Photographer and former Gunnedah woman Rachel Deane is calling for people to nominate a family to receive a free Christmas mini-shoot.

Ms Deane said she understood photography was a "luxury and not necessarily a necessity" when times are hard and it was just one way to raise spirits in the lead-up to the festive season.

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She has also decided to donate $5 from every other Christmas mini-shoot to Rural Aid's Buy a Bale initiative "as a way to give back to my community after all the support they have shown me all year".

"This region is a central hub for farming and the agricultural business so a lot of my clients are from the land and are struggling with this significant drought," she said.

"I see so many of my friends reaching out for information on where to obtain cheaper hay and fees for their farm animals and if I can assist in some small way to bring these costs down for them then I will.

Ms Deane does about 100 mini-shoots on average before Christmas.