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Welcome to my blog, here I will keep you up to date with my travels around New Zealand and show you my latest photos from this beautiful country. I'll also keep you informed of any news and events, just bookmark this site and visit regularly. Be the first to see my latest images by joining the mailing list, and also receive regular special offers from the shop. Just add your details below to join. We will never share your details with anyone, we hate junk mail too.
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20th May - Autumnal colours and exciting news!
I've been busy with the business side of things for the past few weeks, so have only been able to get out a couple of times with the camera - here's a selection of the best bits of autumn, the final flurry of bright colours before winter sends everything into hibernation. It is my pleasure to announce one very exciting bit of business news, we have just signed an exclusive deal with Eden Ripley, one of New Zealand's leading photo-block manufacturers. A wide range of my photos will soon be available in shops all around the country on the finest blocks around, the perfect gift for anyone who loves the great outdoors. Now on to my recent shots, I have been creeping up on various species in the local botanic gardens, including this monarch butterfly. I was glad to see that it chose the perfect place to settle, with great colours everywhere - the purple, orange and green produces a really interesting mix.
I have to admit to having a bit of an obsession with ducks, for some reason I could happily photograph them for hours on end. I think it must be something to do with their slightly comical nature, I just find them great to watch. Here I have used the reflection of a tree in full autumnal colour to give the water an orange glow. To get the colour this bright you also need to have good strong light, as I found on my first attempt on a cloudy day! I took this shot at about 4pm, just when the light really starts to boost the seasonal vibrance.
This female blackbird was foraging in a flower bed when I spotted her and crept closer - here she is just checking me out to see that I'm not a threat, before she gets back down to lunch. This time of year can be really good for getting close to birds like this, as they are often very busy stocking up on food for the winter. It also helps if they are used to people, and this individual was obviously not put off by me and my camera.
Last, but definitely not least, a wee fantail. These are such brilliant birds, they will fly in tight circles around your head sometimes to find out what's going on. The only problem is that they never, ever sit still, forever wagging their tail, bobbing about and cheeping in front of you. Here I've caught him resting for about half a second before darting off again. How I'd love to have their energy! POST BY ANDREW
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15th - 16th April - Arthur's Pass (no kea though!)
As some of you know, one of my favourite New Zealand species is the kea, I love their mischievous characters. Over the next few months I'm hoping to photograph them in all their glory, in deep snow high in the mountains like the ones above. Well, although I didn't actually find any of the cheeky parrots this time (and got rather soaked) I have found some excellent places where I can get the sort of images I want to capture. Fingers crossed for some birds next time! However, the lack of animal subjects didn't mean an end to all snapping, as autumn is in full swing and it would be a shame not to capture it. The subtle, subdued light really brings out the colours in the leaves, and I think the rain droplets actually add something.
A good bright colour for a dark and rainy day! It just shows that whatever the weather, there is always something to photograph.
Some of the mountain forests are simply stunning, the thick moss is such a brilliant colour. Here a wee mountain stream provides some movement, captured with a long shutter and a solid tripod (and half a pint of water in each of my boots).
I was looking to really highlight the bright autumnal colours, when I saw these leaves just a few feet away from the river contrasting with the rich green moss. I scattered a few onto one of the boulders in the river, set a long shutter and sat back - once again, the soft light has produced brilliantly vibrant greens.
POST BY ANDREW
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11th April: A few recent shots
Although I've not been on any big trips for a while, I've still been out snapping - here are a few shots taken from far-flung destinations such as my own back garden and Bank's peninsula, just half an hour away! Still, it just goes to show that you don't always have to go far for interesting wildlife - I found this praying mantis on my washing line. I love photographing quirky animals like this, they are always challenging subjects because they never seem to sit still! Using a little bit of flash I lit him from underneath, a shadow from my garage providing the dark background. Quite cute really, in a slightly ugly sort of way!
Now for one of my favourite birds - a kingfisher. I was busy crawling around on a beach, trying to get close to some spur-winged plovers (which is almost impossible it seems), when we saw not only one, two or three birds, but seven. A family day trip perhaps? Photographing them is a bit of a challenge though - I'm going to have to do some planning now that I've found a good site. Watch this space for some more in the coming months, hopefully complete with fishing shots!
Terns are great birds to photograph, their wings can look almost angelic sometimes. Using strong backlighting from late afternoon sun I've caught this one coming in to land and his mates clearly waiting for him to miss the perch and end up in the water...
One of my favourite images from last year's calendar is the 'angel wings' tern used for December. Whilst I love the soft green background of that shot, my ideal image would be a backlit version, showing the delicate feathers of these pure-white birds. It will be a work in progress no doubt, with my first aim being to ensure he doesn't look headless....watch this space! POST BY ANDREW
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18th - 19th March: Kaikoura again! Dusky dolphins I have fallen in love with Kaikoura, it is the best place I have seen for exciting marine wildlife! Whales, dolphins, albatrosses, seals, birds...the list goes on. I have been trying to photograph dolphins for a wee while now, they are not easy to get right because they're always moving and will always jump a couple of metres away from the spot you're watching! To get the best light for wildlife, you've got to be out early. Here's the view at half six in the morning, perfect dolphin watching conditions and worth getting up for every time!
Here's a bowriding dolphin showing a bit of motion - sometimes it's good to show how an animal moves, rather than always freezing the action. Just by slowing the shutter down and following the animal as it moves you can get some great images. This dolphin is breathing out as he surfaces, you can see a white streak of bubbles down his back. Also, if any of you are looking into buying yourself a camera, this shot proves that you don't need to spend thousands - I took this with my backup camera, a Nikon D70 with a cheap 'kit' lens - a very basic setup by today's standards!
No visit to Kaikoura is complete without fur seals, I just can't help myself. Some are really approachable, they must have seen enough camera-wielding tourists to know that we aren't dangerous, just a bit annoying sometimes. Still, once they've had enough of you they will let you know, then it's time to give them some peace. This one seems to be telling me to leave him alone the subtle way...
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13th February: Otago Peninsula Penguins! I have been looking forward to seeing penguins in the wild since I was about 4 years old, so you can imagine how excited I was to see this wee guy waddling out of the surf! To start my penguin watching with the world's rarest species is maybe not the easiest way to go about it, but the Yellow-eyed penguin is a great looking bird, just look at this one posing for me. I was lucky to have good weather too, I hear that Dunedin can be wild most of the time, living up to it's Edinburgh roots!
Most of the time a long lens is a blessing, enabling me to get frame-filling shots of wild animals, but I often forget to take photos showing the animal's habitat. Rather him than me though - the water was really cold and just look at the waves rolling in. The penguins are so well insulated in the water that they actually have to cool off after a swim by standing with their flippers out. The best way to see all the species here is by going on one of the organised tours, that way you won't disturb the animals and have the best chance of seeing everything you want to. Hopefully I'll be able to spend some more time with the penguins soon, watch this space for more shots.
Another inhabitant of the Otago Peninsula, the New Zealand fur seal. I have a bit of a soft spot for seals and sea lions, they really are the masters of relaxation, sleeping for hours on jagged rocks around the most rugged coastlines. When they're not sleeping, eating becomes a priority and this mother is calling out to her pup that dinner is ready. The mothers leave their pups on the rocks to go out and feed, then come back to suckle them. The males, in the meantime, feed themselves and of course, sleep.
Here's another stunning animal, the Southern Royal albatross. Otago Peninsula boasts the only mainland albatross colony in the world, and there really is no better way to appreciate these enormous birds than seeing them flying a few feet above your head. If you've ever looked at a gull on a beach and thought that it looks big, these birds make them look like sparrows. With a wingspan of over 3 metres, these truly are magnificent animals. The real pity is that today, out of the 21 species of albatross, 19 of them are endangered through human interference. Many of these, at the current rate of decline, will be gone forever in 10 years or maybe even sooner. Please visit www.savethealbatross.net to find out how you can help to reverse this decline. - - - - -
10th February: A couple of hours on New Brighton beach
Went to find spoonbills, found oystercatchers instead. Still, they look good in evening light! These two were quite happy probing about in the sand, as I crept closer they just kept feeding. Crawling on my belly over wet sand is not the most comfortable pastime, but very satisfying when I can get nice and close without disturbing the birds.
This oystercatcher was running away from some gulls that took an interest in his food, and they can get up to a good speed when they need to. Keeping him in focus was a bit challenging, especially without filling my lens with wet sand as I tracked him. I love to take photos showing animals doing something, such as eating, calling or in this case going for a quick jog along the beach.
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Text and images © Andrew Walmsley 2008
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