Out with some Scottish friends under a brilliant moon – the best since 1993 – we legged a good stretch of the Waiwhakaiho walkway, on the New Plymouth outskirts. Having noted this viewpoint along the way, it was surprising how long it took to re-locate it on our return. On the wild uplands of Tibet […]

You can boost minimal moonlight by using its reflection for a silhouette – another way to employ the wan light of a slender moon. “Moonlight photography” for me means not photographing the moon itself (another subject entirely), but rather making pictures by its light. The term is freely abused by amateur photographers. For a sharp […]

North Taranaki this week has been clear and mild for night photography by the  crescent moon. These slender new moons might give only the feeblest of light but if you can see your shadow by them then there is enough for moonlight photography! Nature also provides some magnifiers for moonlight, the best being its reflection […]

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. […]

Out for some night photography, you’d think that the simple equation of dark = dark at least ensured you had plenty of time to set up your masterpieces as you came upon them. That is, without finding the common daylight problem of something changing your scene. Alas, so often this is not the case! Of […]

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 […]

We waved the torch over nearby palms on our way back from Gilbert’s Beach, at Te Hapu (www.tehapu.co.nz), a remote cattle station in Golden Bay. On a wide angle lens it is easier to stop the stars, which were more visible with the moon being blotted out by a cloudbank. Having selected Direct sunlight light […]

Moonlight and urban glow at Waimanu; digital ergonomics vs film cameras

The vacated frame and its variables: ghosting by pure moonlight

Golden orb on the shoulder of Mt Taranaki, from the National Park boundary.

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

Long exposure outdoor portraits: problems and solutions

Moonlit abstraction on the square; Light balance selection with mixed sources

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

Warm colours from a sinking moon, plus colour contrast – but where’s the beef?

Self-portrait in gumboots, in a daylight effect; multiple personas using layers

Palms, balm and moonlit calm; the issue of personal safety and the usefulness of a lighting assistant

Vertical grace and green against a starry sky; the search for critical focus

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

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

Streaks of unexpected colour on a moonless night; “It must be film!”