The Re-start Mall

Last weekend we took a trip down to Christchurch to celebrate a friends 30th.  We took the time to check out the city while we were there as we hadn't been back properly since the major earthquakes of 2011.  It was a really sobering experience to see so many empty lots where buildings had once stood and you could tell that there is still a lot of work to be done to get the city back on its' feet.

An amazing part of this recovery process can be found along Cashel Street where the Re:START mall has been set up.  Retail stores have taken residence in modified shipping containers and the old mall area has been re-opened.

It is a truly special place to go and visit if you are ever in Christchurch.  The mall speaks volumes of the resilience of the locals as well as their determination to rebuild their city.  We headed down there to have a look and saw the area was in full swing heading into the Christmas period.

Christmas Tree outside the coffee shop - ISO 100, 18mm, f/8.0, 1/400sec

Here is a double story coffee shop, with fully functioning services and all!  I love how the Christmas tree has been put together as well.

Pizza Oven in a container - ISO 100, 33mm, f/8.0, 1/40sec

Here is a closer look at the inner workings of a container, a full on pizza production system.  There is a pizza oven in the back ground and all and I love how they have added the bricks to the inside of the doors so when they are open it gives the container more of a building feel.

Yesterday is History - ISO 100, 40mm, f/8.0, 1/320sec

There is is interesting graffiti to be seen as well, some pretty deep lines above.

Lunch in the sun - ISO 100, 18mm, f/8.0, 1/400sec

The colours of the containers are superb.  They are vibrant and contrast really well with each other and this colour scheme gives off energy and really adds to the life of the area.

Shade covered walkways - ISO 100, 25mm, f/8.0, 1/200sec

As I said earlier in the piece this mall is an amazing place to visit.  There is an energy about the place that is calm and tranquil while at the same time uplifting.  It shows the true spirit of the people of Christchurch and how they have come together to overcome difficult circumstances and tragedy.   I have huge respect for the citizens of the garden city, they have had to put up with a lot in the last few years. Cashel street is a great advertisement for the city.

Hope you enjoy and have a good one!

Muriwai and the Gannets

We just had a long weekend here in NZ and I figured it was time to dust off the long lens and head down to the coast to get some bird shots. 

When I was growing up back home I really enjoyed my bird watching and have a pretty good knowledge of Southern African Birds….. my knowledge of Kiwi birds leaves a little bit to be desired I must say.  Living in Auckland gives me immediate access to a range of different habitats within easy drive from home though so with this in mind I headed out to Muriwai, a beach out on the west coast that has a fairly large Gannet colony during the summer months.

Being a west coast beach it is predominately black sands and the weather out there can get pretty wild, luckily for me though it was an outstanding day so there was no worries of some dodgy weather slipping in unannounced.

Now it has been a while since I used my long lens.  A year to be exact so man did I have my work cut out for me!  I knew the birds that were flying would be shooting along at a fair pace so those were going to be a challenge for me to get sharp especially as I am now getting used to my focus button being on the back of the camera instead of linked to the shutter button.  For me though that is where the fun is, getting to grips with something new while reacquainting myself with my long lens.

Returning with nest building materials - 313mm, f/6.3, ISO 100, 1/500sec

So I decided to start out on birds that were further away from me.  I figured I could track them better and have more frame to work with and give space for the bird to move in.  This is one of the first sharp images I got - tracking gannets is hard work I had countless frames of perfectly in focus rocks or sea with a white blurry blob intruding in the frame!!

Cruising above the colony - 313mm, f/6.3, ISO 100, 1/1000sec

Here is another gannet just cruising above the colony. I'm not 100% happy with his position in the frame as i would have preferred more frame for the bird to 'fly into' as-it-were but I like how the shot turned out. The viewing platforms either side of the colony are above the level of the colony so this is why most of the shots look down on the birds which is not ideal but you can still get some great shots of the birds as they ride the up drafts pushing up the cliff face from the sea below.

In tight - 313mm, f/6.3, ISO 100, 1/1250sec

Finally I braved a close up bird!!  The hardest thing in getting this shot was trying to pick a bird that was heading towards the viewing platform then was going to bank just before it.  Now that sounds simple but believe me it is no cake walk!  The birds circle around the colony using the up drafts and can turn fairly sharply and glide at a surprisingly fast pace.  Once you have selected a bird keeping it in focus is the next trick, especially ensuring the eye is sharp as that is a crucial element of any wildlife photography.  After what felt like a zillion botched shots with a blurry tail or no bird at all I got this one.  I am pretty happy with the result, the entire bird in the frame would have been better but I still think this is a compelling image.

Hopefully the missus likes these - 164mm, f/5, ISO 100, 1/320sec

Feeling happy with what I had got flight wise I decided to look to the other side of the picture.  The birds were in full nest building mode and were making use of coastal vegetation above the beaches.

The neighbourhood - 340mm, f/6.3, ISO 100, 1/1250sec

The shot above is a section of the colony below the viewing platform.  The gannets have three areas they make use of for their nests and one is pretty spectacular as it is a large rock that rises up out of the sea and is completely separate from the main land.

Sitting on the nest - 500mm, f/6.3, ISO 100, 1/800sec

It seems such a harsh area to raise young chicks in.  Here this bird is perched right on the edge of the cliff with a massive drop to the rocks and sea below and yet the young with grow up safe and content in the nest.  Nature is truly amazing sometimes!

Mating pair - 500mm, f/6.3, ISO 100, 1/400sec

It is really interesting watching how the birds interact with each other as well.  Gannets mate for life and watching the birds they seem to go through 'rituals' when they meet each other.  The two above were mimicking movements, as if they were dancing with each other.

Time to head home - 18mm, f/22, ISO 100, 1/100sec

 
After I had finished up with photographing the birds I headed down to the beach on Maori Bay to hunt out a spot to shoot the sunset from.  Unfortunately (from a sunset photography point of view) it was a glorious blue sky day with only a few whispy clouds trespassing so any thoughts of a dramatic sunset with 'fire in the sky' were quickly forgotten.  I was able to quickly grab this shot of a group of gulls skimming over the beach which I am pretty pleased with.  I saw the birds approaching off to my left so I threw up my tripod real quick and got a pretty decent composition in the end.

It was such a worth while afternoon out on the west coast and great fun re-acquainting myself with my long lens and trying to capture some shots of these interesting birds.

I hope you enjoyed this if you have stuck around till now, thanks for dropping by!

Sunrise Photography

I love sunrise photography.  Now this is a fact that would be surprising to a few people who know me – especially my mom!  I caused her untold suffering as a child by being near impossible to shift from a bed first thing in the morning.  I admit it I enjoy my sleep and I know you all understand that you are never more comfortable in bed than that moment when you wake up.

All this being said though, I do really love sunrise photography.  If I have planned to get up and try some sunrise shots I have no problem at all leaving the warmth and comfort of the duvet!  

There is something magical about being up at first light, the crispness of the air and the freshness of everything around you as it gears up for a new day is really invigorating.  Keeping all this in mind I have a selection of shots I wanted to share from my recent trip down to Queenstown.  We had pretty iffy weather while we were there though so I only had one day to venture out.  Luckily our hotel was a short walk from the edge of Lake Wakatipu and all along the lake frontage in front of the hotel there were outstanding views of the Remarkables mountain range so I decided this is where I needed to head.



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Sunrise at Lake Wakatipu - Shot at 18mm, f/16, ISO 100, 0.6 seconds

This is the first shot I took that I thought had potential.  I used the rock as foreground interest to help give a sense of depth to the picture and I think this worked quiet well.  However there is something about this photo that just does not sit right with me.  I think it has something to do with the boat  and how it kind of blends too much with the back ground and does not stand out as well as I would have liked it too.

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Sunrise over the Remarkables - Shot at 18mm, f/16, ISO 100, 1/6 second

For this second shot I moved up off the small beach.  Here I was able to include a lot more of the mountain range which I like and I think it gives real emphasis to them.  I know there is no immediate foreground interest but the boat mid-way into the frame is quite a good point of interest and in my opinion helps to give a sense of depth and scale to the picture.  When you look at this mountain range in this kind of circumstances you immediately understand why they are called the Remarkables

I figured I had the sunrise shot I wanted so now I started looking around for some other opportunities.  It was a stunning morning and Queenstown’s fitness fanatics were starting to appear.  I was making the pictures from Queeenston Gardens  and there a numerous trails that early morning runners and cyclists take advantage of to exercise away from traffic.



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Cecil Peak - Shot at 18mm, f/16, ISO 100, 0.6 seconds

Turning the tripod around I was able to make this shot looking towards Cecil Peak on the other side of the lake.  I chose to include the cyclists as they really add some dynamic energy to the photo.  The bush and the pathway really help lead the eye into the picture towards Cecil peak with it's summit dusted with snow.

It was definitely time for some fun now.  Okay I had been having a great time, but what I mean is it was time to make a fun picture.  The main drama of the initial sunrise was well and truly over now so I wanted to try take a series of pictures that I could later edit in a specific way.  What I wanted was myself appearing multiple times in a single shot watching the sun rise from different places.  I chose a bench and got to work.  A few people on their morning jog gave me some pretty puzzled looks as I ran back and forth from the camera and back to different  spots around the bench, I can only imagine what they were thinking!

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Me watching sunrise - Shot 18mm, f/16, ISO 100, 1/6 second

Here is the end result and I think a pretty funky picture to end off with.

Walking back to the hotel I was thinking what a great start to the day this had been.  It is really invigorating to be out there in the crisp air listening to Tui’s bubling their greeting to the morning along with numerous other birds.  I find it makes you feel alive and excited for all the possibilities the day ahead can hold.  I need to plan another morning shoot soon, perhaps when the weather gets a wee bit more friendly…..

Thanks for stopping by I hope you enjoyed!

Slow Shutter Photography - Queenstown

So this week I wanted to take a look at some of the slow shutter pictures I took down in Queenstown.  I really enjoy this type of photography.  I love how an everyday scene can take on an almost other worldly feel and the effects created really enhance the images.


The day that I took to drive out to Wanka and get some pictures in the better weather (like the church in the last post) saw me coming back to Queenstown via Cromwell.  Now a stretch of this road takes you past the Roaring Meg lookout point.  Here a waterfall joins the Kawarau River so I figured it was definitely worth stopping and investigating the possibilities here.

There is a short path that takes you to a spot by the edge of the waterfall and it’s not too bad a view, I took a couple of shots there. Below is the best angle I could get from the end of the path and it is a fairly pleasing picture. 

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First waterfall picture - shot at 18mm, f/8, ISO 400, 1/10 sec

Looking back upstream I could see the waterfall/stream looked more dramatic up there and cascaded over a couple of short but steepish drops that would potentially make a better photo.
With that in mind I decided to head further up the waterfall. By climbing up some rocks and ducking in and around fallen trees I was able to gain a vantage point above the main flow of the waterfall and it was definitely worth the effort.


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Shot at 46mm, f/16, ISO 100, 1/5 sec.

By getting higher up I was able to see more of the waterfall and take a variety of shots.  The one above I was able to get in tight on a group of rocks with water tumbling every which way over them. I think this is already a much stronger shot than the first and appears to be more dynamic to me.

What really helped this set up was the fact that the sun had already started to dip away behind the hill so the entire waterfall was thrown into a muted light and this allowed me to stretch out shutter speeds quite easily.  The only problem was in these darker areas the mosquito population was pretty healthy!!  I was being eaten alive while getting these shots but thankfully they are not as deadly as their African cousins I grew up with.

As you can tell this post is all about manipulating water with the shutter speed and there is a shot I have dreamed about getting for a long time.  I have seen many superb images involving a pier or boardwalk going out into the sea or a lake and the water smoothed out around it, really dreamy shots.  This trip gave me the opportunity to give my own take on this type of photography.

This picture is probably one of my favourites.  Driving out to Glenorchy to see where all the movies are made I noticed a decaying jetty, I assume it must have been a jetty at one point.  I made a mental note of where it was and planned to stop there on the way back to town.  It could not have worked out better!  We reached the spot as dusk was well and truly settling in and I knew this would really help me achieve the slow shutter speed I desired to really smooth out the water and give it that silk-like feel. 

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Decaying jetty on the way to Glenorchy  - shot at 28mm, f/25, ISO 100, 5 seconds

I used a Neutral density filter to assist in getting the slow speed and coupled with and aperture of f/25 I was able to keep the shutter open for five seconds.  There was a chilly wind whipping up some solid wave action so the five second shutter really did the job in smoothing out the water.  My major problem was actually getting low enough to get the composition I wanted.  The tripod I currently have is adequate but it doesn't let me get really low to the ground and that was the view I needed here.  Thank goodness for rocky beaches!! I was able to cobble (pun not intended) together a makeshift tripod using my camera bag and various rocks and drift wood and it served my purposes really well I think.

I really enjoy this type of photography.  By using the tools in the camera I am able to imply movement and really add a new dynamic to a picture and I believe this helps in conveying the story the picture is trying to tell

Thanks for stopping by I hope you enjoyed!

Getting started - Snippets from Queenstown

To kick this whole adventure off I have decided to start with images from a trip to Queenstown taken earlier this month.

I was super excited to head to Queenstown, the adventure capital of New Zealand.  As a born and bred African the allure of snow capped mountains is something I will never tire of.  It is such a novel and exciting prospect to be in the snow and the opportunity to photograph one of New Zealand's most attractive landscapes (so attractive Sir Peter Jackson decided to film parts of the Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies in and around the area) was a dream come true!

Queenstown and Lake Wakitipu from above (f/11, ISO 100, 1/125sec)

Above is a view from the top of the Sky Gondola in Queenstown.  I stitched together 10 photos to create this panorama and I'm pretty pleased with the view it gives you over the area.  I took a light reading with the camera in aperture priority first to see what shutter speed the camera suggested.  Using f/11 as my aperture I knew I would have sufficient depth of field for everything to be in focus front to back.  Once I knew the correct shutter speed I switched over to manual mode; set the shutter speed, ISO and aperture and there is the end result.

The Remarkables.  Shot at 27mm, f/8, ISO 100, 1/500sec

I love the name of this mountain range, The Remarkables....... could not say it better myself, they truly are a remarkable sight to behold!

To get this shot I wanted to make sure it was a bit different so I headed to the edge of Lake Wakatipu and got low down.  The branch washed ashore made for a good piece of foreground interest and really adds to the sense of depth in the picture.  I set up on a tripod and using live view I zoomed right up on the mountains to make sure I had them as sharply in focus as I could.

The Cardrona Hotel.  Shot at 20mm, f/8, ISO 400, 1/320sec

The Queenstown and Otago area has a huge amount of history to it. When taking the Crown Range road to Wanaka you have to stop in at the Cardrona Hotel.  The hotel is 150 years old and with a couple of roaring log fires it is a great place to stop for a drink.  There are even chalets out back to stay in and the Cardrona Alpine resort is just down the road.

It was a miserable day when we stopped off here so I warmed the temperature of the shot up in post, I quite like the effect it has given the picture as it has taken on a vintage type tinge and I think that ties in well with the old feeling of the hotel.

Speight's....  The pride of the south!  Shot at 28mm, f/4, ISO 200, 1/20sec

The most important levers in the establishment, with one of my favourites on the far left! I used a wide aperture of f/4 here to really throw the background out of focus and give emphasis to the beer levers.  I do wish I had brought my 50mm lens along as I could have achieved an even shallower depth of field with that one.  I guess I'll have to go back then!

The old Cardrona Church.  Shot at 40mm, f/11, ISO 100, 1/80sec

The day we visited the Cardrona Hotel I noticed this church a little way down the road.  As I mentioned the weather was atrocious so I made the decision to make the drive back out here the next day as the weather improved.  I am so glad I did, the church stands in a little fenced off plot with manicured lawns and the backdrop of the snow covered hills really adds to the sense of place.  Without the New Zealand flag you would be forgiven for thinking this was a scene out of Europe!

Coming back in better weather also ensured I was able to get the backdrop as those hills were completely lost in the mist and rain the first day we had been there.

Lake Wakatipu, on the road to Glenorchy.  Shot at 18mm, f/16, ISO 100, 1/100sec

Lake Wakatipu is New Zealand's longest lake and also the third largest in the country.  We headed down the lake to Glenorchy to do a horse ride around the areas where The Lord of the Rings was filmed and I have to say it is one of the most beautiful treks I have been on.  The road  getting there winds along the shore of this aqua-blue alpine lake surrounded by impressive snow capped peaks.

I used the flowers (which were still a tad dead as spring hadn't quite kicked into gear down here yet!!) for foreground interest and the mountains marching into the distance from the left hand side to try and guide your eye into the picture, hopefully it worked!  It was quite challenging getting this shot right as the sun was almost bang in front of me however I think this picture shows some of the drama of the landscape in this area.

The closer we got to Glenorchy the more you felt like you were in the Lord of the Rings.  Now I will admit I loved the book, loved the movies and I can easily let my mind wander into fantastical worlds such as the one created by J.R.R. Tolkein and hopefully my pictures in the next post can show you the jaw dropping landscape of the area!