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!