Monique Gaskin was covered in dirt, relaxing by the bonfire after a long day preparing her family's farm for an upcoming wedding.
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Her parents were resting their tired legs and her brother-in-law tangled with his wriggling daughter, trying to contain her excitement for the fiery spectacle just a few metres away.
Desperate to not let the moment fade into memory, Ms Gaskin snapped a quick picture of the scene and tucked her phone away.
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Nearly two years later, that same photo has surged back into her life, helping her win a national competition and reigniting a long-lost passion.
Ms Gaskin's image has been chosen as one of the 12 winners in Rural Aid's 'Spirit of the Bush' photography competition, out of a field of more than 1100 entries.
"Didn't expect to win at all and was fully chuffed when I found out," she said.
"I was just scrolling through my newsfeed when I saw the competition ... and I felt as though that picture fit the theme so I decided to enter it."
The win came at the perfect time for Ms Gaskin, as she had recently been considering diving back into the visual arts world she'd left behind about 20 years ago.
"I was just starting that journey to take myself a bit more seriously in that area again and then I won the competition," she said.
"I've never discovered my vocation in life and to realise slowly, bit by bit, over the past few weeks that it's always been with me has been incredible."
Ms Gaskin said it was particularly heartwarming to have her photo recognised by Rural Aid, a charity she strongly admires and respects.
Her photo will now be included in Rural Aid's 2023 calendar.
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