Hello & welcome. 

My name is Ruby Canning and I’m the photographer behind Mavstar Photography, specialising in on-farm livestock and rural family photography. I am based in Dunkeld Victoria, however I travel Australia wide. 

I spent my childhood on our farm, and grew up enjoying endless weekends with my grandparents, learning all about cows and farming from my beloved ‘Pa’, Peter. We lost Pa in 2012, but he continues to be my greatest influence: the lesson of his passing was that life is a collection of fleeting, precious moments and that those which can be captured are truly priceless. Documenting these unscripted memories of the present inspires my passion for photography.

From an early age I was fascinated with the way we can use light to capture our stories and emotions, and how we can connect back to a moment through a photograph. I am inspired by the rich bonds shared between loved ones, their individual stories, and how farmers share a connection with their land and livestock. Conveying stories of love, devotion and the simplicity of life on the land is my greatest joy.

I was raised in a family who are committed to the agricultural industry. For every generation, life on the land provides countless lessons on resilience, resourcefulness, enterprise, custodianship and tenderness. These are my personal values and the values of Mavstar Photography. 

My family and I own and operate Mavstar Simmentals, which was established in 2001 based on genetics from my grandparents’ stud, Maverick Simmentals.  Annually we sell seedstock and show our cattle throughout southern Australia. My experience as a livestock breeder informs my photographic work: I have unique insights into exactly what kind of images livestock producers need in order to obtain an outstanding result in the marketplace.

My upbringing on the land allows me to understand the beauty of a lifestyle that has hardship, challenges and many blessings intertwined.  My photographs capture a moment in time, which reflects a timeless memory.

"Ruby is a specialist at capturing a moment in an image. Her photographs portray a story. She has the rare ability to read both humans and animals. We have a number of Ruby's images framed in our home, and continue to enjoy looking at the special memories she has captured in these photographs. In addition to being a talented photographer, Ruby is a delightful person, who makes you feel at ease in her presence" 

Sarah & Vaughn, Savannah Simmentals & Simbrahs

"Ruby was amazing to work with from start to finish. Her communication was fantastic and nothing was too much trouble. Ruby was able to capture our girls personalities in each and every photo, and was open to suggestions as well as amazing at guiding the session. Once we received our photos the quality of the images and what Ruby had captured for us was breathtaking"  - Natalie.  

"Ruby is such an incredible photographer! She has captured some special moments of my family and I would never hesitate to recommend her to anyone who wants amazing quality photos with a relaxed and ease photography experience" - Jessica