Twelve hours before the Christchurch earthquake I was somewhat wearily walking the quiet waterfront at Kaikoura, 150 km to the north on the east coast. I was happy after a perfect evening of night photography, and had the moon well up behind me when I spotted these trees high above. They fringe the cliffs which […]

A companion piece to no. 107. Twilight tractor (and taken 6 minutes later), this electric call to good order conveys another mood. Existentialists may freely dwell on it. Outside the Waikanae boat club 45 minutes after sunset, the balance of light was changing in favour of artificial light. A star is visible in the nightfall. […]

Once again my title doesn’t really do this justice. The pleasantly secluded location borders Barrett Domain in Westown, on the western outskirts of New Plymouth. I have climbed up to this pastoral corner many times, having first discovered it on a sunny summer’s evening in 1976, when the grass was really long and my model […]

This took around 15 minutes at a small aperture, on Fuji slide film. It was a perfect summer’s evening at Paritutu Centennial Park, and I spent the interlude chatting with a friend. I’m only guessing that the stripe is Venus, but as she often accompanies the early moon it’s a good bet. For trails like […]

Inshore study in gold and aqua under a full moon; ideal exposure and post-process rescue

Effective light painting with mixed sources, using very high ISO

A low angle on the plain and a karaka grove; company and constraint

Further along the road less travelled; sometimes your first shot is the best one, sometimes your only one.

Uncommon natural lighting with an extra touch

Golden fluff in moonlit motion; creative control and its inevitable decisions

An unexpected colour at second quarter; a wild coast made easy for the townie

Moon and artist’s cloud over no. 2 shellfish processing factory; wide angle and mixed lighting

Dramatic study in amber, green and blue; composition using the foreground in a classic thirds

Full moon, full cloud; adding foreground highlights with Incandescent and an LED torch

40-minute exposure by muted moonlight, where film still has the upper hand

Two minutes in the twilight; highlighting a volcanic bomb

Twilight use of flash; subtlety, instantaneity and their opposites

Fun with a torch in motion; colour temperature, cloudy skies, late moons

The female form revealed on film; a summery advent of moon rays

After midnight, the search for illumination continues, in a translucent sort of way

30 seconds in the life of waterfowl; balancing harsh and hand-crafted lighting

Shipping signature from the beach below Paritutu; exposing for highlights with a high moon

Night magic in sepia; much longer exposures using a Pentax 6×7 as second camera

Heavy cloud cover streaked with moonlight; the timelessness of unlit waters

In praise of pink; a secluded suburban waterfront and the challenge of the night-lit city