In the company of mountains… a westerly storm from the Tasman Sea slams into the Southern Alps of New Zealand. The view is looking towards the head of Lake Tekapo at Mount Mistake and the Godley River valley.
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Archive for Mackenzie Country
Drought
In the company of mountains… the drought continues with small tarns throughout the Lake Tekapo region yielding their last drops of water to the skies. Still, the clockwork cycle of the seasons ensures eternal ebb and flow prevails and the rain will return.
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Balmoral Light
In the company of mountains… from our temporary shearers cottage home on Balmoral Station the play of light in the landscape is inspiring. Early morning mist, the contours of the land and the first rays of sunlight create the time for us to just stop and contemplate.
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Lake Tekapo
In the company of mountains… dramatic lighting and composition created by the cloud of a westerly front as it sweeps across Lake Tekapo in New Zealand.
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Light of the Storm
My place, my inspiration… yet again the storm and the light create compositions that leave me in awe. This is just one of many images on my manic journey along the Braemar road towards Lake Pukaki. The wind makes considered compositions impossible, everything in this place is fleeting.
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Wairepo Arm Autumn
My place, my inspiration… and the change of colour at the Wairepo Arm near Twizel is a sign of scarcely any colour to come.
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Chasing the Light
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My place, my inspiration… and an exercise in futility… chasing the light that sweeps across the Mackenzie Country.
Best tactics… ambush, lie in wait, bushwhack or pounce on!
Land of Light
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On my way… from a high point on the Grampian Range the light sweeps across the Mackenzie Country.
Motuariki Island – Lake Tekapo
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On my way… and traveling home to Lake Tekapo the sky revealed signs of an approaching storm. The light and the weather were in tandem, I had to get to higher ground to
capture the magic.
At 1,000m above sea level the top of Mount John beside Lake Tekapo offers superb 360 degree views of the Mackenzie Basin with countless photographic opportunities.
I was in luck, the light and weather put on quite a show but, the price to pay was to endure a howling wind that sent a chill to the bone. No time to race back to the truck for gloves, compositions were changing by the second.
I have never felt such cold hands… not even as a milk boy on an endless frosty morning. At the worst possible moment the auto focus gave up, until realising I was pushing down on the camera body and not the shutter release. I had lost all sense of touch in my fingers and began to empathise with mountain climbers who’s constant enemy is frost bite.
The show was over. I made my way back to the truck feeling happy with the shoot and looking forward to seeing the results… then my numb fingers began to warm up with a sort of tingling sensation… well that was fun!
Westerly Light
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On my way… and traveling home from Lake Wanaka to Lake Tekapo the sky to the west was showing signs of dramatic evening light.
A quick detour around Mount John to higher ground and I had reached a tussock clad hill to watch the show unfold.
The colours and shifting cloud formations were breathtaking. I was constantly twisting, turning and looking up, searching for compositions that would appear and disappear in a heartbeat.
The sound of the wild westerly wind only added to the drama, almost rendering a tripod useless.
The evening left me in awe of the landscape.
TIP: Don’t leave any expensive camera gear by a tussock unmarked… especially in fading light!
In my rush to change lenses and trying to capture everything before me I put the spare lens on the ground unmarked…duh!
When the show was over I realised I had about 15 minutes of light left to find a NZ$3,000 lens in a mass of countless tussock.
Calm prevailed as I took some known bearings… but it was close, you’d think I had lost a child the way I hugged that lens when I found it!