Snapshot:

PAST: “I guess I was always interested in photography,” says Celine. “I have albums filled with photos from when I was at high school — several years ago, now.” She says she was always at her happiest when capturing people and moments. “I remember as a child that Mum always had a camera, and for that, I am very grateful. (Although she did manage to cut a few heads off. Perhaps I got the photography gene from her?)” PRESENT: Celine was born and raised on the Chatham Islands — “Pitt Island, actually,” she says. “Everyone goes to boarding school as that is just a part of living here, and I went to St Kevin’s College in Ōamaru. I never really did anything with photography as a young adult. I did nursing at Christchurch Hospital (which wasn’t for me) and then worked as a builder’s labourer until I came back home and continued working to save some money to travel overseas.”

After traveling, Celine returned to Pitt Island in 2000 and bought up a family with her partner. She now lives on the main Chatham Islands after buying a farm and a gallery called the River Onion Gallery. “I sell most of my photography at the gallery but do sell a little bit online,” she says. She also has a little side business, working as a marriage celebrant. FUTURE: Celine says that over the years, her photography has evolved “quite a bit, thankfully! I do a lot of landscape photography, mainly because of the visitor industry here on the island. There is a lot of interest in landscape photography as that is what visitors see, and they want to take something home with them as a memento. But the truth be told, I prefer portraiture. I love interacting with my clients, and you become a part of the shoot without even realizing it.”

She says there’s nothing like getting back to her computer with an SD card and looking at the moments she has captured. “It’s like Christmas to me. Hopefully, I can spend more time creating my overlay imagery in the future, which I love doing. I fell across that one day, and it has proved quite popular.” Celine photographed Kaai Silbery and Francesca Bonventre and their Go Wild freeze- dried honey venture (see page 112) for this issue. celinephotography.net