Agricultural Photography for Dandaleith Angus, Mangatuna

Dandaleith Angus is a third-generation family stud farming business founded in 1950, operating across two properties near Dannevirke. The Angus cattle are run on the hill country at Mangatuna, while Dorset Down terminal rams are bred at Anui, on Laws Road. The business is managed by the Philip family, Willy, John, and George, who bring generations of knowledge and genuine pride to everything they do.

The Dandaleith brand is built on a straightforward proposition: cattle bred and raised on challenging hill country produce hardy, well-structured animals. That story needs to be told visually, and a brand refresh presented the right moment to invest in photography that could carry the updated identity across the website, newsletters, and other marketing channels. The brief was developed in partnership with Hawke's Bay brand and design agency 39 Degrees, who were leading the refresh.

The brief called for three things: dramatic landscape imagery that communicated the character of the hill country, conformation shots of the top cattle and sheep that would stand up to scrutiny from serious buyers, and portraits of the Philip family that put a human face on the stud.

Approach

This was a two-shoot project across both properties in March and May 2025, introduced to me by James Macdonald at 39 Degrees.

George and John worked alongside me on the first shoot at Mangatuna and Anui, with Willy joining the full team for the second. George and John guided the cattle selection throughout, identifying the animals that best demonstrated the conformation and structure Dandaleith is known for. That kind of hands-on collaboration makes a real difference: when the client knows their stock this well, you spend less time sorting and more time shooting.

The two shoot days gave us very different conditions to work with. March brought moody, overcast skies that suited the dramatic nature of the Mangatuna hill country particularly well. The rolling hills and the weight of the clouds above them made for images with real presence. The May shoot delivered clear blue skies and good light, which worked well for the cattle, sheep, and portrait work. Between the two days, we ended up with a range that reflects the full breadth of what the properties and the brand can offer.

The animals behaved, and the family were a genuine pleasure to work with across both days.

Outcome

385 images were delivered across the two shoots, supplied as both high-resolution and web-resolution JPEGs. The images are being used across the refreshed Dandaleith Angus website and will support their broader marketing material going forward.

Work with Simon Cartwright Photography

If you're looking for photography that genuinely represents your farming operation or rural business, I'd be glad to have a conversation about what that might look like.

Get in touch: simon@scphotography.co.nz or +64 (0) 21 0824 6455