A reminder for the lucky country, by Julia Adler - 1st April 2008
(Credit: Stonnington Leader)

Photographer Rena Harvey is making a bold statement about world poverty through artistic images for World Vision Australia.

The Glen Iris resident last month headed to Sydney to shoot a series of 12 images of Australian children for the 2009 World Vision Calendar.

Harvey, 31, said she decided to take on the project after World Vision approached her in January.

"The calendar is a reminder of how lucky we are here in Australia," Harvey said.

She said the work covered six themes about basic standards of living, including clean water, adequate food, housing and education.

(These were) "basic quality-of-life aspects that people in Third World countries lack, but we take for granted", she said.

Harvey said each image featured young Australians painted by body artist Eva Rinaldi to portray the themes in a "fun, colourful and spiritual way".

"The first portrait was of a child against a brick wall, which depicts the lack of adequate buildings in poorer countries," she said.

"And a little baby was body-painted blue to symbolise water." The mother of two works as a professional fashion photographer from her Chadstone studio.

"Capturing people's beauty from within is my strongest specialty," Harvey said.

"I love creating imagery with strong themes, meaning, emotions and individual flair." She has also been busy taking photos for a coffee-table book, Children of Australia.

Children of Australia will cover similar themes and it will be published with the calendar next year.

Profiles

Eva Rinaldi

Bodypainting

World Vision Australia