Image central

14/05/2026

13/05/2026

Dale & Finn did a great job reflecting on Kellie's contribution to Canoe Slalom - winner of the John Fitzharris Memorial Trophy for Services to Sport (at the Forysth Barr Central Otago Sports Awards) last week. Congratulations Kellie!

03/03/2026

We’re passionate about working with organisations that exist to do good — and Central Lakes Trust is exactly that.

This year they celebrate 25 years of giving back to our region, having granted more than $165 million to charitable organisations across Central Otago and Queenstown Lakes. What an incredible milestone 👏

We were delighted to cover their official celebrations in Cromwell — capturing speakers past and present, photographing new Trustee headshots and creating an updated Board photo.

What people don’t always see is the preparation behind the scenes:
✨ Meeting onsite weeks beforehand to go through the proceedings & run sheet
✨ Recceing spaces and checking lighting
✨ Planning the best locations for headshots and Board photo
✨ And staying flexible when things change

On the night, our planned location for the Board photo wasn’t available— so we adapted and photographed in front of the beautiful entrance fireplace instead. (Marions preferred choice anyway!)

We even adjusted seating arrangements to ensure the final image felt balanced and aligned with what the client wanted.

Listening matters. Flexibility matters. Partnership matters.

If your organisation has a story to tell, a milestone to celebrate or new trustees to introduce — we’d love to help you capture it professionally and thoughtfully.
Read more on our blog about how we work with our clients.

https://www.image-central.co.nz/Blog/Central-Lakes-Trust-25-Years

11/02/2026

✨ Commercial Branding for The Finery, Alexandra ✨

We’re delighted to see the visual suite we created for The Finery now live across their website and marketing.
This was a true collaboration.

The Finery team produced the beautiful food, drinks and brought the talent. We brought the creative direction, photography and video production — and yes, as you can see in the BTS moments, we had a lot of fun along the way.

Beyond the visuals, we love working with The Finery because their heart shows through their community work — including The Finery’s Little Learners Trust, supporting local families and tamariki with financial assistance for essential learning assessments.

Deliverables included:

✔ Short website video
✔ Venue photography (including tourism-ready imagery)
✔ Food photography for a menu launch
✔ Team photo

Photography & Video: Clare Toia-Bailey & Taine Morgan
Video Edit: Adrian Morgan

Read the full case study on our blog:
👉 https://www.image-central.co.nz/Blog/The-Finery
See how The Finery have brought it to life:
👉 https://www.thefinery.co.nz/

10/02/2026

✨ Continuing 2026 with a run of team headshots ✨

We’ve been back working with Checketts McKay Law, using the same trusted process and location — just different faces in front of the camera.

From planning through to delivery, having a consistent approach makes all the difference:

📌 Moodboard & prep – aligning the look and feel so every image sits well together
📌 Location recce – a Central Otago setting that works across Alexandra, Cromwell, Wānaka, and Ranfurly offices
📌 Smooth flow – relaxed, efficient sessions even with multiple people moving through
📌 Lighting – a simple mix of natural light, flash, and reflectors for a polished, natural result
📌 Collaborative selection – reviewing images together so everyone feels confident in their final choice
📌 Fast turnaround – private galleries delivered within the week, with 4–6 images per person
📌 Flexible use – images ready for Checketts McKay branding and individual LinkedIn profiles

Featured here:
• Analise Cowie – Commercial & Property
• Emma Tompkins – Law Graduate
• Emma O’Reilly – People & Culture Manager
• Mia Switalla – Junior Legal Assistant
• Donna Jones – Legal Assistant

It’s always rewarding to see people arrive a little unsure — and leave feeling confident, comfortable, and genuinely themselves.

Swipe through for behind-the-scenes moments and final images in action.
📸 Clare Toia-Bailey

26/01/2026

Thinking of Te Araroa & the Far East Cape 💙

Recent severe weather has hit parts of the Far East Cape hard, and my heart is with the small, isolated communities up north who are feeling the impact right now.

Te Araroa is such a remote, rugged and stunning place — I was lucky enough to spend time there a few years ago for work. Seeing the strength of the community then, it’s no surprise (but incredibly heartening) to know that Hinerupe Marae is now providing much-needed shelter and support for whānau during this difficult time.

Sharing a few photos from my time in the area, including the local rugby grounds — places that mean so much to the community.

If you’re able to help, donations can be made here to support the people of Te Araroa and the Far East Cape:
👉 https://www.manaakimatakaoa.com/

Every bit of support counts. Sending aroha north. 🌧️🤍

02/12/2025

We recently had the chance to capture a special moment with Gill Naylor ONZM at a Rural Women NZ gathering at Orchard Garden, Clyde. Gill spoke openly about her “why”: “I enjoy empowering other women.”

It was a warm and genuine celebration of her ONZM honour and the ongoing support she gives to Rural Women NZ — locally and beyond.

The gathering also included a thoughtful collection of biscuits and cakes to send to southern Rural Women NZ members affected by recent adverse weather. A simple gesture that says so much about how rural communities look after one another.

For us, moments like this are always a privilege to photograph — people supporting people, recognising each other’s contributions, and coming together with heart. 💚

20/11/2025

Back at school. Rakau at Dunstan High School in Alexandra, Central Otago today. Looked like a lot of fun.

07/11/2025

Congratulations to our scholarship recipients for 2025! We look forward to seeing where your journeys take you.

Read more on our website:

https://www.clt.net.nz/post/central-lakes-trust-marks-19-years-of-scholarships-by-awarding-172-500-to-local-students

05/11/2025

A couple of weeks ago, together with a team of amazing wāhine, I had the pleasure of hosting Tori Moorby (née Peeters) in Gore as part of the Inspiring Wahine Rural Conference. It wasn’t my idea! I had no idea that Tori, Aotearoa’s number one javelin thrower and currently ranked 7th in the world, was originally from Gore. Once we found out, we knew we had to bring her home.

Tori visited her old school, St Peter’s College, where she ran a javelin training session for students from St Peter’s, Blue Mountain College, Menzies College and Maruawai College. The school shared afterward:

“Today we had the absolute pleasure of welcoming past student and New Zealand Olympian Tori Moorby (nee Peeters) back to St Peter's College. Students from Blue Mountain College, Menzies College and Maruawai also joined us for this fantastic opportunity to learn javelin techniques from one of the best in the country.
Tori finished the session with an inspiring Q&A, sharing insights into her journey to becoming an Olympian. She reminded students of the importance of remembering your ‘why’ and always having fun along the way.”

Later that evening, Tori spoke at the Inspiring Wāhine Rural Conference welcome drinks, reflecting on her journey, learnings and life as an athlete. We were incredibly grateful she was able to fit us into her busy schedule of work, training, and competing around the world.

Tori’s visit was made possible thanks to the generosity of a number of sponsors — with a special acknowledgement to Air New Zealand for their support.