Ricoh GRD IV
Muriwai Looking North
Shot from the southernmost cliff of Muriwai Beach, todays image sees us looking to the North. With over 50km (>30Miles) of uninterrupted beach, it disappears from sight as the camera focuses up into the mist of sea spray.
As with many beaches on the west coast around Auckland, Muriwai is a black sand beach – given the name simply for the larger traces of volcanic iron sand in the area. I recall as a child (and every summer see many more kids and adults) running as fast as I could in bare feet, but never quite making the water before grimacing in pain at the amazing heat retention of that sand. On a really hot day, the black sand really is quite horrific for softer soled feet!
Moving inland, beyond the beach are the sand dunes. Fenced off around the popular car park areas, there is an ongoing effort to assist flora to grow and demote the ongoing erosion of the coastal dunes. High volumes of visitors, particularly in summer have a lot to answer for in respect to damaging dunes by not keeping to the recommended paths.
As with all of this Muriwai series, shot on the Sony Nex.
Another Tomorrow!
Autumn Between the Shadows
A shot from above.
Looking down I snapped the autumn tree, its colours beaming out from both the shadows and grey city surrounding.
Shot on the Nex 5N with the 55-210mm lens. In Gimp I desaturated the blue tones, giving the city buildings the mono tone.
More shots from above tomorrow.
Trees of the Park
Just let there be a forest and there is sure to be a forest spirit
(Russian proverb)
Low in the Low Sun
An amazing weekend of weather after a week of storms. Down at grass level with the Ricoh GRD IV, shooting in bleach bipass mode.
New Zealands Milford Sound
One more from my photo trip down memory lane of the South Island holiday. I mentioned yesterday about the amazing enormity of the mountains. Often rising up above the flat land, it confronts you face on.
Todays shot, taken in Milford Sound is another location when you can get up close to this once glacier formed landscape. Sitting on the flat ocean, looking up, the ranges almost disappear from sight.
Currently Milford Sound is part of a controversial debate whether to bipass the traditional road track (up to a 12 hour return journey from Queenstown) down to a two hour one way by train. This will however mean cutting into our national park – protected land. Some of the tourist stop towns may loose out, and some of the more quiet and beautiful places, Glenorchy, may become a busy traffic bipass. No argument the bus journey is a long one, but its also a beautiful one, and critical to some of the small stops. Then again, in this changing climate of tourism, many of those who travel to New Zealand to see the sights dont always want to bother about the small bits, and generally under estimate the real time it can take to take in our little country.
Shot on the Ricoh GRD IV, resized and bordered in Gimp
Mountains beyond the Grass
Looking over one of the blogs I regularly follow, I was inspired to have a look back, and reflect on my trip to the South Island in December 2011. My second time travelling from New Zealands North Island to the South Island, I cannot express how beautiful parts of our wonderful little country are.
Todays image was shot somewhere in the region of the Routeburn track (a stunning 32km track down the bottom part of the South). What takes ones breath away when down near the Souther Alps is the shear size and enormity of this great mountain range. Its something that simply must be on your travel list if you come down to New Zealand.
Shot on the Ricoh GRD IV, resized and bordered in Gimp.
Garden Colours
Another shot from the Olympus E500 showing off its colour palette.
Scaled and profile bordered in Gimp.
Urban Stormwater
A quick wander around yet another new suburban area in Albany on Aucklands North Shore brought me to an urban stormwater treatment pond. Stormwater, around the world, in ever increasing concrete jungles is a huge polluter to rivers, streams and beaches. Travelling around different areas of Auckland (and I am sure elsewhere), we have seen an increase in these treatment ponds around built up suburban areas. Designed to remove sediments and contaminants, as well as offering flood protection, the resulting outpour of water is much fresher and healthier for local wildlife. Perhaps not from the perspective in todays shot, they can also add a nice green/lake visual environment around the suburban area (whilst still being off limits to people of course).
Shot on the Ricoh GRD IV, switching back to bleach bipass setting. Slightly cropped in Gimp.
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