Heart of Gold

Laura Tait‘s photographic studio is north of Auckland in a historic tiny village called ‘Puhoi’ which means 'slow water' in Māori.

For years, Laura’s world revolved around the hum of runway shows, discovering the latest fashion trends and enjoying the hustle and bustle of the city, she thrived on the energy of Auckland’s creative scene, drawn to the city’s vibrancy and endless inspiration.  Yet, the pull for something quieter, a slower more intentional way of living grew impossible to ignore.  Laura longed to embrace the beauty of slow living, to exchange the glamour of city life for the tranquility of the countryside. 

That longing set Laura and her husband on a journey that led straight to the heart of Puhoi, a picturesque village adorned with heritage white buildings and traditional red roofs, steeped in history and charm.  It was there they discovered their dream, an old farmhouse with a barn on a sloping hillside surrounded by lush greenery and boundless potential.  It was love at first sight, and Laura traded glamour for gumboots.  

This wasn’t just a house, it was the beginning of a new chapter, one rooted in simplicity, creativity and the slower rhythm of country life.  

Laura’s new home felt impossibly romantic at first with its rustic charm and idyllic surroundings. But it didn’t take long for reality to set in. The house needed a few upgrades, the existing gardens were tired and overgrown, and the clay-heavy soil revealed drainage issues that would take more than wishful thinking to resolve. To make matters even more daunting, Laura was a complete novice when it came to gardening.

Laura and her husband began humbly, building a few raised garden beds to grow vegetables, easy crops like tomatoes and zucchini, added a few dahlia tubers and placed the first of many orders for rose bushes. The front lawn slowly transformed into a series of raised flower beds, each one crafted to house the dream of an ever expanding collection of flowers. A glasshouse soon followed, a space to nuture the seeds that would bloom into something breathtaking. But this garden was not built alone, the generosity of kindred gardener friends, their warmth, advice, cuttings shared, the garden grew in size and now feels like stepping into a living painting, a glorious riot of seasonal blooms.

Over time the garden became more than a place, it became an expression of creativity, a sanctuary of inspiration. Soon it would spark a passion that would reimagine Laura’s photography journey:

“For me, photographing flowers feels like an extension of fashion photography. Both celebrate beauty in its most fleeting forms, whether the curve of a silk gown or the soft blush of a rose petal. When I invested in a macro lens, it opened a door to a new world. Suddenly, I was seeing flowers as I’d never seen them before: the velvety texture of a petal, the delicate fray of stamens, the soft, painterly gradients of colour. It was like stepping into a Dutch still life, a study in opulence and imperfection. Each photograph reveals the extraordinary detail hidden in each bloom, it transports you into a sensory world. The work captures not just the fleeting ethereal beauty of flowers but the quiet drama of nature itself, the way petals bend toward the light or a bee dropping into the studio gathering its pollen.”

Laura’s imagery carries with it a sense of timeless beauty, each frame layered with a richness and depth that feels almost otherworldly. Constantly evolving, pushing the limits, not afraid to take risks in creating something new. Like brushstrokes on canvas, the compositions are alive with texture, colour, and light, transforming ordinary scenes into intimate, painterly portraits of nature and life. There is a quiet elegance in her work, a softness that draws the viewer into a world where time seems to stand still. Each image speaks not just to what is seen, but to what is felt, a whisper of emotion. With delicate precision, her photographs evoke the warmth and intimacy of a hand-painted masterpiece, inviting you to linger and lose yourself in the smallest details.