Kate and her partner Athan and two children Mia and Luka moved to the Mornington Peninsula ten years ago, and this life-changing decision led to the launch of 'Love the Pen' (www.lovethepen.com.au).

Explains Kate:

"When we first moved to the area we started discovering all these really cool places but had no knowledge of any of them. We felt that the community was there but no-one was really sharing information. And that was how Love the Pen was born - delivering stories on people, emerging ideas, popular culture and inspiring moments."

"Photography has always been a part of my life and career, and taking beautiful photographs of the area, and businesses in the area, was the foundation of what Athan and I created. Love the Pen is a creative, visual enterprise - we can visually tell the story about a business in the way we want to tell it. We also developed our quarterly Love the Pen postcards which are displayed in specific locations around the Mornington Peninsula. This was a way of making the business sustainable whilst staying true to the aesthetic of the website."

“There are so many artists, creatives and fascinating people who live and work on the Mornington Peninsula, and we love telling their stories. The more ingrained Love the Pen becomes with their businesses, the more easily it evolves. Love the Pen is our future, I can see myself still working on it when I’m 70, which is a beautiful thing."

“I think it’s really important to inspire younger people - our kids who are raised on the Mornington Peninsula – to realise that they don’t have to leave the area in order to have successful careers. We want them to know that they can live and learn right here, and get incredible skills –and lead an amazing life. Ten years ago that might not have been possible, most people left the area to find work, but fortunately that has really changed."

And now Kate has released her very first photographic book, capturing the spirit and soul of the Mornington Peninsula.

SEASONS depicts our much loved Mornington Peninsula in the most unique and captivating way.

Says Kate, “The idea for SEASONS really unfolded as a result of the seasonal community cards we create for ‘lovethepen.com.au’. I had always wanted to produce a book, and found I had all these photographs of the Mornington Peninsula that were shot seasonally over the last ten years, so everything came together naturally."

"With over 260,000 photographs to choose from, the selection process took more than six months. We were very considered in the way we selected and sequenced the photographs so that they worked not only seasonally and visually, but geographically as well, flowing around the Peninsula in an order that made sense."

“The response has been quite amazing, particularly from the local community who have been grateful that we have effectively preserved memories of the Mornington Peninsula over the last decade. It has been wonderful to hear that they feel I have captured the way in which people live on the Peninsula and that the photographs are a reminder of what a beautiful region we live in."

It's really quite an extraordinary achievement, offering a sense of community through stunning images of one of the most beautiful areas on earth.

Check out their website for stockist details or to order yours online.www.lovethepen.com.au

Images by Kate Donnelly from 'SEASONS'.

Image of Kate by somedaysomehowstudio for Business Mamas.