Nau mai, haere mai

Welcome to AuthenticAs, we’re Emma & Simon and this is our idea, our thing, our photography.

It’s a craft we use to ease and strengthen our connection to place, family, friends, communities and visitors alike. We believe in what we do and so we’d like to invite you to learn a little more about us and what lies in our corner of the world.

It’s difficult to know where to start, which in itself is an important element of understanding who we are. We believe that everything is connected. This makes it difficult to define a start point, nor is it possible to identify an end.

We’re not from here, Aotearoa, but we’ve found each other here some time ago in this beautiful land immersed within its culture. We’ve both been on quite the journey to get here and when we put our hands on our hearts, we can say with confidence that we are without a doubt, AuthenticAs!

We love photographs. These visual captures of singular moments in time encompass so much of what makes our hearts sing. Creating beautiful, breathtaking images lies at the core of what we do. We don’t stick to one type of photography. We capture life, wherever the location and light. Which should reassure you to the level of our photography craft.

We follow our hearts - we’ve found this helps create and maintain resilience, which could potentially be one of the most important parts of modern day life.

If you are traveling with us in our Land Rovers, let's explore what surrounds the photography, the process and knowledge that will help you create those moments with you family and friends in this magical corner.

We love to explore. Places we see and visit on a daily basis are forever changing in our minds and eyes - from the time of day you visit, the weather you find and the people that come along, all these elements contribute towards the overall experience of that place at that point in time.

We’ve settled here in the Wakatipu, under Coronet Peak with many stories and experiences to mold together to create a new story, a new healthier way of life. We are extremely lucky to live In a tucked away place where we’re surrounded by nature, constantly learning about the seasons and how they influence the place and living beings around us.

At home we are learning to grow more and more food and plants to sustain us, this place and its visitors. We care about living beings and our place is packed to the rafters with animals that seem to have found their way to us for one reason or another. They’ve been found in the forest alone and scared, or simply seemed to turn up in the paddock next door and just need some extra love to nurture them. Everything appears to live here harmoniously.

Emma is no stranger to animal rescue, but this is a very new journey for Simon, one in which he’s slotted into naturally. Between us, we have four children, the youngest lives at home with us and is without a doubt our greatest animal rescuer.

The both of us are very strong advocates for improving mental and physical well being, from a personal perspectives & at community and national levels. We know how nature can help heal and align our well-being.

We understand everyone's journey is different, often noticing this with our cameras and we help create the space you need to relax.

This is our way and it’s ever changing. All those places we visit, stories we hear, people we meet, they all contribute towards guiding our growth and knowledge.

We would like to think that when you join us here for the first time, we pass on our way of seeing things to you. We take the time to find out more about you, so we can shape the time together to best serve you. We want to connect you with nature or place in a safe, perfectly paced manner. Right now, all of us need that time.

Te toto o te tangata, he kai; te oranga o te tangata, he whenua

Mā te wā

While food provides the blood in our veins, our health is drawn from the land

See you again, more than likely soon