08 Jul 2026
Every image begins with a story.
For photographer Erica Sinclair, it’s never just about the perfect composition or the right light. It’s about the people, the relationships and the moments that might otherwise go unnoticed.
This year, Creative New Zealand has partnered with New Zealand Geographic to support the Creative New Zealand Te Ao Māori Award at the 2026 Photographer of the Year Awards. This award recognises photography as an important expression of Toi Māori, and is an investment in the photographers who are documenting Māori stories, identity and culture.
Few photographers embody that kaupapa more naturally than Erica Sinclair.
The Te Whānau-ā-Apanui photographer has spent the past 11 years documenting kaupapa across Aotearoa, capturing everything from moko ceremonies and kapa haka to iwi events and community gatherings. Along the way, she’s quietly built a reputation for photographing Māori stories with honesty and care.
Last year, Erica received the inaugural Te Ao Māori Award at the New Zealand Geographic Photographer of the Year Awards, for her portfolio documenting iwi and hapū events.
“I didn't actually enter hoping to win the Te Ao Māori Award,” she laughs.
“I had a couple of other images I thought would do well in different categories. It’s funny because what I think are my best photos aren’t always what everyone else thinks.”
Rather than chasing awards, Erica says her focus has always been on telling authentic stories.
“When I'm photographing anything, I'm always trying to put context into the image.
“If I’m at a mokopapa and someone’s receiving their moko, I’m not just photographing them. I’m trying to include their whānau in the background because that adds to the story.”
It’s a way of seeing that sits naturally within te ao Māori, where people are rarely separated from the relationships and places that shape them.
As a photographer working largely in photojournalism, Erica says every image should communicate something beyond what’s within the frame.
“Photojournalism is about telling stories.”
Her approach reflects exactly what the Te Ao Māori Award seeks to celebrate: photography that captures not only remarkable images, but also the people, whakapapa and lived experiences behind them.
For Erica, those stories have become one of the greatest rewards of the job.
“My favourite jobs are the ones where I learn something.” Whether documenting mātauranga Māori, attending Indigenous conferences or spending time with communities, she says every assignment has expanded her own understanding.
“I’m there to do the mahi, but if I can learn something at the same time, that’s a bonus.”
The investment comes as the Te Ao Māori Award continues to grow. Since the category was introduced, Māori participation has increased by more than 500 percent, with photographers sharing images that explore whakapapa, whenua, identity and mātauranga Māori. Through its partnership with New Zealand Geographic, Creative New Zealand is recognising photography as an important form of Toi Māori and encouraging more Māori photographers to share the stories unfolding within their own communities.
Erica hopes that support gives more photographers the confidence to put their work forward.
“So many people probably don't think what they’ve photographed is suitable for something like this.
“But when you're out capturing kapa haka, going to marae or photographing our communities, that’s exactly what this category is about.”
She believes recognition like this isn’t only about celebrating established photographers. It also gives emerging photographers confidence to share their perspectives and shows that there’s value in documenting the stories happening every day in their own communities.
Entries for the 2026 New Zealand Geographic Photographer of the Year Awards are now open. Finalists will be announced later this year, with winners celebrated at the awards ceremony on 29 October 2026.
To find out more about the award categories, entry requirements and key dates, visit the New Zealand Geographic Photographer of the Year website