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Reflection of last season

I guess that I am very, very lucky that I can enjoy a combination of living on the doorsteps of Fiordland and travelling with our clients all over the country.

While tourguiding I still have some time (although limited) to enjoy the scenery and if the light is favourable I can take some photographs. Even though I have seen some places dozens of times it is never boring, actually it is a great way to get to know my prospective photo subject. In places such as Milford Sound I enjoy the challenge to create a picture from a different angle than other photographers do. And the mood & atmosphere - you can never go by basic photo rules - just forget them! I can take a great picture in the middle of the day in the full sharp sunlight - a cloud formation caught at the right moment or I take advantage of a spot in the shade.

Sunset over Milford Sound & the last sunbeam, Fiordland, New ZealandSunset over Milford Sound & the last sunbeam, Fiordland, New Zealand

All my trips are for any other primary reason than to take a photo - tourguiding, as a volunteer checking traps, tramping, kayaking, riding bike, watching birdlife. However I have a camera all the time with me if possible. Sometimes I do not use it for the whole day, on the other hand in some places I wish I could have at least an hour to enjoy taking photos.

Sunset over Mason Bay, Stewart Island, New ZealandSunset over Mason Bay, Stewart Island, New Zealand - Evening view of Mason Bay from Big Sandhill. Under the hill is an homestead where used to live farmers of Island Hill Run - a farm with up to 1600 sheep...

While I am at home in Te Anau, it is a bit of a different story - many basic photo spots I know and go out for a walk just to try to take a new picture - the challenge to capture a better one, to discover a different angle, light, mood, atmosphere. It is all about observation, just lately I drove the car and spotted within a well known view an unusual angle - stopped, reversed back and observed it again finding a space for new composition. So next time I might try this one.

And I have to thank my partner, she is very patient, to be with a photo geek requires lots of patience - having to wait for me on the roadside, etc. :-)

Evening twilight over Lake Te Anau and Mt Titiroa, New ZealandEvening twilight over Lake Te Anau and Mt Titiroa, New Zealand - Evening twilight was very pleasant gap in otherwise unsettled weather. The hydroplane belongs to Wings and Water - they provide scenic flights over fiords and mountains of Fiordland - www.wingsandwater.co.nz

To mention my gear - after many troubles with my Sony A55 (I have had a very bad experience with the New Zealand dealership of Sony and a long saga to fix my camera which they have never repaired properly - finally now it is 90% efficient. It is a story deserving of it’s own article!) I bought the Sony A99, as I already had Sony lenses it was hard to change. Actually the A99 is an amazing camera, I love some features I could not get from Nikon or Canon anyway, so it appears in the end it was a good decision.

I hope you enjoy the photos I have posted on the website or more lately on Facebook. While touring with clients I can see how much some travellers miss, so maybe some of my photos can be an inspiration to discover beautiful New Zealand.

Hobbiton,  Alexander farm, New ZealandHobbiton, Alexander farm, New Zealand - Hobbiton is one of the places in The Shire where the Hobbits live in both The Lord of the Rings trilogy and The Hobbit.
Nowadays tourists can experience the real Middle-earth with a visit to the Hobbiton Movie Set.

Most of you will probably be up with current affairs and know about proposals to build a tunnel (which was overturned) or a monorail in the World Heritage Area. These plans should never be allowed, however there is far more to fight for. Government budget to protect nature is diminishing and on the contrary the current leading party does not care about our environment very much. New Zealand is getting to be more and more polluted, some statistics are very alarming. I don’t understand why New Zealand does not learn from mistakes made abroad. European governments pay huge amounts of money to clean their rivers, however New Zealand’s weak rules allows pollution of our waterways which is ever increasing.

Finally I hope the photos will continue to be inspiring for you and that there will still remain well into the future enough unspoiled places for a nice scenic photo.

Thanks,

Martin

TSS Earnslaw steamer and Tooth Peak, Glenorchy, New ZealandTSS Earnslaw steamer and Tooth Peak, Glenorchy, New Zealand - TSS Earnslaw steamer with Tooth Peak behind (2061m).
Special HIGH COUNTRY STATION CRUISE (organised by Real Journeys on 21/10/2012) traced the historical freight and mail routes followed by the TSS Earnslaw, passing sheep stations - Walter Peak, Mount Nicholas, Elfin Bay, Greenstone plus the small settlement of Kinloch.