Photography sits at the heart of The Australian Women's Weekly's creative identity, engaging our audience through authentic imagery that celebrates the beauty of Australia's people, places and culture. The Christmas cover shoot is one of our most important content pillars each year, and one I have led from initial concept through to final execution and rollout.

In 2024, the brief expanded significantly. We produced a striking Christmas cover shoot featuring food personality Poh Ling Yeow, shot on location in the Northern Territory in partnership with Northern Territory Tourism. Filming spanned multiple locations and formats: our own social content, alongside a Channel 10 film crew and producer capturing segments and behind-the-scenes footage for the Christmas with The Weekly TV special.

Drawing on our 93-year archive of covers as a creative reference point, I set out to bring a vintage charm to the shoot, capturing the striking juxtaposition of a glamorous, festive gown against the vast, remote Australian landscape.

I worked closely with our photographer and internal styling team to plan direction and prepare for the unknowns of a remote shoot: wish-list shots, alternatives, and contingency plans for weather and environmental conditions. We paired custom red gowns to complement the scale and grandeur of the landscape, and aimed to capture intimate moments of reflection and grace fitting for the festive season, even choosing styling that echoed the pink hues of the surrounding rock formations. To add a personal layer to the story, I asked Poh to wear jewellery meaningful to her, earrings from her mother, another way creative direction helps bring authenticity to our talent's story.

Location was an ongoing collaboration with NT Tourism. After negotiating access to standout sites, including locations less frequently featured in NT campaigns, in line with the client's brief to spotlight areas away from heavy tourist traffic, we worked on the day alongside local Indigenous experts, who guided us on shooting respectfully and appropriately. I had mapped out the cover shot as a mock-up the day before, so that on the day, in a physically demanding environment, we could move efficiently, protect the shot, and look after the team.

It was a beautiful day. With careful planning and constant communication across all parties, we captured a substantial body of content, stills, video, TV segments and social, and, importantly, made space for Poh to share what she had learned during her time in the NT. In one memorable moment, she put her ear to a tree in a dry riverbed to demonstrate how you can hear water rushing through an underground spring below. It was an authentic, unscripted moment we were able to capture in print and on screen.