An award-winning portrait and wedding photographer from Hazelbrook, Rachel Hewson, is again taking part in a national photographic campaign and this time it's to help raise funds for Make a Wish Australia.
Make-A-Wish Australia creates life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses.
Ms Hewson is using her talents as a snapper to draw attention to the needs of these sick children, while also celebrating the bond between Mountains mums and their children.
For a small fee to the 30-year strong Make a Wish Australia group, she will photograph mums and their children in her studio and around the Mountains throughout August. Those photos will be included in an upcoming book 'A Mother and Her Children...A Loving Bond'.
Other top Australian portrait photographers are also donating their talents, hoping to raise $20,000 in total.
Ms Hewson of Rachel H Photography said when she recently heard about a wish for a young child from Western Sydney battling congenital heart disease, she knew she wanted to help.
"Having children of a similar age, it really hit home the struggle that this family are going through and how Make A Wish can add some sunshine to the life of this family," she said.
"Like thousands of other Australian children, this young boy's life has consisted of countless hospital and doctors visits, providing little opportunity for him to just be a child ... moments other families take for granted. But through the help of Make-A-Wish, his dream became a reality in May when his wish came true, a family cruise.
"Wishes complement medical treatment - working to calm, distract and empower sick kids at the time they need it most, she added. When a wish is realised, a child discovers that despite their situation, anything is possible."
Ms Hewson said the book that follows the finished portraits, would be "a celebration of the unbreakable bond between a mother and her children".
Ms Hewson has regularly donated her time and talents to charity projects. In previous years she photographed World War II veterans as part of the Australian Institute of Professional Photographers Reflections Project for the War Museum in Canberra. She's also helped out the RSPCA with a book project on the dogs of the Mountains and used her skills to raise money for ovarian cancer research.
Ms Hewson said the community's response to previous charity shoots had been amazing.
"We had such amazing success back in 2016. In the Mountains we raised $1,500 for Ovarian Cancer (Australia wide it was $30,000."
If interested in a photo shoot contact Rachel Hewson at rachel@rachelhphotography.com.au or 0410 775 428 before August 8.
