Love and Mum

This book is special. It depicts the love that a mother has for her family. It is a photo Journalism record of New Zealand life. It was originally published as a way of raising funds for the Ronald MacDonald House. We commit that we will honour this intent by donating the total sale price to Ronald MacDonald House. “My dad gave me a camera when I was 10 or 12, so photography was something that always inspired me,” Juliette says. “Then I went away and did a million other things,” she laughs, “my degree, travelling, working overseas.” A bit over 10 years ago and newly married, she was looking for something to sink her creative teeth into. “My husband said, ‘what do you really want to do?’ and I was like ‘be a photographer’. He said, ‘well just do it, I’ll support you 100 percent’”. And in 2009 Etta Images was born… but the universe had another baby in store for Juliette and her husband Rob. “I got pregnant the first month I started the business!” she laughs. Juliette had previously been involved with a charity photography project for the Make a Wish Foundation, where the photographers donated their time and the session fee went to Make a Wish. “I think only three of us took it up, but I thought what an amazing way for photographers to be able to raise funds, why not try it myself?” She had been helping with Ronald McDonald House (RMH), cooking meals with a friend so that was a natural fit for a charity. “They’re just so amazing at RMH with what they do; they’re the perfect charity,” she says. So she launched plans for ‘Love and Mums’ – a project that would see her photograph 75 local mums and create a beautiful coffee table book from the images. She reduced her usual session fee of $99 to just $65 and the entire $65 would be donated to RMH.