Mist and the early morning light add a touch of mystery to the hills and trees at the foot of Te Mata Peak. This image was selected by Flickr as one of the top 25 photos of 2020.
These trees at the base of Te Mata Peak were showing themselves off and on as the fog flowed though the Tukituki Valley. I was watching them for quite some time just after sunrise, waiting for the right light and fog coverage, when these birds came flying by. That was the right moment to press the shutter.
Two fishermen standing in Lake Tutira in the midst of early morning mist and autumn colour.
Silver Beech at the Cleddau River
The early morning sun lights up the trees along the Cleddau River, Milford Sound.
The Purakaunui Falls are a cascading multi-tiered waterfall in the Catlins at the bottom of the South Island. On the day I visited, the flow of the water created an interesting swirl at the bottom of the scene, adding something special to these iconic, frequently photographed waterfall.
Kareaara Stream Cascade, Tangoio Falls Reserve
The first part of the track towards the Te Ana Falls and the Tangoio Falls in nothern Hawke's Bay follows a stream that meanders through the native forest . In some areas, the stream makes its way through moss-covered rocks and boulders, creating beautiful cascades of water.
Te Mata Peak Sunburst Panorama
I forget how many times I have seen the sun rise from Te Mata Peak. It always feels good to have made the climb up and the view is usually majestic. And because it's Hawke's Bay the sun usually shows itself. This is one of the first photos I took with the Canon EOS R5, and I was (and still am!) very impressed with its dynamic range and the sharpness of the RF lens. And the resolution is great for supersize prints...
Two golden trees reflected in the calm water at the Pekapeka Wetlands. I took this photo of a couple of trees catching the first light of the day from the Pekapeka Wetlands boardwalk. It was a clear, cold winter’s morning and the frost in the hollow around the trees combined with the warm glow of the early sunlight adds a little extra to the mood. I like the natural symmetry of the scene, and I definitely broke the rule of thirds in this composition.
The layers of blue, white and green in this photo of morning fog in the Waikato always make me think of a national flag. A little research revealed that the national flag of Lesotho, a kingdom encircled by South Africa has such a flag. Also, someone suggested this as the new flag for New Zealand back in the days that we were debating replacing our current flag. The Blue represents the sky, the lakes and rivers, and the Pacific Ocean and Tasman Sea. White represents the long white cloud, the crests of waves and snow-capped mountain peaks. And Green represents the earth and the beautiful islands of New Zealand.
A long exposure of Herbertville beach at Cape Turnagain, taken just before the weather turned to custard on Queens Birthday Weekend. This beach has wide, reflective sand flats that are ideal to capture the tidal and wave movement.
Manaia Road Saddle and Lookout
I took this photo at the end of the blue hour while on a short trip to the west coast of the Coromandel. I particularly like the layers of rich colours that add something special to this otherwise classic composition with the lone tree in the foreground and the islands in the background.
Morning fog climbing up the Peak
The view from Te Mata Peak usually features the Tukituki river flowing towards the bay. On the day this photo was taken, the morning fog was obscuring the river. In fact, a few minutes before this photo was taken, even the peak wasn't visible.
Crater Rim towards Mt. Ngauruhoe
This photo was taken at the Red Crater and looks down on the rim of the South Crater featuring the prominent Mount Ngauruhoe. The tiny people in the foreground put the enormousness of the crater and Mount Doom into perspective.
The milky blue Hooker River winds itself down from Hooker Glacier which is one of several glaciers close to the slopes of Aoraki / Mount Cook in the Southern Alps of New Zealand. The milky blue water flowing from glacial melt is the result of finely ground rock called "rock flour" that pigments the water.
and a few sheep because we're in NZ
Hills above the early morning mist
Taken while I was out to take a sunrise photo of Te Mata Peak. I took a look behind me to check if I had put the car on the handbrake (because I forget such things when I am on a mission to take photos), and saw the mist climbing up the hills with the first bit a light on them. A great start to the morning.