Portraits with Mana

Kahikatea, our main meeting room, sits on the second floor of the DCM whare. This space holds many DCM taonga (treasures) and since late last year has been lined with five beautiful whānau portraits, taken by the amazing Amber-Jayne Bain.

These portraits capture the beauty, mana, and personaility of the whānau we work with. Amber-Jayne’s thoughtful eye caught a side of our whānau many who don’t know them may not have seen, maybe even a side of themselves they had not seen before either.

This creative exchange left a real impression with Amber-Jayne, who shared a few of her thoughts with us:

"I’m a photographer working primarily for commercial clients and brands. I photograph people in all kinds of situations, and often, I’m working with entrepreneurial and affluent folk, who both work hard, and reap serious rewards (and expect to continue doing so). I’m not often in a space with people who have lost nearly everything. I decided to use my photography to serve DCM for this project after I met with Florence, and heard about the selfless work the team do, and the stories of struggle and hope that she shared with me from some of the whānau she cares for.

People are complex, and often resilience is damaged when money, relationships and health are compromised. My own core values tell me that we need to care for people especially when they aren’t able to care for themselves. It’s a privilege to do what I do - and it was an absolute privilege to meet the whānau who came to me for their portrait. Each of them was so gracious, gentle and respectful with me. 

I asked my dear friend Paula Collier to join me as an assistant to help with lighting and people care, and I know she and I were both so affected by our interactions with these souls. Paula gave her time freely, as she too has a fundamental concern with helping the marginalised. I really acknowledge Paula for her generosity, and I know she would tell you that she really enjoyed our photoshoot with the whānau. When I sat editing the photographs after the shoot, I relived our conversations - myself, Paula, Flo and the whānau. The funny little moments and absolute humanity of it all. I couldn’t help but grin back at their faces on my screen, knowing that we had been granted a taonga through that time in their company.
 
I bumped into one of our models a few weeks ago. He was an absolute highlight memory, and seeing him out ‘in the wild’ on his bike with a friend, I had a total rush of affection for him. There’s something different that happens when you know somebody’s name and have shaken their hand. They’re a person, not just a statistic."

Thanks again to Amber-Jayne Bain.