The photographer Ans Westra, who died in 2023, took hundreds of thousands of images over her long career. Together, those images constitute what is arguably a photo album of Aotearoa. Her dedication and determination sometimes came at a cost but she was focused and driven, overcoming a difficult childhood in the Netherlands and later complex adult relationships to forge her own path. Warm, engaging and sympathetic, this richly illustrated biography interrogates her remarkable — and at times controversial — practice and a life that always put photography first.