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Behind the Lens: Inquisitive Horses

Aug 2, 2013

Behind_the Lens_Horses

Inquisitive Horses - Canterbury Plains, New Zealand
Chris Van Der Leer - Christchurch, New Zealand

This moment was captured by MWH staff on a hike in the Southern Alps. The diverse agricultural ecosystem of the Canterbury Plains is widely enjoyed by MWH employees, who spend their lives at work and play in the very same ecologies they assist to maintain.

How did you become part of the MWH team?
When I arrived in Christchurch I decided to continue my career in IT. I took on a temporary role in iNet supporting our regional staff with their technical problems. The temp role turned permanent and I eventually ended up leading the Asia-Pacific Helpdesk.

What is your role at MWH and how long have you worked here?
I am currently the Project Coordinator for the iNet Project Management Office, managing small / medium sized projects as well as administering project management templates, systems and associated guidance documents. In addition to this I am also the Business Tools & Templates Coordinator for the Asia Pacific region. I have been with MWH since 2004.

What inspired you to take the photo selected for the calendar? What inspired you to participate in the MWH photo contest?
A work colleague (and good friend) and I were hiking high up above the Canterbury Plains in the foothills of the South Alps of New Zealand when we were joined by these two inquisitive horses for a few minutes. The weather was calm and the scene was serene. In spite of its simplicity there is something alluring and calming about the stance of the horses on the backdrop of the hill, this is why I chose to enter ‘Inspiring Horses’ in the MWH photo contest. I look forward to seeing it on my computer desktop!

If you could go anywhere in the world to take photos where would you go? Why?
I would return to my home town of Cape Town in South Africa and have a ‘sundowner’. There is nothing quite as spectacular as an African sunset.

What do the photos you take say about you as a person?
I don’t manipulate my photographs and I’m big at looking things from different angles. Focal depth and the natural world also play a big role in my photos. I believe this means I like to explore different viewpoints to understand our World for what it is, wrinkles and all. There is inspiration in everything if you view it from the right perspective.

What does the MWH purpose of Building a Better World mean to you?
Building a Better World is about having a wide perspective and depth. It’s about recognizing that we all have choices, that these choices count and make a difference to all of us.

This photo along with the others in the ‘Behind the Lens’ series is a part of the 2013 MWH Global Calendar. The calendar consists of photos taken by MWH Global employees around the world.