This is a round up of the Facebook, Flickr and Instagram imagery that was posted. Have added some extra back stories over and above what was shared to the social media platforms as on this website there is far more scope to share additional information.

All these images are available as prints. We print in house on Canon fine art papers. Contact me with the form at the bottom to enquire.

This archway at Tongaporutu is a really prominate feature when trying to explore the coastline here. So much so that this time it was impassable as the storm just gone had moved the sand from against the cliff face and under the arch and around it so much that it was impassable. This was at dead low tide and was up to my knees at this point and the water was getting deeper the further i went and chances of rouge waves tipping me over was just too great. Never mind … exploring this coast will just have to wait. A hand held shot.

This is Pourerere Beach on the coast in Hawkes Bay east from Waipawa town.Its a really easy access beach with a flat sandy foreshore with mostly no rocks until you travel around the headlands.

With this image used the good old leading lines effect to carry the eye up to the point in the distance. Object was to convey the wide open space and flat beach foreshore giving a impression of being there alone just wandering along as we all do just thinking about heaps and then not much at all at the same time…as you do.

Another shot at Pourerere Beach but looking the other way. The out going tide was leaving nice wet sand areas for awesome reflections and the gulls had to get in on the act. This is looking south.

The cray fishermen just before Cape Palliser have a dangerous piece of coast line to launch and retreive their boats. So much so that old bulldozers make for the best option as a tow tractor to get the trailer in and out. Probably where all good bulldozers go to die…

There was a Lotto advert made here with these tactors not so long ago.

These are the Dawson Falls which are reached relatively easily from Manaia Road. The road thru the bush is really well worth the drive by itself to get up there and not for some one in a rush.

Waterfalls can sometimes be a bit problematic especially with a blue bird day such as this was because there is very bright highlights and really dark shadows. The trick to get around this issue is to whats called bracketing  at least three shots in Raw format- one at one stop under exposed, one normal and one over exposed by one stop. This means that under exposed  image gets all the highlight data running thru to the over exposed shot which gets all the dark shadow data set. These are combined using a what is called a HDR programe [ high dynamic range ] to show a balanced image. The camera cant record the dynamic range like our eyes can see so the challenge is to produce a shot that mimicks what we saw at the time.

A exercise in luminosity and contrast with the high lighted walnut tree in winter set against a back ground of a approaching rain storm.

The headland looking north at Pourerere Beach on the eastern coastline of the Hawkes Bay.

A rock in the sand surrounded by water on the beach at sunset. Pourerere Beach again. Not much more to add really…

Pourerere Beach again. Tracks from vechicles leaving lines towards the southern headland. A classic use of  leading lines in image composition. 

The lower Waitonga Falls which are reached before the base of the higher falls. They seem more attractive as a small water feature which are seemingly hidden to some extent. It takes a bit of a rock hop to get to these.

The upper Waitonga Falls cascade over a lava flow with the renaments of a recent snow fall still just hanging on. These falls from this angle can be problematic the photograph as there is a wide variance in lighting from the bright sunlit areas to the deep shadow areas so to acheive a balanced exposure i use a technique called HDR or bracketing tree exposure where you take one of normal exposure, one under exposed to gather details in the brighter areas and one overexposed by one stop to gather the details in the shadows. These three images are blended together to create one balanced image without blowing out the highlights or losing the details in the shadows. Care needs to be taken so as to not create a image that is far removed from what you saw on the day. Humans can discern a higher dynamic range than what cameras can.

On the way to the Waitonga Falls you pass these tarns which are protected by a board walk. On this trip the ice was still covering the surface of the tarns  which made it a bit harder to capture below the surface but some juggling with a polarising filter managed to find some under water detail with out losing the texture of the ice.

These falls are just beside the access road to Turoa skifeild and the look out here is just 5 minutes walk from the car park. The difference for getting this shot was the recent snow fall creating a fresh dynamic rather than just the normal image made from here. Used the snow at the bottom to create a leading line or pointer to the falls. Seemed to work…

A late spring snow fall on the Ruahine ranges provided a contrast with the steep farm paddocks and a old farm shed in the foreground.Waited for the passing clouds to part and let some sunlight on the green hills and the shed to illuminate the landscape just perfectly. Pays to have patience.

The lone tree in a image is a thing so just adding a country version with a few sheep for good measure.

The boulders at Tongaporutu are very elusive and a bit dangerous to get to so wont say how to get to them. But they are really magical and as they are not well knowen makes them a bit mystical as they appear and dissapear with the shifting sands.

A panorama standing atop Red Crater at dawn with the moon still visable at the top left looking north towards Lake Taupo. The Emerald Lakes are seen bottom right with Blue Lake in the middle distance. If you enlarge the image by clicking on it you will see the area in more detail. It was a freezing morning that day with frozen fingers trying to set the camera up properly but wouldn’t have missed it for the world.

Some times when on a road trip you see stuff that you just have to stop. This is one of those times so couldn’t miss this opportunity to capture a rainbow in front of the Tararua wind farm. Just seemed apt really…

There is still something about a tree by itself in the landscape. Its it against the world attitudal type of message. 

This red sunset seemed to carry the idea off nicely leaving the tree as a sillouette.

The sunset over some freshly harvested feilds for silage beside the Ruahine Ranges. 

A dumping of late spring snow was a opportunity not to be missed for some contrasty images. This follows the classic composition style of s curves to draw the eye thru the frame towards the mountains in the back ground. Tongariro National Park just off the Desert road.

Another classic image with a single tree in the landscape withn fields around and a misty atmosphere running into the middle distance. These conditions do not last long so you have to be quick before the heat of the rising sun dissapates the mist.

The early mist rising over some steeper farmland with a contrasting black clouds in behind. Waited to get just the right light on the hills to add some drama to the image. Came out well i thought.