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 […]

Low-flying cloud on the outskirts of New Plymouth accompanies this uncommon perspective from a high point near Barrett Domain. Running the beam over this attractive specimen from a steep ridge nearby, I spotted another outline in the background. Although deceased, the second tree adds depth, twisting the perspective further – mostly we look up at […]

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 […]

NEWS: The above image is one of about 50 of mine which have just been published in a free ebook of quotations by Hannah Samuel, public speaker, author and mentor, of Auckland. The Pocket Book of Men’s Wisdom, Volume 1 is a compilation of quotes from Kiwi men associated with Big Buddy (www.bigbuddy.org.nz), a mentoring […]

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 […]

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 […]

An industrial landscape at night; how lens choice affects star trails

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

Long exposure outdoor portraits: problems and solutions

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

Uncommon natural lighting with an extra touch

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

Graveyard in white and the mountain in grey; a harmony of moon rays and lingering daylight

Twilight use of flash; subtlety, instantaneity and their opposites

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

Silver surf and f16 on the beach; handling difficult focus by using a small aperture

Using flash with moonlight; square format composition

The fall – and rise – of water over 2 minutes; unusual soundtrack of a cascade silenced

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

Monochrome peak-and-pines at a road end; composition and the continuing lure of square format

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

Decorative arch and summer peak from Surf Highway 45; working by the westerly early moon

An inspiring new structure, after dark; noise, scale and safety