Fundraiser for Christchurch

Like the rest of NZ, our hearts are broken for the terrible suffering of Christchurch.

In an effort to raise funds, we are offering a family portrait package for sale on TradeMe. The value of the package is $920, and all proceeds will be donated to Red Cross.

Daffodil Day Book

The Cancer Society has recently released their new book celebrating Daffodil Day.

I'm thrilled to have photos I took during Daffodil Day 2009 feature on a double-page spread. I photographed the wonderful Bhana Brothers of Ponsonby who work hard every year fundraising for Daffodil Day.

Photo of Senmily on Fred Hollows publications

Here at ImageMe we are proud to be involved with the work of the Fred Hollows Foundation NZ, a charity that restores sight to blind people in the Pacific.

Here is an image I took of Senmily, a lady who received eye surgery in Papua New Guinea, allowing her to see again. This photo features on a new bookmark and newsletter from the Foundation.

Papua New Guinea - Jean's Story

Here is a link to a slideshow about Jean. I photographed Jean when I visited a clinic run by The Fred Hollows Foundation in March, in Papua New Guinea.

Jean was completely blind from cataracts in both eyes. Thanks to the amazing work of The Fred Hollows Foundation, her life, and the lives in everyone in her village, have been improved. Read her story to find out how.

ImageMe is proud to be an Official Partner of the Foundation and we help in any way we can. We donate our time and photographic skills to the charity, as well as $25 for every family portrait session we do.

Papua New Guinea

I recently spent a week in Alotau, Papua New Guinea, photographing the work of The Fred Hollows Foundation NZ.

ImageMe is an official partner of the Foundation, and I jumped at the chance to photograph their PNG programme.

The Foundation was holding an outreach clinic in Alotau, and Papua New Guineans travelled from remote areas throughout the Milne Bay region to get help for their eye problems. For many, cataracts were removed, allowing them to regain their sight, and improve their lives and their family's lives.

As part of the work I photographed several sugeries - a new experience for me!

It was so moving to meet some of these people, to hear their personal stories, and to photograph the moment when the bandage was removed and their joy erupted.

The photos I took will be used to show Kiwis the amazing work the Foundation does, to help in their appeals. It really is a thrill to use my photographic skills to make a real difference.

The photos I took for the Foundation are under wraps for now, but here are a few snapshots of me in PNG.

Here I am with PNG eye nurses Getruth, Rosemary and Kesley. They were an absolute pleasure to work with!

This is me with one of the patients whose story we documented.

ImageMe - Auckland Portrait Photography

Quirky Characters

Sunday's Photo Frenzy was a blast - lots of kids and grown-ups were willing to embrace their inner quirkiness, which made for a lot of fun!

ImageMe - Auckland portrait photography

Frenzy on Sunday!

After the success of our first Photo Frenzy, we can't wait for the next one this Sunday 17 January. It will be held at the studio, from 10am until 1pm.

This month's theme is Quirky Characters. Megan and I will photograph you in a way that looks a little... strange! Through the distortion created by perspective and the lens, heads get huge and feet become tiny! Check out this 'family portrait' of me with my husband John and our children, Jasmine and Zachary.

The Photo Frenzy is free and open to everyone, and we would love you to come. Feel free to bring your friends and family, and a silly hat or a fun costume, if you wish.

Gold coin donations will be accepted for The Fred Hollows Foundation NZ - helping to restore sight in the Pacific region.

For more information visit the Photo Frenzy website.

See you at the Frenzy!

ImageMe - Auckland portrait photography

"The basic attribute of mankind"

Happy New Year everyone! May 2010 bring peace and happiness to us all.

I thought that the following quote from Fred Hollows, the founder of The Fred Hollows Foundation NZ, would make a nice start to the year:

"I believe that the basic attribute of mankind is to look after each other."

Let's all do our best to look after each other in 2010.

ImageMe - Auckland portrait photography

Photo Frenzy video!

Meg and I had so much fun photograhing our first Photo Frenzy yesterday - check out this video.

Thanks to everyone who came and drew with light, and thanks for the wonderful donations for The Fred Hollows Foundation NZ - your generosity will help people see again!

Our next Frenzy, 'Quirky Characters' will be held on January 17.

ImageMe - Auckland portrait photography

ImageMe helping to restore vision

I am excited to announce that ImageMe has become an official partner of The Fred Hollows Foundation.

The Fred Hollows Foundation is carrying on the work of pioneering Kiwi eye doctor Fred Hollows. It's a Kiwi not-for-profit organisation dedicated to restoring sight and reducing avoidable blindness in the Pacific, Papua New Guinea and Timor-Leste.

Personally, I was shocked and saddened to find out that 80% of blindness in the world is treatable - in other words, 80% of the people who are blind in the world are actually blinded by poverty. Helping to restore a person's sight through a simple operation is truly a miracle - it brings amazing joy and improved quality of life not only to the person, but also their family and even their village. Here is a wonderful Campbell Live clip showing a grandmother in Fiji, Deonisia, seeing her children and grandchildren again after 9 years of blindness.

Here at ImageMe we will be donating $25 to The Fred Hollows Foundation for every family portrait session we do. $25 helps fund a simple cataract operation, such as Deonisia had. We will also be collecting donations at our monthly Photo Frenzy events - we will tell you more about the Frenzies soon!

Lisa and Megan with Pam Williams-Jones, the Hollows NZ’s Marketing and Fundraising Director.

ImageMe - Auckland portrait photography

Daffodil Day 2009

Lisa and I were approached to photograph Daffodil Day for the Cancer Society this year. A coffee table book is being made about their wonderful volunteers and we were both happy to give our time to such a great charity.

I had the absolute pleasure of spending the morning with the lovely Joan Swift.

She's an amazing woman who has volunteered for the Cancer Society for over thirty years. She is the Auckland area coordinator and works from before dawn till very late each and every Daffodil Day. She's been doing it since the very first Daffodil Day!

Lisa headed over to the Bhana Brothers at 129 Ponsonby Road. Harry, Pravin and Arvind Bhana run a fruiterer/florist shop that has been in their family since the 1930s.

Every year they generously provide the flowers and prepare them to be sold by volunteers at a stand in front of the shop, with all profits going to the Cancer Society. This year they also sold poppies along with the daffodils, and a passing pooch decided that those poppies tasted pretty good!

It was great to see the generosity of people donating and the volunteers who had given up their time for the cause. We'll let you know when the books are printed so you can go and get yourself one.