Imagery, where soul & story meet

Diane Stoppard is a Taranaki-born photographer, printmaker, and mixed media artist known for her distinctive work in portraiture, pinhole photography, and camera obscura installations. She began her photographic journey working after school at Paul Connell Studio, studied photography at Wellington Design School, worked for John Crawford & Associates, assisted in New York City and worked at the famous Holbourn Studios, London’s largest photographic rental studios before settling in Whangarei, Aotearoa New Zealand.

With over 40 years’ experience as a portrait photographer, Diane developed her unique UpClose portrait style using a purpose-designed light box to create intimate, beautifully lit images.

Her art practice often explores themes of memory, colonisation, and the layered histories of Aotearoa New Zealand’s landscapes. Combining techniques such as encaustic wax, embossed screen printing, and photograms, Diane’s art bridges past and present, inviting reflection through both image and process. Career highlights include leading the construction of Whangarei’s iconic Camera Obscura sculpture and exhibiting her portraits in the New Zealand Portrait Gallery, Wellington, in 2025.