Selected to Photograph the New Zealand Breastfeeding Campaign

I have wonderful news. I was selected as the Lactation Consultant to work on the New Zealand Breastfeeding DVD. I had been lobbying for one for years, and when the Ministry of Health decided to put one together, I was selected to work on the project with GSL the advertising agency that is handling the campaign. Now this was joy enough, but it got out at the meetings that I was also a professional photographer. The Advertising representatives asked to see my portfolio and then hired me for the job of photographing the stills for the project. They figured they scored because they got a breastfeeding technical expert and a photographer whose style they liked all in one package. I was seriously chuffed. This is my first commercial piece of work and I am very nervous and very excited at the same time. I will be flying up to Auckland to photograph the mothers who are being featured in the DVD plus a few other mothers who have volunteered to be part of the project. I am just buzzing with nervousness and excitement about the whole project.

Finalist in the Wellington Photographer of the Year

I am so very excited! This year the Wellington Chapter of the New Zealand Institute of Professional Photographers decided to host the inaugural "Wellington Photographer of the Year" award. Members were requested to submit up to 4 of their best images for critique. This was in preparation for the National competition which will be held in Wellington this year. The winner was selected based on which photographer scored the highest on his or her best two prints.

There were over 30 photographers competing and it was so exciting. My son Sam was with me and every time one of mine would come up his eyes would get big and he would elbow me and do everything he could to stay silent....which is hard when you are a chatty 10 year old.

So in the end I got scores that would have given me 2 bronzes and 2 silvers. The top two both received 82 which put me in the finals with 4 other photographers. The judges then selected from these the grand winner. I didn't win but I was so incredibly excited to have been placed in the same ring as these others who have had so many years of experience. I was massively humbled and honoured to be there.

Sam was buzzing and so was I when I came back over the Hill from the Wairarapa where the judging took place. I could barely sleep an woke up with my head buzzing with more ideas that I could use for the National print competition. Fingers crossed. Stay tuned I will update you at the end of August as to how this part went.

Gallery of Submissions