TAKAPUNA SUNRISE

in

New Zealand Landscape Photographer

Probably the Auckland sunrise of 2018 for me...the light kicked off at least 45 mins before the actual sunrise and kept building and building into an explosion of colour...which very rarely ever happens here and is likened to a classic south island sunrise!

After a night of clear skies and some awesome astro, I just had a feeling the sunrise was going to be epic, so even on only a few hours of sleep, I made sure I set an alarm to get up early and check...always pays to go with your gut feeling!

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!

MT TARANAKI SUNRISE

in

New Zealand Landscape Photographer

If there is one place that I call home, one place that I can call my happy place, then up here amongst these hills and surrounded by the Egmont National Park landscape would be it!

Only 30 minutes drive from my hometown of New Plymouth and a short 2 hour hike, you reach one of the wonders of the National Park, the small mountain tarn in the Pouakai ranges. What once was a tiny, obscure, known only to locals small lake with sprawling views over to Mt Taranaki is now an internet sensation and on bucket lists the world over.

I have hiked up here more times than I can remember and no matter how busy it gets, how popular or trendy it becomes, it takes me right back to the essence of what coming here is or should all about, connection. When you get away from the busy-ness of life, put down that cellphone and just stare into the landscape your thoughts come alive and a part in all of us that was born to be in the wild comes alive.

If it hasn't for you or you can't relate to what I am speaking of, I challenge you to get up here, or any hike for that matter, especially one that seperates you from anything that can be seen built by human hand. Only when you are surrounded by the wonder of nature can you truly connect with it.

THE RAKAIA

in

New Zealand Landscape Photographer

I use my drone alot for work but moreso for video work rather than photography, so when I travel on my own adventures, I love to get it up in the air to find fresh perspectives of everyday scenes or the new places I end up at.

There's is something pretty amazing about seeing landscapes from the air, the land changes form, certain features come alive and some scenes we see everyday can become magical. Rivers are one of those subjects, the way they twist and wind their way through the land is really only seen fully from the air.

I think I should be posting more aerial images!

MAMMATUS CLOUDS

in ,

New Zealand Landscape Photographer

I have been in Auckland for 10 years and this is the first time I have ever see these form of clouds here. They usually occur around severe thunderstorms and with all the crazy weather we have had lately it's no surprise!

With no time to get anywhere to grab a solid composition I shot this from my deck and just as well, as they disappeared within 10 minutes!

AUCKLAND MOON RISE

in ,

New Zealand Landscape Photographer

The 99.1% full moon rising above Auckland City after sunset tonight.

With arguably the best day all winter so far it was good to end a busy day with a relaxing moon shoot. No wind to speak of, clear skies, glassy water all made for a serene moonrise.

This is the first time in months the weather has been so still and clear for a chance to shoot this.

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!

AORAKI ON FIRE

in

NEW ZEALAND LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHER

One of the most unusual scenes I have ever come across in all my photography missions!

After an all nighter with Billy Thomas Wilson-Nunweek and travelling through the interior of the South Island we headed to Mt Cook for sunrise when we came across, what initially appeared like an out-of-control forest fire! So shocked and concerned I rang 111 and after being passed through to the Fire Service was told it was a "controlled burn off"... to which I replied: "this is the most insane out of control controlled burn off I have ever seen"!

So with that, we saddled up and went on our way, where we both went on to shoot some of our favourite images to date of the heart and soul of Aotearoa New Zealand.

HOAR FROST

in

New Zealand Landscape Photographer

One of the most amazing and unexpected little moments on my recent trip south was driving into this scene in the Mackenzie Country - one of my favourite areas in New Zealand to adventure and capture. 
I have only ever seen pictures of a hoar frost on the news but this was some spectacle to finally be amongst.

A hoar frost occurs when moist air rapidly cools and it snap freezes to anything it touches leaving an ice covering on everything around you. Locals said it was unusual to see such a heavy and widespread one so early on into winter season so pretty stoked!

With a sudden and sustained drop in temperature it was certainly and consistently the coldest conditions I have photographed in. With the temperature hovering around -3º to -5º and no wind whatsoever it was breathtaking cold, yet amazingly calm.

These unexpected moments are one of the great things that I love about photography, you have your set plans, yet mother nature will always surprise and amaze you with her beauty!

LAKE OHAU SUNSET

in

New Zealand Landscape Photographer

One of the best sunsets I have ever seen and it all came about by a timing miracle!

After a massive 5 hours straight driving from the west coast I came through the Lindis Pass to be confronted by the sky turning colour rapidly as sunset approached. Without a location to get to and running out of time, I only knew of Lake Ohau but had never shot there, so I had no idea where to go!

I drove rather purposely and my plan was to pull over as soon as the road hit the water and this is exactly where I ended up...it could not have been a more perfect location! A calm reflective lake, some rocks for interest and a banging sky overhead...amazing!

Then through a crazy set of random circumstances, I ended up being accommodated at the amazing and incredible Lake Ohau Quarters, a lodge right above the lake...what a stunning location! Just when I thought I had found perfection, the clouds cleared and I'm pretty certain y'all know what happened next....yeppppp, a little astrophotography...but thats a story for another day!

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!

AORAKI SUNSET

in

New Zealand Landscape Photographer

Sometimes as a photographer, a traveller or just as a mere human being, you come across a place so amazing, so majestic, that it just calls you back time and time again. This place for me is Aoraki / Mt Cook.

Growing up in Taranaki I had access to the mountain only 30 minutes away whenever I wanted to get away from it all. Now living in Auckland the closest thing is to a mountain is Mt Eden lol ...which is barely a blimp in comparison!

Since coming to Mt Cook 3 years ago, without a camera because of gear theft, the only option was to take it all in. After that, I knew I would be back again to attempt to capture it's greatness. There is something so Kiwi, so infinitely New Zealand about standing beneath this mass of rock that just inspires...I haven't quite figured it out yet and maybe I never will but it will surely call me back.

I would say this should be on every New Zealander's list to experience in their lifetime...people actually travel half the world for scenery and landscapes like this and it is all here in our own backyard!

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!

AOTEAROA'S NATURAL TWIN TOWERS

in

New Zealand Landscape Photographer

The natural twin towers of the mountain kingdom, Mt Tasman on the left and Aoraki/Mt Cook on the right stand proud amongst the Southern Alps and tower over the calm and reflective Lake Matheson.

After a crazy spur-of-the-moment decision to head west for sunset and astro, I arrived just in time to see the mountain light up with this amazing colour.

From every angle this mountain just captivates and impresses and for someone who grew up beside a mountain and now living in a concrete jungle, this always feels like coming home!

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.