Alan Gibson takes a lens to the people of the land of Aotearoa New Zealand

His stunning images capture farmers at work in more than a dozen sectors, often in spectacular surroundings.

From beef cattle to bees, dairying and deer to mussels and oysters, kiwi fruit to chickens, Chinese growers to cropping, horses to lambing, farm dogs to farm characters every page reveals a new insight.

This gorgeous collection of photographs, accompanied by extended captions and insightful interviews, is a visual celebration of the New Zealand farmer and the landscape in which they live and work. Put together by one New Zealand's top photojournalists, it tells the stories of the people who are the backbone of farming in that country, helping to bridge the gap in understanding between the urban population and those who produce their food.

While the photographs of the varied landcapes in the 160 pages are stunning, it is the portraits of those who work the land and sea which are evocative and which elevate the book from a coffee table offering of beautiful scenic photographs, to a moving study of the passion which drives the farmers from cattle stations to vineyards to mussel beds, dairies and so many more workplaces across the country.

Pictures like the light shining on the face of a grape picker at Auntsfield Estates; wool pressers at work at Motatapu Station near Wanaka; a shepherd at work at Loch Linnhe Station; Otago, enjoying a cuppa at the homestead; three generations of a family; driving the tractor, a third generation market gardener and so many more.

Alan Gibson was raised on a remote hill country farm. Ever since he first picked up a camera as a child, he has wanted to record the people he grew up around and the world they inhabit. Alan knew the subject of this book intimately; he just had to find the right people to tell the New Zealand farming story.

For more than 25 years Alan Gibson has drawn on his passion for storytelling, working as a photojournalist both in NZ and the UK. Alan spent most of that time employed by The New Zealand Herald covering the central North Island, which he always regarded as a 'dream job' as it allowed him to record life in the landscapes and communities he loved. Alan has been awarded the NZ Press Photographer of the Year title six times (Junior & Senior) in the annual media awards. No one has matched that feat.

For the Love of the Country. Exisle Publishing