Mitch and I had seen a picture of the inside of a canyon, with icy water flowing through moss covered walls.
We decided it was now on our ‘trip list’ for our New Zealand adventure. We spent a few days staying in Makarora, allowing us to explore further in and around Haast Pass.
We did manage to find the entrance to the canyon - a bit tricky! Nothing prepared us for icy cold water that flooded into our gumboots as we made our way in!
A bit of a surreal experience for me!
But loved every moment.
The session made even more memorable by the delicious home made Toasted Rueben sandwiches we had for dinner that night!!!!
The last stop on our recent Photography Road Trip was the Blue Mountains.
A couple of foggy sunrises at The Three Sisters, catching up with my 3 granddaughters, and a session at The Cascades. 😍
From a 9km Grade 4 hike with my son Mitch.
A great challenge for myself and thoroughly enjoyable ... stunning scenery, excellent waterfalls, magnificent cliff overhangs and small caves all encased in rainforest! 😍
A misty morning in the beautiful Fiordland of New Zealand's South Island.
Although I really love the composition in this image, the way the overhanging branch and the log in the water combine to frame the image, it’s the memories that it invokes that really gets me.
Take during a 2 week Photography Road Trip, in the south of New Zealands wondrous South Island, with my son Mitch.
2 weeks dedicated to Sunrises, Sunsets, Astro, Driving, Music, great Conversation and great Coffee … even if we had to detour an hour or so to get some! 😆
The serenely beautiful Lake Matheson, with stunning views towards Aoraki/Mount Cook and Mount Tasman .
My son Mitch and I woke two hours before dawn to hike in and capture some astrophotography here, and then were fortunate enough to witness a stunning sunrise as well!
From another classic sunrise last week. 😍🌅
This shot was taken about 10mins before the “official” first light.
I was just about to start the walk up to the headland to shoot the sunrise, when I noticed the slightest of reflected colour in the river.
I quickly set up my gear, and took a shot that lasted 8 seconds … it was so dark!
However, I was confident that the sensor in my camera, coupled with shooting in RAW format (not JPEG), would capture enough detail to hopefully tease out a reasonable image later. 🙏
This is the result !
This one is a bit special …
When I started working in IT for BHP back in the early 80's, it was all a bit surreal … no a LOT surreal!
I had no idea what Computers did/could do, and let's just say the "process's" around doing our work were a little "immature" . At high school, I had heard that "IT" was the Next Big Thing - good money and job security. I definitely wanted some of that!
Anyway, during the early years at BHP there were a lot of "cowboys" that did whatever they wanted or thought should be done, without much thought for others or quality. However , there were a few older guys ( nearly 40!) that had more regard for quality, both in work and relationships. Dennis was one of these guys.
Sadly, he passed away in October. His son Graham came to work with us as well - one of the very genuine "nice guys".
Anyway, Graham asked me if I was interested in shooting an image for his family that they could print, and donate to the hospital here in Berry where his Dad had been nursed. I felt privileged to be asked. Graham provided some background, and mentioned a spot on the Shoalhaven River where, as kids, they have often gathered as family.
This is the spot … very peaceful … very welcoming.
Vale Denis.
This image is from a camping trip down the coast earlier this year, to one of my favourite camp grounds Mystery Bay. The camp ground is beautiful, nestled in amongst tall spotted gums and banksia trees, and adjacent to both the main beach and Billys Beach. It's bush camping, so limited facilities, but a great camping site! I'd gone there to mainly shoot in and around the beach.
This afternoon I was driving back from hunting down a coffee, and noticed a storm rolling in to the west so went searching for a side road to find a clear area to shoot. My luck was in! I didn't know this lake was nearby the camp! My Tip? Be prepared to explore your location when out shooting ... you never know what might be just around the corner or over the road! :)
The sky was on fire that night.
My first trip to this jetty … just a stunning sunset!
Had been ages since I'd paid a visit to this Rainforest - with a bit of encouragement from my son Mitch we spent the afternoon there - some quality father/son time .... thanks Mitch!
One of the most spectacular waterfalls in Australia, the Fitzroy Falls in the beautiful Morton National Park plunges dramatically into the untouched valley 81m below. This breathtaking location provides views from escarpment lookouts. Explore winding forest trails dotted with wildflowers, and spot rare native birds and wildlife!
A lot of rain recently. A great time to re-visit the waterfalls from my old stomping grounds.
Fitzroy Falls was putting on a show, while Belmore was engulfed in dense fog.
I couldn’t see more than a couple of metres in front of me, let alone across the gorge to the falls.
So I waited … and waited. After about 30 minutes, I could hear the leaves above moving, and then felt a slight breeze coming from the right.
Another 5 minutes and for a couple of minutes, Belmore Falls was revealed.