Two women walking on country dirt road toward historic farmhouse surrounded by autumn trees, green fields, blue sky with clouds.

Gather, feast, photograph.


This time last week I was tromping through the paddocks surrounding Mt Henry Homestead and soaking in every wonderful moment, completely in my element. Here we are a week later...it's the Easter long weekend...and I've finally got time to sit and sift through those wonderful moments to put them into a post.


Last weekend was the Binda Retreat. A gathering of photographers, stylists and foodies at Mt Henry Homestead, the home of my lovely friend Lizzy Easton. It was a chance to spend a few days foraging, cooking up various feasts, styling scenes and photographing them and enjoying the incredible flavours & fine company.

I was so delighted to be invited to spend time with this eclectic group of creative women...some were familiar faces and others I'd wanted to meet for a while. I went into that weekend feeling emotionally bruised and exhausted but I came out feeling mended and motivated. Such a gift!


On the Friday evening we set up the fire pit in the front garden and kicked off the inaugural feast with cocktails and a cheese platter that was like nothing I'd ever experienced before. A combination of soft cheese, fresh garlic, rosemary, figs, walnuts, olives and a large chunk of honeycomb...all nestled in a cast iron skillet and placed on the fire. Before long the cheese became molten and the honeycomb and figs bubbled and caramelised into a heady syrup. We grabbed slices of Three Mills olive sourdough and plunged the bread straight into the skillet. Sublime!

A woman with shoulder length brown hair standing in a paddock feeding a white horse an apple, a tall pine forest is in the background.

Lizzy's herd of Charolais cattle had their own feast in the house paddock which I was eager to capture. Such sweet, gentle chaps with delicious coats of deep charcoal, rich chocolate, caramel, cinnamon, butterscotch and cream. We all photographed Lizzy feeding her beloved boys in the soft autumn sunshine.

A female farmer with grazing cattle herd in green pasture, tall pine forest and grey clouds in the background. Event image by Em Callaghan.
Landscape photo by Em Callaghan Photography of rolling green hills with dark green conifers and clouds in a blue sky.
Woman farmer with grazing cattle herd in green pasture being photographed by another woman crouching down. Image by Em Callaghan Photography
A woman in a navy linen dress and gumboots taking a photo in a green paddock with dark pine forest in the background. Image by Em Callaghan
Curious cow looking through ornate wrought iron garden gate from a green pasture on rural property. Event image by Em Callaghan Photography.

As the sun dropped below the trees and the last of our group arrived we tucked into an Asian inspired feast. We sat around the fire pit and talked into the night until the chill sent us indoors to find a spot by the fireplace where Lizzy passed around tiny glasses of her homemade crabapple liqueur.


I had good intentions of getting up early on Saturday morning to catch the mist on the dam but as the birds broke the stillness of the dawn with their song it seemed far more imperative that I stay put and enjoy my little seranaded lie in...the mist could always wait til Sunday. I eased into the morning with coffee and a wander about the garden with my camera before the rest of the group surfaced for a slow breakfast of maple bacon and scrambled eggs topped with Lee's gorgeous green garlic powder.

After breakfast we grabbed our cameras, donned our boots and went out into the paddocks to find some treasures to photograph and forage. Lizzy directed us to the old creamery, then through the fence to a dilapidated shed housing two abandoned, vintage jaguars. They'd been sitting there so long that the tyres had disintegrated. Honestly, the things you find lounging about in paddocks! Once back through the fence, we made our way across the home paddock to the forrest by the creek line. It was here at the entrance to the forrest, while chatting with Lizzy about her grandmother's glorious trousseau, that I quickly began forming an idea for my upcoming assignment shoot. While I was busy formulating my next shoot, the others had made their way into the forrest on the hunt for mushrooms. No luck finding edible mushrooms but there were some stunning little toadstools poking up from the thick carpet of pine needles and they were calling out to be photographed. I lagged behind for a moment to capture the little faerie rings of fungi then caught up to the others who were at the wool shed. By the time we'd wandered back to the homestead it was time for lunch.

Lunch involved a highly competitive and somewhat hilarious tartine competition paired with some serious food photography. I'm not sure who the winner ended up being other than our tastebuds...but it was great fun!

The afternoon was filled with more conversation as we prepared a middle eastern inspired feast for dinner. While some of us were in the kitchen or foraging for herbs in the veggie patch, the others were setting up a magical scene in the garden with persian rugs, cushions, low tables, lanterns, candles and throws...or trying to entice Duchess the shetland pony to go back out of the garden gate that she'd snuck in though. Once Duchess had been corralled, Lizzy led her beautiful Arab Mr Clooney into the garden so that we could capture him amongst the middle eastern setting. This very quickly turned comical as Lizzy led her horse around in a circle over and over again to get him in the frame just long enough for one or two shots before he inevitably walked out of it again. It triggered a fit of the giggles that ended with some of us bent double with laughter. We took a group shot and then tucked into the most divine feast of slow cooked lamb, saffron rice, tangy salads, hummus with fresh pomegranate and flat breads cooked over the fire. It was lush...an incredible meal consumed in the fading glow of an autumnal sunset and the rising of the full moon. The evening rounded off with long conversations beside the fireplace and a simple dessert of labneh, fresh oranges and a citrusy cardamom syrup.

Sunday dawned just as beautifully as the previous morning, only this time I was up and out the door to catch the sunrise. The valley was shrouded in heavy mist. I could vaguely make out the pale forms of Strider and Clooney in the adjoining paddock and heard the cattle bellowing somewhere further afield while I waited for the glow to peek over the hills. Slowly, serenely, pinks and golds warmed the sky. I stood by the edge of the water and watched a clear reflection of the clouds come into focus on the still surface of the dam. With the sunrise captured, I headed back inside for some tea and toast at the kitchen table and a last chance to catch up before loading my car and making my way home.

Out of all the wonderful moments during the weekend, what I loved most were the conversations with everyone. There was such candid humour and genuine connection. The photographers in the group, whose skill I greatly admire, generously shared their experiences with me and I came away with valuable, practical advice I can apply to my own career. I left Mt Henry with the realisation that I need to continue to trust my instincts and surround myself with creative, energetic, joyous people who uplift, motivate and encourage.


Many thanks to Lizzy Easton for hosting us all at your beautiful home...and to Luisa Brimble, Lee Towle, Helen Ward, Jody Potter, Belinda Satterthwaite and Robyn Geering...thank you for your fabulous company. It was a smashing weekend and I hope we can do it all again next year!


Pip pip xx Em