Photographing people in their places has always been Isabella Harrex’s thing. Her passion for capturing the true joy of tamariki at Tautuku in The Catlin’s is having ripple effects.

Words Sarah Perriam-Lampp

When Isabella Harrex’s husband began at Te Hou Ora Whānau Services as a youth mentor and they needed imagery for a new website, little did she know how drawn she would be to the ongoing project.

The Dunedin-based photographer behind the images of Julie Battisti (page 80) is in her element capturing images that are making a difference.

‘What better way to use my skills than to help whānau get a leg up when they need it?’ she says.

She has joined events at the Noho Marae in Tautuku in The Catlins with wanders in nature that teach tamariki about hauora and rongoā, watched elders pass on tikanga, and seen what whanaungatanga can do in a young person’s life.

‘Our moemoeā, dream, is a future where every mokopuna grows with an unshakable sense of identity, belonging and purpose, not because they have simply been taught who they are, but because they have lived it,’ explains Dan Anderson, Kaiwhakahaere, Chief Executive Officer of Te Hou Ora Whānau Services.

Her images have helped the organisation win grants and funding to keep that mahi going.

‘I’m a bit of a chameleon,’ she says. ‘The most important thing I can do as a photographer is just fit in – having laughs and connecting as we chat.’

Through Isabella’s lens she captures the true feeling in a moment of joy that renews your faith in humanity.

Follow Isabella’s work on Instagram @isabellaharrexphotos