Tairua Dippers
What a huge privilege it was to photograph this engaging group of ladies as they took their morning swim in 15-degree water at Tairua Beach on Labour Weekend Friday.
The idea originated from a conversation I had with one of our suppliers, Get it On, and a former employee, Maree, in Tairua. I had agreed to organize an event with Maree to raise funds for Project Mammogram (PM), an initiative aiming to gather $350,000 to purchase a mammogram machine for the women on the Coromandel Coast. With PM needing just $30,000 more to reach their goal, I was happy to help. Through this connection with Maree, I began thinking about additional ways to raise money, and the idea of a calendar featuring the Tairua dippers—women we knew would look fabulous in our Annah Stretton swimwear—came to life.
Thankfully, the ladies were all on board, and so seven brave women joined Sami and me on the beach at 7 a.m. for the shoot. It was a fantastic experience, with everyone open to trying a variety of looks and poses. As a token of appreciation, I was delighted to gift them the swimwear they wore during the shoot.
Of course, I’d love to create a full calendar of them for 2025, but that’s a conversation for another day—and would require securing five more ladies to fill all twelve months with beach beauty!
