inspired photography with just enough perspective
The colors on New Zealand’s south island were in full array last week, and none more than Arrowtown. Located in a valley it was surrounded by an explosion of colors on all sides. Here we walked through a park at the end of the day looking for compositions. We didn’t have to look too far. 😉
This is the view of the Remarkables from Deer Park Heights which is one of the mountains above Queenstown. At that early hour the pond was as a mirror and the landscape provided amazement in all directions. After I composed this shot I walked along some hills overlooking the town. As I returned from my walk the ground thundered below me and as I turned around a muscular ram stampeded past me no more than ten feet away. My guess is he was spooked and just happened to be running by, but it got my heart going nonetheless.
I guess you can call this an infinity lake because it just kind of disappears into the horizon. It’s high up on a mountain and as we flew straight through the rock walls the water fell of a cliff into a waterfall. I took this while leaning outside of a helicopter since we took the doors off for this trip. I was intrigued by how the early morning light played on the rock walls ahead. Talk about a morning cup of Joe.
I shot this last month when we visited Epcot center and decided to take our time walking out of the park. That way I could capture a few shots of the architecture without the crowds like this in the Italian pavilion. I thought I was being pretty smart but have since learned that if you stay in one of the Disney resorts there is a package that entitles you to after hour access to the park. That sounds like a lot of fun, especially not worrying about being hurried out by a security guard. Might have to try that one day.
Last night we had an overnight layover in San Francisco on our way back from New Zealand. So being fairly jet lagged we did the only sensible thing, rent a car and go driving up the coast. That was a lot of fun but towards the end we got pretty tired and hungry and so headed for Fishermen’s Wharf. I figured I’d take the last exit before the bridge but as luck would have it the exit was closed and we crossed into Marine County. So in effect this wasn’t planned, it just kind of worked out that way.
Imagine, if you will, walking along a misty frozen swamp just after sunrise, surrounded by snow capped peaks. Occasionally the silence is broken by the call of black swans as the establish they’re presence in the valley. This is not a fiction of my imagination, this is the scene at Glenorchy this morning. As I was immersed in this magical landscape I couldn’t help but wonder how such a place could exist in our modern world. But it does, right here on the southern island of New Zealand.
There is a park in Queenstown that seems to radiate with the morning light. And so it was this morning as twenty photographers gathered to capture the rare light of dawn. I captured this bridge just as the sun rose and we found ourselves in the midst of an overwhelming choice of compositions. This was one of many, but one I’ll not soon forget.
This morning I got up for sunrise and man was I glad I did. The sky this morning in Queenstown New Zealand was epic. It’s going to take a while to processes all of this, photographically and emotionally. I suppose there a bit of luck involved, but since I’ve been here the compositions presented are endless, and the magic is palpable. The south island in New Zealand is one of the best kept secrets on the planet, either that or I don’t get out enough, probably a bit of both. Nevertheless I’m glad I’m here now and have this opportunity to capture a little of the magic to bring home.
Last summer I was along a highway in Alberta Canada and this was the view at every turn. If I had stopped at every photo opportunity I’d still be there now, and maybe that’s not such a bad idea. But anyway, right now I’m on my way to New Zealand where I get to see mountains again and so I thought I post this to get me in the right frame of mind. Have a wonderful weekend everyone.
Keep mountains in your home with a framed print of this image
If ever there was an easy/fun assignment for a photographer, it’s Epcot Center in Orlando Florida. You can simply walk around the pavilions and bring home shots from around the world. Here I was standing at the entrance to the Moroccan restaurant after dinner as I captured the activity behind the bar. The employees of Epcot are called cast members, they dress in wardrobe and take on roles of the culture they represent, which isn’t too much of a stretch since they are required to be from each country. So why hire models and dress them up in wardrobe when you can simply pay the price of admission and have more models than you could ever photograph in a day? That was a rhetorical question, no need to answer.