of amateur photography in capturing ephemeral cultural movements before they fade.