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AORAKI ON ICE

in ,

New Zealand Landscape Photographer

In all my adventures, this moment is probably one of the most present I have ever felt...and the most alive!

Since arriving at Aoraki / Mount Cook 3 years ago during the day, I knew that I had to get back here under a starry filled sky. 
On this night I could not have asked for more perfect conditions...a snowy winter wonderland up the Hooker Valley, a light breeze with crystal clear skies and the milky way soaring overhead.

I arrived to the lake amazed to see it near completely frozen over... there was only one thing I needed to do that night....

Like a calling, a moment of pure wanderlust or destiny and every other adjective to describe this, I set my camera up and ventured out cautiously over the creaking frozen mass. Crawling the last 20m to this spot was an adrenaline rush to say the least...possibly even rather foolish seeing as I was alone.

Sometimes though you just have to do those things which scare you and create a memory that imprints on your mind for years to come. I love the motto of the S.A.S. - "Who dares wins". I am certainly no soldier, though I do feel being up all night in sub zero temperatures is a battle in it's own right....anyway I digress....

Long story short, I got the shot and made it back to shore safely to carry on shooting the most epic skies all night long! 

THE 3000!

in , ,

New Zealand Landscape Photographer

I have just ticked over 3000 followers [on my Facebook Page] and I want to say a massive thanks for all the kind words and support over the last wee while!
From not being able to even look at a camera a couple of years ago due to gear theft and the insurance drama that followed, I am pretty proud and stoked to be where I am now.

As a freelance cameraman, predominantly working in film and tv, I am excited to be exploring this creative side of myself and the crazy journey involved in capturing some moments in nature.

It is certainly not easy and most photographers can attest to the reality that the time and hours spent shooting and editing, learning the craft, can be lonely and tiring but the rewards are often worth the struggle and effort.

So thanks once again for all the support, I appreciate every like and comment and share...these little things go a long way to aid inspiration and make the big things more achievable!

THE LITTLE LUNA

in

New Zealand Landscape Photographer

Full Res image of this mornings lunar eclipse... with no foreground element looks pretty much like the on location back-of-camera image, just with corrected white balance.

A shame the clouds prevented me from again seeing the blood moon phase...oh well...3 more years! Goals!

POUTO LIGHTHOUSE

in ,

New Zealand Landscape Photographer

One of the cool things about shooting at night and in particular, shooting with the moon at night, especially when it is setting, is that you can get some very interesting daylight-esque tones.

This was one of the first images I captured from my weekend mission up north to this most remotest of locations. The forecast was for clear skies but we were a little tricked by the reports so instead of getting all depresso about it, I took advantage and got my creative on!

The clouds were moving quite slow so I opted for a long exposure of around 3 minutes to add some movemnt to the scene. The moon was starting to set as well and gave it an almost sunrise feel and then of course there was the added bonus of some star trail movement.

This is a classic case of 'there is always something to shoot" if you are willing to see it, especially when the conditions are not what you had hoped for or expected.

TECH: Canon 6D | Canon 16-35mm @ 35mm | ISO1600 | ƒ4 | 201 sec

LIGHTING THE WAY

in ,

New Zealand Landscape Photographer

The mission to get out to Pouto Lighthouse is one of, if not the hardest missions, I have undertaken to capture a shot from a single location.

3 years ago I was exploring this area when, for the first time, I had heard of this lighthouse. Then, due to time constraints, I could not venture out so I swore to myself I would definitely be back oneway with shooting the milkyway in mind.

Last night I realised that goal and after the 3 hour drive and then the 2 hour walk by beach with a mate, we made it. We were and are, as far as I am aware, the first people to ever shoot the milkyway here.

The effort the went in to getting here was initially thwarted by unforecasted thick clouds. After a couple of hours waiting, drinking tea and eating chocolate, I managed to get some of the shots I had hoped for and capture the scene that I have for so long been after.

While not visually perfect due to the residual nagging cloud, I am stoked that this came together somewhat. This made the pain of the 4 hour return walk in the soft sand well worth it!

TECH: Canon 6D | Sigma ART 24mm | ƒ2-ƒ1.6 | ISO10000 | 10secs x 28 image panorama stitch.

MILFORD SOUND by MOONLIGHT.

in ,

New Zealand Astro Photographer

On my list of shots that I have always wanted to capture, is Milford Sound under moonlight and with the Milkyway.

I was incredibly fortunate to have some amazing conditions when I turned up here, a relatively clear sky, some fresh snow on the peaks and clear calm conditions throughout the night.

This all made for a magical night out under the stars in what has been named the 8th Wonder of the World and I was in absolute awe at the sheer size of the mountains I was surrounded by.

Here the moon is setting over Mitre Peak - which is famously recognised as the icon of the sounds and that alone gives you a sense of the scale of the place.

There is just something so magical and mystical about this place and the small amount of human interaction with the land here gives you a real sense of what it must have been like for thousands of years... the rugged, raw beauty... the very essence of Aotearoa New Zealand.

TE ARAI MOONRISE

in ,

New Zealand Landscape Photographer

Last night's moonrise that look like a sunrise!

With a rare clear winter night in Auckland, there were a good couple of hours to get some astro in before the moon rose. With an epic time-lapse fail, I ended up doing a few panoramas and then waiting for the moon to rise...which looked pretty spectacular over the Te Arai pinnacle-esque rocks.

The colour that a rising moon throws into the atmosphere is rather dynamic and unique and makes for a colourful night sky.

TONGARIRO TRAILS

in ,

New Zealand Landscape Photographer

Heading down to Taranaki for the weekend I couldn't pass up a slight (150kms+) detour through a snowy and serene Tongariro National Park!

Having finished work late and checking the weather maps, all was good for a clear sunrise so I packed and gapped! I arrived just as dawn was breaking and had a couple of locations I hoped to get to while the light was at it's best.

It turned out to be one of the most spectacular sunrises with clear skies I have seen down these ways, with that crazy pink light first hitting the mountain peaks and then turning golden yellow as it slowly revealed the entire central plateau...those moments you live for in the outdoors! Those images to come!


It really was the perfect start to a great weekend with family and friends down in Taranaki.

FULL MOON SILHOUETTE

in ,

New Zealand Landscape Photographer

Aside from getting all the classic wide cityscape full moon shots, I also like to get a different kind of creative.

Here I found a cool tree outside my house and used it as a silhouetted foreground to frame the full moon behind.

Sometimes pulling off spontaneous simple shots give me as much satisfaction as the planned-well-in-advanced-day ones!

AURORA AUSTRALIS

in ,

New Zealand Landscape Photographer

The amazing Aurora Australis paid a visit when I was down south a few weeks ago...and she was incredible!

For me, this is at the pinnacle of all landscape and night photography. I think because so many conditions have to come together to see something, the fact that there are only a few large enough displays a year to even capture something and then the challenge to get into a position to be able to capture it!

On this occasion while all the weather apps showed clear skies, none of them accounted for the low lying misty conditions for 100s of km's.... the only place possible to see anything ended up being at Mt John in Tekapo and a huge thanks to my sister Jess for helping with the location!

After arriving and a 45min dash to the summit I was shattered but stoked after a few early images taken. I sat on top of Mt John, was surrounded by a 360º sea of fog, mountains in every direction!

To say this was one of the most magical nights out shooting would not be far from true!

GALAXY UNLOCKED

in ,

New Zealand Astro Photographer

Astutely named after the area this was captured, Keyhole Rock at Anawhata.

Auckland is surrounded by some stunning coastlines and none moreso than this particular area of the west coast with its' rugged rock formations. Accessible only on a lower tide, this area is known for extreme wave action and strong riptide currents that are not to be taken lightly.

Keyhole Rock also makes a great frame for the Milky Way galaxy as it graces the sky above. This shot combines 2 great passions of mine...capturing the night sky and being amongst the rugged west coast in which I have spent half my life growing up surfing or adventuring amongst.

With the pockets of clear skies we have been having lately I saw a window of clear sky, I made a plan and I executed what for me is an image that holds a lot of personal significance for me, in life and in my journey as a photographer.

I hope you enjoy and would love to hear what you think!

THUNDER, LIGHTNING AND RED SPRITES

in ,

New Zealand Landscape Photographer

I have just captured one of the most incredible and rarest of all sky based phenomenons...the very very elusive and secretive Red Sprite!

I was hosting an astrophotography workshop last night when I had set up a time-lapse to capture the incredible lightning storm on the horizon.

When I came to check my images I noticed some streaky red lines at the top of one of my images that I immediately passed off as lens flare or some abnomoly. Then when I checked against all the other lightning filled frames I knew I had got something pretty special and my mind went immediately to the Red Sprite phenomenon. I actually had to do a google based search to see if my suspicions were true and lo and behold they were!

I immediately started asking around a bunch of photographer mates and people in the know and no one had ever captured this. Everything online pointed to something so amazingly rare that I instantly got those " photography feels" - what you experience when you know you've just captured something pretty special!

THE GALACTIC KIWI

in ,

New Zealand Astro Photographer

At the centre of our milkyway lies our solar system and which lies a very special gathering of stars and dust lanes that form a very familiar sight for us New Zealanders...the Kiwi bird! Can you see him?

Unlike our ground-dwelling icon this Kiwi soars high through the night sky above us for a few months every year.

This is what the milkyway chase is all about for all us astro photographers out there...the centre of it all, the focus of many a composition. I'm sure you have seen many a wide-field shot of the milkyway but lesser so do you see images closer into where all the action lies.

It is estimated we are only 28,000 light years away from the centre! The scale is mind boggling, what is even more impressive is that modern cameras and technology have the ability to be able to reach into the depth of space to reveal the infinite wonders of our universe.
This image was shot using a 50mm lens and 15 images stacked to bring out as much detail as possible while reducing noise.

From a young age I have always been fascinated with the stars and the solar system and many a hike or adventure was spent just lying out beneath them in wonder. Now to be able to capture them in detail is just incredible!

I hope you are in wonder as much as I am and I would love to hear your thoughts on this image!

1000 SECONDS AT THAT WANAKA TREE

in ,

New Zealand Landscape Photographer

This has to be the most photographed and polarising tree in the world to photograph. I have never heard of such a subject that draws as much attention, controversy and debate over it's photographing.

You've probably seen the tree, you've probably heard all the stories and whatever your opinion may be, there's a reason that people come from all around the world and NZ to photograph this more unique scene.

With so many images seemingly flooding the internet the challenge then is to find a new perspective, so here is one of mine: 1000 seconds under a rising full moon on crystal clear skies and calm waters with star trails gracing the sky above. 
I have been here a few times now but this is by far the calmest and clearest I have ever seen this lake!

I would love to hear what you think when this tree from a landscape perspective, many of you not based in New Zealand will have a completely different opinion from the locals here I am sure!

PORCELAINA OF THE VAST OCEANS

in ,

New Zealand Landscape Photographer

Auckland has amazingly, against all odds, just experienced the rarest of all rare phenomenons in 2018 called a 'clear-cloudfree night'!!
After arriving back from an epic trip south there was no way that Focused West Photography and I were going to let this one slip through our fingers! As most people will verify, the conditions for any astro in Auckland this year has been horrific!

In a night that took me from the east coast for the rise and then the west for the setting milkyway, I managed to smash out a few locations in the one night...incredible to see such a clear and calm night! 
I love how the rising moon has made for some cooler hues in the sky and given the foreground some great fill light.

This lighthouse has been on my hit-list for a while and although I have shot here before, this was easily the best of conditions.

QUEENSTOWN BY MILKY WAY

in ,

New Zealand Landscape Photographer

There is simply no better area in New Zealand than the central South Island to shoot the milkyway! Under calm clear nights the detail you can capture is amazing. I am lucky to travel for work and whenever I head south I am always excited to get out at night!

On this night I met up with the lads Jordan of Undersoul Photography and Paul of Paul Wilson Images NZ at some quaint lake up in the mountains. The night was clear, the banter jovial and the images we all got were magical!

This Panorama shot in the early evening as the milky way core was rising!  This image alone is 3 rows, 62 images all stitched to capture the full arch.