[ad_1]
Mount Somers photographer Anna Munros’ photos of excessive nation stations have developed from a ardour challenge to a priceless document of rural life and a aspect hustle to complement farm earnings.
“It was all a reasonably natural course of, to be truthful,” Munro says.
Three years in the past Munro was dwelling in West Otago, the place her husband Mitch labored as a builder and she or he break up her time between working as a physio in Wanaka and as a shepherd in Tarras.
“My working life was a bit combined,” Munro stated.
Munro’s images journey started in Otago when she was serving to with the autumn muster at Lake Heron Station along with her sisters.
She took a digicam and posted pictures onto social media by way of her new Fb web page, Muster.
“There was a very good response from it.
“You realise how a lot individuals love seeing footage of the excessive nation.”
Regardless of having no formal coaching, and utilizing a digicam borrowed from her husband, Munro’s photos struck a chord along with her followers.
Individuals started wanting to purchase photos, and as a result of demand, Munro launched a calendar later that yr, promoting round 500 copies.
She noticed a chance to make some further earnings, while utilizing the social media platform to indicate the optimistic aspect of agriculture.
“I used to be amazed at what number of calendars bought, and I believed I may begin a aspect hustle, and I used to be sick of listening to about individuals complaining concerning the rural-urban divide.
“I believed that is one thing I can do to shed some optimistic gentle on farming and attempt to inform an genuine story.”
Munro started photographing and sharing parts of farming life and was approached by agribusinesses for paid images work.
“I’ve all the time stored it rural as a result of that is what I am enthusiastic about.”
For younger shepherds,time spent mustering on excessive nation stations turns into a fond reminiscence they may recall in later years, andMunro likes having the ability to assist them preserve these reminiscences alive along with her images.
“I’ve heard from quite a lot of older guys that mustering was the very best years of their life, and so they want they’d pictures to look again on it.
“For a number of the younger fellows who go away college and go off mustering, they are going to be stoked to have the ability to look again at lately.
“The excessive nation mustering scene is kind of a particular factor, and possibly it will not be round without end.”
Final April, Munro and her husband Mitch moved from Otago to Mid Canterbury, taking up the lease of Munro’s mother and father’ sheep and beef farm, Cravendale, close to Mount Somers.
The couple welcomed their first youngster, Charlie, seven months in the past, and with a brand new child and a farm to run, Munro felt beneath important stress and put images on maintain.
With Mitch new to farming, Munro was hands-on with farm operations, and the juggle of operating the farm and a new child took its toll.
“I would be mendacity if I stated we had a balanced life.
“It was actually busy with having Charlie; I had various bother breastfeeding and wasn’t in a very good place.
“I’ do not know if it was postnatal despair or stress of making an attempt to boost a child with out a lot sleep, however I ended up on anti-depressants final yr, and so they have been nice.”
Mitch has realized the ropes of farm life shortly, and Munro says the stress has come off, and she or he now feels she will be able to get again behind the digicam lens.
“Mitch has picked issues up and remembers issues extremely nicely.
“I am fairly fortunate now; if it has been a tough evening with Charlie, I can simply keep inside, and he can run the farm.”
The additional earnings from Munro’s images work has been welcome after a tricky first yr at Cravendale.
“It hasn’t been the best yr to get began, and we will probably be fortunate if, on the finish of it, we’re again to zero, so each little bit helps, even when it is simply placing petrol within the automotive.”
Munro’s newest photos are presently on show in an exhibition on the Cardrona Distillery close to Wanaka, her second on the venue.
“It is an actual spotlight to see these pictures blown as much as an honest dimension the place you possibly can admire the scope of the nation.”
By Claire Inkson
[ad_2]
Source link
