landscapes – Sandy's Views

Kiwi Greenery

June 27, 2018June 27, 2018Posted in New Zealand, photography, TravelTagged art, greens, landscapephotography, landscapes, photography, travel, travelphotography, wilderness1 Comment

A selection of New Zealand awesomeness, in predominantly green hues!

Mt Naki Rail Bridge — Taranaki Rail Bridge

Long Exposure stream — Long Exposure Stream

Doubtful Sound Waterfall — Doubtful Sound

Lake Manapouri Reflections — Lake Manapouri

Well mostly green.

Temporary Change Of Gear

October 21, 2017Posted in New Zealand, photography, TravelTagged landscapephotography, landscapes, mountains, nature, New Zealand, photography, reflection, road trip, sunset, travel, travelphotography, wilderness7 Comments

I decided to go light, I decided I was carrying around too much heavy expensive gear for someone who isn’t a professional Photographer. I wanted to try Digital Mirrorless Technology. I’m currently enjoying the light weight, little bit hipster, retro’ish Olympus OM-D E-M5 MkII which is a hell of a mouthful for a camera name. I only have one multi purpose lens on the front which is an Olympus 14-150mm. I have to admit I’m not totally in love with this camera. I’m not as happy with the image quality as I had hoped I would be and I find it a bit small in my hands. It’s pretty much lacking in every department for what I want to achieve photographically. But it is light. I’ll be going back to a bigger DSLR set up when I can afford it. That said, here is a selection of images I’ve taken in the last couple of months with the little Olympus.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA — Waikato somewhere, early.

I don’t think it’s just a case of a poor workman blaming his tools, maybe it is though. I still want to go back to a full size DSLR, or mirrorless. This nice little camera is just too little for me.

On The Road

May 5, 2017May 5, 2017Posted in New Zealand, photography, TravelTagged Driving, landscapephotography, landscapes, natural beauty, nature, New Zealand, photography, Roadtrip, sunrise, sunset, travel, travelphotography, wilderness3 Comments

I’m not even going to pad this out with words, well not many words. If you come here a bit you’ll know I spend a lot of time on the road. I’m lucky that I live in New Zealand which is the worlds greatest road trip. People travel from all over the world to see this stuff and I just have to leave the house. These images are some that I have captured since my previous Dolphins post, which was just over a month ago. As far as a travel experience goes, it’s truly epic out there in New Zealand. I almost couldn’t believe I’d covered this much territory in under a month. I should get out more…

Ratana Side — Ratana Church, Raetihi, Central Plateau

Ruapehu Reflection — Waitonga Falls Walkway, Mt Ruapehu, Central Plateau.

Ruapehu Sunrise — Sunrise near Raetihi, Mt Ruapehu, Central Plateau

Eglington Valley-3 — Eglignton Valley, Fiordland National Park

Portobello Sunset — Portobello, Otago Peninsula

Lake Benmore Blue — Lake Benmore, Mackenzie Country. Canterbury

Lake Benmore Road trip — Mackenzie Country, Canterbury

Pukaki shore road — Lake Pukaki and the Southern Alps, Mackenzie Country.

Te Anau Autumn Dawn — Te Anau, Southland

Nelson Marina-3 — Nelson Marina, Nelson.

Pelorus Sound light show — Pelorus Sound from Queen Charlotte Drive, Marlborough Sounds.

Island Bay Brew'd front on — The Pub in my local village. End of the trip. That’s not my car though.

So, where too next?

The Lonely Mountain

February 1, 2017February 14, 2017Posted in New Zealand, photography, TravelTagged awesome, landscape, landscapephotography, landscapes, mountains, New Zealand, photography, Roadtrip, Taranaki, travel, Vacation5 Comments

I was looking at my photography blog and realised I hadn’t put a post up for a while. I was also considering the rubbish weather we have had over the past few weeks. I seem to remember the sun coming out, and staying out all day one Saturday.

For no good reason I decided to create a new post about one of our most iconic mountains. I titled this ‘The Lonely Mountain’ because Mt Taranaki occupies a place all by itself, far from other mountains. There is a Maori legend you might like to look up about how Mt Taranaki got all the way over to where it is, so far from the other large Volcanoes in the North Island. Mt Taranaki is actually a live volcano but it’s last activity was in 1860. It’s a pleasingly symmetrical mountain.

lake-view-taranaki — A nice photo of some Geese and Ducks in Lake Mangamahoe, with extra Mountain for effect.

te-rewa-rewa-bridge-sunrise — The Te Rewa Rewa Bridge is quite famous for looking like a Whale’s skeleton or something.

taranaki-distance — On a clear night you can see for miles. About 200 kilometres in this instance as this image of Mt Taranaki was taken from the Central Plateau.

taranaki-road-trip-2 — Road trip, the road less travelled.

taranaki-from-himi-2 — Like the earlier photo of Mt Taranaki really far away, this is farther. About 230 kilometres from Himatangi Beach.

mt-naki-triumph-cheese — They don’t make that anymore.

mt-naki-derelict — Cardiff. True story, not the Welsh Cardiff though.

mt-taranaki-from-plateau — That’s also really far away. I just can’t remember where from.

mt-naki-african-tree — Looks like Kilimanjaro.

mt-naki-barn — I like a nice barn in my photos.

mt-naki-hydrandeas — Hydrangeas but not in anyones garden. Opunake side.

So there you go. Epic Symmetrical live volcano, all by itself in Taranaki. Mt ‘Naki, as I like to call it, which is probably frowned upon by those who value pronouncing things properly, is mostly covered in cloud, so this lot took a while to accumulate. The mountain actually makes it’s own clouds. You’ll see that happening while you are driving around looking for a good place to take it’s picture.

Before the sun comes up

December 2, 2016February 14, 2017Posted in New Zealand, photographyTagged beachlife, landscapes, natural beauty, nature, New Zealand, photography, seascape, sunrise, travel, travelphotography4 Comments

Once upon a time. I spent a lot of time out and about before and during the sunrise. I should do that more often.

epic — State Highway One in the Rangitikei, from Leedstown Road. Most people don’t know where that is.

Halcombe cows don’t care about the sun coming up.

stilts-at-dawn — Once again, Kawau Bay, different day. Place of contrasts and all that

red-sky — You know the phrase ‘red sky in the morning’? Well this is an epic warning.

The sunrise was so awesome, even the seagull stopped to watch

early-mist — Low fog, or mist, or whatever. Creeping over a farm fence. Manawatu.

Get up early. Sunrise is often way cooler than sunset.

Capital

October 26, 2016March 13, 2017Posted in New Zealand, photography, TravelTagged clouds, holiday, landscape, landscapes, New Zealand, photography, Seascapes, sky., Sunsets, travel, Vacation, Weather, Wellington3 Comments

I’ve lived in Wellington for about 6 months now, it’s not the first time I’ve lived here. Last time I lived in Wellington in 1990, was for about 6 months. That’s not to suggest it’s time to leave though. Not a bit of it. Not yet anyway. A selection of random shots from around Wellington, not so much in Wellington, as around it.

erskine-walls — Erskine College, Island Bay. Derelict old convent school, probably haunted.

island-bay-mountain-backdrop — Winter in Island Bay. I live in Island Bay so you may experience a bias in these photos

island-bay-sunset — Sunset in Island Bay, see? Bias.

island-bay — That Island is called Tapu te Tanga. It’s in Island Bay.

oruaiti-reserve — That’s the way in to Wellington Harbour. If you come by boat that is.

titahi-bay-surf-beach — Surfer dudes at Titahi Bay.

wellington-long-exposure — Wellington from Wrights Hill, long exposure to get that cool line of light thing on the motorway from the Hutt Valley.

houghton-bay — Oh look, it’s Island Bay again. Actually this is Houghton Bay, the next bay along.

epic-sunday — Cool clouds above Owhiro Bay. The Kaikoura Ranges in the distance, 200 kilometres distant.

pauatahanui — Pauatahanui, Porirua Harbour, Not many Paua in there though I reckon.

lighthouses — Pencarrow Lighthouses at the Wellington Harbour Entrance, for when one Lighthouse isn’t enough.

container-ship — Pilot boat escorting a container ship out of Wellington.

makara-sunset-cloud — Cool Sunset clouds above Makara, making the huge wind turbines look puny.

lowry-bay-boatshed-close-up — Boat shed thing in Lowry Bay. Hasn’t stored any boats for a while. Not sure what it’s for now.

chopper-dude — Chopper dude, Lyall Bay. Probably reading ‘Zen And The Art Of Bicycle Maintenance’.

lower-hutt-and-tararuas — Tararua Ranges above the Hutt Valley. Taken from Oriental Bay.

waves-1 — Those rocks are really big. This was the day after the ‘Great Storm’. I call all good storms, the ‘Great Storm’. It amuses me.

owhiro-bay-interislander — The Interislander ferry heading for the South Island. I take this boat every month. There and back, obviously. Otherwise I’d live in the South Island now.

kite-surfer-two — Kite Surfer in Lyall Bay. Good and windy.

Dolphins AIr NZ — Two things, Air New Zealand didn’t crash into the hill and the sea is full of Dolphins, Lyall Bay.

Colourful garages 1 — Colourful, in Lyall Bay.

Wave photo — He survived, so did his cell phone. He actually ran away. I also have a photo of that.

Sheds — I believe those shed are empty and the land soon to be used for something more modern. Flash apartments would be best. Wait and see.

Epic tube surf — OK, so this could be anywhere of course, but this cool surf shot was taken by me in Wellington. Houghton Bay to be precise.

Wrights Hill Awesome cloud — That’s a Nor’Wester blowing above Wrights Hill at Sunset. Windy Welly.

oriental-bay — Miramar Peninsula, in the mid-ground.

oriental-bay-sunday — Oriental Bay, people walk along the waterfront there, or run in colour co-ordinated lycra wearing headphones carrying an unnecessary water bottle.

hawkins-hill — The Road to nowhere, one of those ‘there and back’ sort of roads.

green-and-red — Like everyone, I love a brightly coloured boat shed

flowers-and-mountains — Spring, Princess Bay. Pretty.

boat-shed — Boat shed in Ivey Bay, Paremata. Actually many boat sheds. Just that one is more obvious.

wellington-cable-car — The Classic Cable Car shot, you can buy a postcard just like this one.

So there you go. There’s much more to Wellington of course. But I’ve had enough of thinking up things to write in captions now. You could always visit and see for your self.

Tourist

September 17, 2016February 14, 2017Posted in New Zealand, photography, TravelTagged birds, clouds, landscape, landscapes, mountains, New Zealand, photography, Roadtrip, scenery, sunset, travel, Vacation, wilderness2 Comments

I spent a couple of days in Queenstown, for work. Lucky me. Much of the trip was inside but I was able to get out for a wander about. Fortunately you don’t have to walk far in Queenstown and surrounds to see the awesomeness. Herewith, a couple of snaps while I had a moment to take them. This can be a travel blog thing. For people who like to travel and read about travelling. I think it qualifies as a travel blog because I took photos of a tourist destination.

The obligatory wing shot on the way into Queenstown.

remarkables — The mountain range is called ‘The Remarkables’. Can’t imagine why.

remarkable-lenticulars — Same mountains, different day. Those awesome clouds go by the name of ‘Lenticular’.

queenstown-sunset-tuesday — Sunset over Lake Wakatipu. Looking South if you are interested in that sort of thing

lake-whakatipu-1 — Same view, slightly different spot, different time of day.

forest-colours — On the hills above Arrowtown. I thought the colours and textures of the trees were cool enough to Photograph. It’s my camera, I get to choose that sort of thing.

falcon-one — That’s a New Zealand Falcon, not the Swamp Harrier. The Falcon is pretty rare and even harder to photograph. This was a good day.

Because who doesn’t like a photo of an old derelict cottage?

chinese-workers-cottage-2 — Chinese Gold Miners huts in Arrowtown. Small.

I liked the juxtaposition of Spring blossoms and snowy peaks. Arty and all that.

queenstown-tree — There’s a famous tree in Lake Wanaka which everyone with a camera feels compelled to photograph. This isn’t it. This is a small Willow tree beside Lake Wakatipu which I’ve decided can be ‘That Queenstown Tree’. It looks striking early in the morning with the sun on it. Which is superfluous explanation really.

Queenstown, probably New Zealand’s most famous tourist destination. It’s nice there.

New Gear

June 14, 2016February 14, 2017Posted in New Zealand, photography, Travel, UncategorizedTagged beachlife, birds, cityscape, landscapes, nature, New Zealand, ocean, photography, scenery, Seascapes, travel, Vacation, wildlife3 Comments

I’m going to try to create at least one blog post a month. I’ve been slack, well only in writing blog posts. I’ve been out and about an awful lot and taking a lot of photos. But have been neglecting this bit.

The big news is that I finally have my dream gear. Anyone who takes photography reasonably seriously will know that the right gear is important, they also like to have a lot of gear. The ability to ‘see’ a photograph is actually more important, all important. But you need the good gear to be as awesome as possible.

So camera gear is really important to keen Photographers. I actually don’t have much though. My thing as you should know by now is ‘minimum gear, maximum impact’. I still need a tripod. As an observation, the WordPress Blog Website sucks a bit of the awesomeness out of the shots, you really do need to click on each photo to see the best quality.

Back to the gear. My needs/wants were quite specific. I needed the ultimate multi-purpose but best quality lens for the landscape and shooting on the move stuff. I also wanted a good quality telephoto lens for wildlife and sports. Finally I really wanted a Full Frame camera. I now have all three. I should still get a tripod though, I have my eye on one. The details on the Camera and lenses if you are interested are:

Camera – Canon 6D

Telephoto Lens – Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6L IS USM

General Purpose lens – Canon EF 24-70mm f/4L IS

So…What can one do with the good gear? Let’s have a look.

Kaka colour — That’s a Kaka. A New Zealand Parrot. It’s a cool characterful bird less well known than our most famous Parrot, the Kea. But look at the clarity and colour.

Saint Gerards Monastery above Oriental Bay in Wellington. I don’t think there are any monks there anymore.

Ships bow — The Blue bow of a boat. The boat is a cafe, Wellington has a lot of cafe’s.

South Island dusk — Looking across the sea to the Kaikoura Ranges in the South Island from Island Bay in Wellington. About 230 kilometres away. You’re supposed to also notice the calm reflective rock pools in the foreground.

Jetty mirror — Derelict Piers at Miramar in Wellington. Mostly used by Seagulls.

Plateau Bend — State Highway One approaching Waiouru at 8:00am on a Sunday Morning. I was just passing through. That’s frost on the ground, not snow.

I don’t think the Railway Escarpment Nature Reserve is out there. I could be wrong. I might have been standing on it.

Ruapehu Mirror — Mt Ruapehu, reflected in a puddle to add a little something to a hard mountain to photograph.

That’s a Saddleback foraging, shot in quite dark woodland. fast moving bird, in the dark forest. Looks like daytime.

Titahi Bay bright Boat Sheds — I didn’t really want the pink polar fleece clad local in the shot, but it’s her shed. Boat Sheds at Titahi Bay.

City ship — Handheld shot of Wellington from the Interislander Ferry. Taken in the dark, without a tripod. Tripods are useless on the ferry.

Tory Channel fishing — You should have seen what happened about 5 minutes before I took this photo. Put it this way, this was almost a news story rather than a photograph.

Box Bridge — Bridge. That’s all you need.

That building on the left is a Cafe, in Nelson. This is Tahunanui.

Church — Early in Marlborough. There are 5 Alpaca’s just out of shot to the right. They are cute, they are not locals as a general rule so I excluded them as they made the simple photo require too much description. Alpaca’s would not have enhanced this photo.

City half light — Wellington waterfront. from the ferry. I like lights on the water.

High Tide — This is a boat called Click in Nelson. With snowy mountains over there.

Spoonbill wading — The Royal Spoonbill. You don’t see a lot of those about.

Wellington evening long exposure — This is from the top of my street at night. Well early evening to be precise. Had I mentioned I have moved to Wellington?

Heath Goal strike — Finally, I did mention sport, this is my nephew, scoring a goal for his soccer team.

I’m in love with my new camera gear. I still need a tripod though

Road Trip

February 14, 2016February 14, 2017Posted in New Zealand, photography, TravelTagged coast, landscape, landscapes, mountains, nature, New Zealand, ocean, photography, Roadtrip, scenery, travel, Vacation, wilderness2 Comments

My happy place is in my car, on the road. I love driving around New Zealand as often as possible. If things are a bit dull around the house, I’ll go for a drive. I don’t have to go far to see epic things as luck would have it because I live in New Zealand. Epic is just around the corner. Last week I went for a slightly longer drive. Down to Christchurch, over Arthurs Pass to Franz Josef, down to Lake Matheson, up to Westport and back to Picton via the Buller Gorge and the Marlborough Sounds. This was my delayed Christmas holiday. I took a few photos along the way.

Sinclair Heads from Cook Strait. That’s the last bit of the North Island you see as you cross to the South Island.

Seal pups misbehaving — Looks like someone’s in trouble. Seals in Kaikoura.

Arthurs Pass approach — The Road into Arthurs Pass.

Arthurs Pass barren — Arthurs Pass Highway. It’s a bit barren up there. A lot of tourists though. There are only 3 roads that cross the South Island. This is the middle one.

Arthurs clouds best — Awesome clouds above Arthurs Pass

Waimakariri River Arthurs Pass — The amazing Waimakariri River Valley at Arthurs Pass. Mid summer. Bit of rain must be due?

Glacial Water in the Whataroa River. It’s very cold.

Heron River Bank — That’s where the White Herons nest in New Zealand. Just there. Only that little bit of forest, nowhere else. It’s quite amazing really. When I say that bit of forest. Just that little bit there. That’s all of it, their entire nesting area.

Two Heron babies — Young pair of White Herons.

Lake Matheson purple — Lake Matheson in the pre dawn light. The clouds rolled in and covered up the mountains quite quickly. So you only get a shot in the dark on this particularly day.

Lake Matheson Reflection Island — Lake Matheson with Mt Cook visible in the gap in the clouds. Mt Cook is Aoraki, the cloud piercer. True story, see?

Moutain spotlight cool — Morning dawning near Fox Glacier

Moutain side sheep2 — In that gap in the mountains is Fox Glacier. There’s probably less of it than there used to be

Punakaiki One — Punakaiki Rocks. Like stacks of pancakes

Punakaiki Rocks North East2 — That’s the ‘West Coast’. Near Punakaiki Rocks. The entire West Coast of New Zealand is the West Coast, but this bit is called the West Coast.

West Coast Look North hill top — Looking north up the West Coast. It’s rugged and remote. I like it here.

Buller Gorge. You can probably fish in that.

Buller Gorge sun — The Buller Gorge. Better than the Manawatu Gorge if anyones asking.

This is Te Mahia Bay in the Marlborough Sounds. It’s nice here.

Tory Strait Exit — Crossing through the Tory Channel from Queen Charlotte Sound into Cook Strait.

So that’s just the top half of the South Island. I didn’t take any photos of the Kaikoura Coast on the way down apart from the seals as I have a load from the last time I was there and the sky was pretty gloomy on this trip. Bonus seals though.

Happy travels…Just watch out for tourists paying more attention to the scenery than the road.

Wellington Bays

December 20, 2015February 14, 2017Posted in New Zealand, photography, TravelTagged coast, landscapes, New Zealand, photography, road trip, seascape, seaside, travel, Wellington3 Comments

Well not all the bays, the bays out past the Airport. Wellington is the Capital City of New Zealand. It’s perched in a little bay with all the houses nestled into a load of hills behind it. Most people think it’s quite a pretty little city. I was visiting a friend but was early, so decided to take the scenic route round the Miramar Peninsula rather than simply drive across town. I’m pleased I did because look!