Growing up in Mid Canterbury, the mountains were always part of my surroundings. They were a familiar backdrop to daily life, always present on the horizon and shaping how I experienced the landscape around me. Over time, I became more aware of how significant they are, not only as physical landmarks but also as markers of identity and belonging. For this project, I have chosen to focus on the Canterbury ranges. My photographs explore the changing qualities of these mountains as they are influenced by light, weather, and season. Rather than approaching them as simple landscape subjects, I am interested in how their atmosphere and presence create an emotional response. This body of work is about more than recording what the mountains look like. It is about capturing the experience of living with them, of noticing the ways they change while remaining constant in the background of everyday life. Through this project I want to communicate both their visual beauty and the personal connection I have to them, while also allowing viewers to reflect on their own sense of place within the landscape.