Above the Fog

There are mornings in the hills when the familiar world below completely disappears. As the valleys fill with a dense ceiling of cloud, the higher ridgelines emerge like isolated islands, turning the landscape into something vast, quiet, and strangely weightless. These images were shot from well above the weather, at an elevation where the fog and mist have transformed the land on a massive scale, proving that a simple change in perspective can alter everything.

Ethereal Valley | Hawke's Bay

Golden Mist in the Tukituki Valley | Hawke's Bay

Land against Fog | Hawke's Bay

Most mornings the fog is gone before most people are awake. These images were made in the hour before that — when the valleys were still full and the light was just arriving. Te Mata Peak is fifteen minutes from my front door. I've made that drive more times than I can count.

Light up the Peak | Hawke's Bay

Early Gift | Havelock North, Hawke's Bay

Whatawhata Morning Fog | Waikato

Fog inversion is a specific thing. It needs cold air settling overnight, still conditions, and enough moisture in the valley. When it works, the landscape you thought you knew disappears entirely. Like discovering a new world.

Ethereal Cadence | Tukituki Valley, Hawke's Bay

Trees on the Edge | Hawke's Bay

Nature's Autumn Palette | Arrowtown, Otago

The forecast is not always reliable for this. You go anyway, because the mornings you stay home are the ones you regret. Sometimes you get nothing. Sometimes you get everything. The hills don't negotiate.

Mist over the Routeburn River | Mount Aspiring National Park

The Hills’ Little Guardians | Hawke's Bay

Hues of Surprise | Te Mata Peak, Hawke's Bay


Connected Perspectives

BY LOCATION

Explore the regional geography and specific local horizons that provided the canvas for these works:

BY NARRATIVE

Read the stories into the 'why' behind the work — the method, personal reflections and the journey:


Bring the Stillness Home

Selected images from this collection are available as archival fine art prints. If one of these images has stayed with you, it can stay with you properly.

Continue the Journey

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