The eye of the beholder

Landscape photographer Rachel Stewart understands more than most what a blessing it is to witness nature’s beauty. The mum-of-three from Mount Maunganui is known for capturing some of Aotearoa’s most precious scenes, including glistening reflective lakes at Mount Taranaki and purple twilight sky in Milford Sound. With almost 300,000 followers on Instagram and millions of views, Rach, 38, is at the top of her game in this hobby turned career. But, she says, it would not be possible without one essential tool – her vision.

“There’s an eye condition in my family called macular degeneration, which my nana has had for about 25 years and if she looks at me straight on, she can’t see my face,” says Rach, mum to Leila, nine, Nava, seven, and Keeley, five. “People with the condition only really have peripheral vision and everything in the middle of the eye is distorted or dark. To think about losing my vision and not being able to do what I love anymore, like taking photos, is devastating.”

Growing up in Tauranga included afternoons at home with her nana Pauline