Oamaru photographer Emma Paton had two photos featured in the Tūhura Otago Museum photography exhibition as finalists of the annual competition. PHOTOS: EMMA PATON Oamaru photographer Emma Paton has had quite the year. She had one of her photos featured in the Farmlands 2026 calendar and also won the Arthur Turvey Trophy for best photography exhibit at the North Otago A&P Show back in February. Most recently, two of her photos were featured in this year’s Tūhura Otago Museum photography exhibition as finalists of the annual competition. Paton said she was excited to learn she would have her work featured in the exhibition. "When I was notified that I was a finalist, I thought I had one photograph in the finals, but to my surprise I actually had two and both were on display in the exhibition. "With over 9000 entries, it was an honour to have two photos selected." Both photos were in the landscape category and it was her first time being a finalist for the competition. She loved being able to capture special moments through her photos. "Often a photo says it all without words. Photo: Emma Paton "You see things through a lens that could easily be missed with a general look around. "The most exciting thing is when you find you’ve captured something really special in a photo." Paton, who is deaf, has to rely on her sight when out shooting. "That works well with photography. "Photography is a way of communicating, it’s what I see captured for longer than the moment in time it took to take the photo." She shot weekly and always brought her camera when on holiday. "I’m really fortunate that my fiance, Jake, and I share the same passion of photography. "We go together to take photos and have been on local hikes and further away to places like Stewart Island and Tasmania, where you see some amazing scenery and birdlife." "Patience, practice and perseverance" were the keys to getting quality shots, she said. Paton encouraged anyone interested in photography to give it a go. "Most people have cameras on their phones and that’s a good way to start."
