That's Amore

This is the story of a mother’s undying love for her child and the photos that will forever bind them.

Words by: Nakita Ardern

Award winning photographer, Rachel Callander has had a rollercoaster of a year, when what should have been time for celebration was overshadowed by tremendous loss.
Rachel completed a Fine Arts degree at the Otago Polytechnic School of Art and spent four years establishing herself, networking, going to workshops, seminars, developing her brand, vibe and gathering momentum.
“I was young, only 23, when I embarked on this venture, newly married, full of optimism and a sense that I was doing what I was made for.”
Two years in she fell pregnant and gave birth to a beautiful girl with an extremely rare chromosome condition, so rare it didn’t have a name. For Rachel and her husband, Sam the joy of their firstborn, Evie Amore was mottled with the realisation that there were considerable things wrong with their perfect daughter.
“It was nice that she was born without us knowing there was something special about her because we were able to experience the joy of the first few hours of having a beautiful, perfect baby,” says Rachel.
Evie was one of only eight known cases in the world to have Partial Trisomy 9q, a congenital disorder that unbalances a person’s chromosomes and causes severe developmental and physical delays, and often very short lifespans. Throughout her short life, Evie suffered from kidney problems, holes in her heart and severe respiratory problems. She had curly little toes and long fingers and an extra set of ribs. She never walked or talked, but she laughed, giggled and learnt to communicate in a different way altogether. Communication with Evie was about love, fun and laughter. But despite everything, her needs were simple and she amazed doctors and medical professionals constantly.
“We became the experts and we learned to adapt our dreams, hopes and expectations for the future – not knowing how long our future with our beautiful child would be. During this time I had a home studio and balanced work with motherhood, a kind of motherhood that involved regular hospitalisations, emergency ambulance call-outs, trips to Starship, and incredible stress and heartache.
“During the last year of her life she was doing so well and we started to hope she may have a chance at a longer life. In the end she died in her sleep on October 10, 2010, which was something we never thought was possible for her. It was heart wrenching because it was so out of the blue, but it was of comfort to know she wasn’t in pain. She had gone through so much suffering that it was a beautiful way for her to pass.
“Evie was such an incredible girl. I feel like she wasn’t all human. There was something angelic and magic about her and she touched so many people’s lives. It was such a unique opportunity and humbling experience to be her parent.”
Without Evie, Rachel has put all of her maternal love and nurturing into her business, Callander Girl Photography.
After living one day at a time she is now able to think about the future, to have dreams and goals again. The Timaru-based photographer is now concentrating on growing her business on a national level through competitions and weddings. Last year she was crowned the NZIPP Wedding Photographer of the Year.
Now with over 140 weddings around New Zealand and overseas under her belt, after all the extravaganzas and thousands of dollars spent, Rachel prefers the simple, down-to-earth features of people’s special days.
For example, her most favourite work is of a young couple riding a bike through a field. The bride is wearing a simple white dress, and the groom is wearing a grey suit and brown shoes. The image won a Gold Award at the NZIPP Iris Awards in 2011.
“There was a vibrant yellow field just outside of Timaru that I immediately thought would be perfect for them. They trusted me completely and we achieved pure magic.
“The whole wedding was such a stand out to me. The couple was very spontaneous. They were married five weeks after getting engaged and you could definitely sense that they’d be together forever.”
In 2010 Rachel also won a Bronze Award at the NZIPP Iris Awards. It was an encouraging result for the first-timer, who had travelled to Queenstown to receive her award.
For her second time around last year, Rachel decided against making the trip to Rotorua where the awards were held because of the ‘draining’ lead up to the awards, but hoped for the best. Needless to say she was kicking herself when she learnt she had won a Gold and six bronze awards as well as the Wedding Photographer of the Year title.
Last year she entered the South Canterbury Hospitality and Tourism Business Excellence Awards, which was the first business-orientated awards Rachel has entered. While she didn’t win, becoming a finalist – especially being so young – was a huge boost for the 29 year-old’s confidence.
Rachel’s goal is to create a business that is sustainable and can provide a comfortable lifestyle for her family, so they can focus on giving back to the community that has given so much to them.
“Timaru’s a lovely little place to be based. Because it’s a national award it is bringing a lot of interest, which is really exciting. Timaru has a lot of young businesses that rally round and support each other.
“I have a simple business plan and that is to keep doing what I’m doing, but doing it better and involving more people in it.
“The business is so much a part of me and who I am that sometimes it’s hard to separate it from my personal life, which can help in the wedding industry because it such a personal time for people. It’s amazing that something that is so much a part of who you are and love can be a business.”

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