Architecture and Interiors Photography for Waimārama Marae, Waimārama, Hawke's Bay

Professional photography services for brand, marketing & communications to optimise your visual content.

Client
Waimārama Marae, Waimārama, Hawke's Bay

Year
2026

Client Brief

Waimārama Marae sits on the Hawke's Bay coast at Waimārama. It's a working marae, with facilities used to host functions, meetings and events, including Taupunga, the wharenui, the wharekai and main kitchen, an undercover area with kitchenette, Whareora, toilets and showers, and grounds that include gardens, a stream, and tennis and basketball courts.

Chairperson Dr Jeremy Tātere MacLeod approached me ahead of a website refresh for the marae, with a particular emphasis on making it easier for prospective clients to book the venue for functions and events. This was the second time Jeremy had engaged me, having previously commissioned me to photograph the opening of TAIEA Studio in Hastings. Clear, professional images of each space, inside and out, would let people see what they could expect before making an enquiry.

Approach

Being asked to photograph Waimārama Marae was a privilege. I'm not Māori and have no personal connection to the marae, so I went into the shoot mindful of that and did my best to work respectfully within the space.

I worked with Lee, the marae's manager, to arrange access to each of the spaces. The marae was immaculately presented, which made for straightforward shooting conditions.

I photographed the buildings and grounds in turn: Taupunga, the wharekai and main kitchen, the undercover area and kitchenette, Whareora, and the toilets and showers, along with the exteriors, gardens, the stream, and the tennis and basketball courts. The brief called for clean, well-lit images of each space, shot to give people a clear and honest sense of the venue when considering it for a function or event.

Outcome

I delivered 50 final images, supplied in both high resolution and web resolution formats, for the marae to use across its website update. Jeremy's response on receiving the gallery was straightforward: "Brilliant! Thank you!"

Thank you

Ngā mihi to Jeremy and Waimārama Marae for the opportunity to photograph such a special place.

Image Gallery

Outdoor scene with a small white building named "Taukunga" in the center, surrounded by wooden pergolas with benches, green grass in the foreground, hills and trees in the background, and a partly cloudy sky overhead.
A house with a red roof and a covered deck, surrounded by green grass, trees, and a hillside in the background.
Interior of a wooden building with a high, peaked ceiling and wall-mounted photographs, bright central lighting, and large windows at the far end.
Interior of a wooden building with framed black and white portraits on the walls, a door open to the outside, and track lighting on the ceiling.
Interior of a community hall with a high wooden ceiling, painted white walls, and colorful artwork on display. There are empty chairs along the wall and a curved brick and tile floor design.
An outdoor basketball court with multiple hoops, surrounded by a fence, trees, and a hillside with a building and church in the background, under a blue sky.

Get in Touch

If you're planning a project like this, get in touch.

Email simon@scphotography.co.nz or call +64 (0) 21 0824 6455 to talk through what you need.