Brooklands Park

As shot from the camera, I loved the saturated colour I got during my visit to Brooklands Park in New Plymouth. The sun was hot and the grass dry in many places.

Brooklands itself is a suburb in New Plymouth. With a large area covered in the forested park (and a zoo), the area is (like many places in NZ) named from the old Brooklands Farm established in 1842. Its also home to the only Lawn Bowl’s Museum – anywhere apparently (I didn’t visit it 1. due to not knowing this until after, 2. It was easter, so unlikely it would have been open).

Shot on the GRD, resized in Gimp.

More New Plymouth area tomorrow.

April 4, 2013 0

Sloping Green

Moving a little South of yesterdays image, we are now in part of the active farm/livestock section of Cornwall Park/One Tree Hill. Way back in 1844 Thomas Henry of Ireland purchased the area to farm. It changed hands and management many times since then, even being used for growing potatoes during WW2 under a government emergency regulation.

Todays image ‘Sloping Green’ is one of such areas of active livestock today. At the time of visiting, home to a number of sheep having their early morning snack.

Shot on the Sony Nex 5N with 18-50mm lens and edited in Gimp.

March 27, 2013 2

Photosynthesis

In a meeting at work today we discussed the growing lack of vitamin D that is spreading around various cultures of the world. With things like skin cancer etc being well published and awareness’ raised, there is a growing population who are now not getting enough sun. In NZ/Australia, around 1/3 of the population are now lacking in ‘D’.

With that in mind, looking around the garden, todays talk reminded me of the whole photosynthesis process that occurs in plants, and the resulting consequence of lack of sun for many of these green leafed growths.

Shooting with the Ricoh GRD IV, with the sun approaching the ‘golden hour’, I switched to macro and got behing a little plant soaking up the last of the days sun. Resized in post processing, otherwise as is from camera.

March 22, 2013 0

Rain and Earthquakes

After what seemed like (and can’t be far off) all of 2013 to date being sun, and then drought, Auckland finally got its first reasonable drop of rain today. Unfortunately for the Volunteers at the Devonport Fire Station, it occurred on our open day – but all went well all the same.

Some of our other big cities in the country have a total outdoor water ban at the moment, so planning ahead, and doing my bit to conserve water, I laid out buckets in the ‘common drip areas’ around the property to collect the rainfall to use later in the week.

Just after the rain calmed, we were hit by a relatively rare, for Auckland, earthquake! a 4.0 on the scale and 5km deep, it was felt widely around the area, with mixed reactions from those I listened to calling in on the radio. One lady thought the washing machine was on, another thought the building was going to fall over…just image somewhere in the middle, lower it a bit, and you are about right.

Image wise for today – shot on the Nex with 210mm lens. Using Gimp I added contrast and resized.

March 17, 2013 6

Field of Long Grass

Another image shot from yesterdays walk. Not much word content to add today – but shot on the Ricoh GRD IV in cross-processed mode. In post I reduced and added rounded corner boarder.

Weekend time!

March 8, 2013 2

Logs sitting, waiting

Another hot day in Auckland. Out and about doing chores and similar, I have not yet had a chance to take any images today, so will post another from yesterdays visit to Long Bay.

Wandering through the park, there are a number of overflow car parks. At its peak in summer this year, Long Bay had about 25000 visitors (!) and a 2 hour car jam waiting to get in. Fridays visit, with schools and work back, was substantially less, and I wandered through the closed off car park with only the sound of the birds and wind through the tree. The ranger must have been chopping up a few trees recently, and I took a few shots of the pile of logs left. With a total fire ban at present due to dry conditions, these logs were unlikely to be used for a BBQ or similar any tie soon.

Shot on the GRD IV. Using Gimp I rounded the corners and resized. Otherwise as is from camera.

March 2, 2013 0

Friday! – time to explore the weekend

One from the archives today as I have a dinner to attend straight after work.

Friday. For many of us (and equally not for many) it marks the end of the working week. Time to kick off the shoes, relax, or perhaps explore new pleases and meet new people. Today’s shot gives me a sense of both. I don’t recall exactly where it was shot , but was shot again on the Nex with the 30mm Sigma lens. In post, I added a cross processed filter with aqua hue, some faint ‘digital grain’ and the old instant snap type boarder.

Not quite sure where the weekend is taking us this week, but I will just assume this image is a precursor and enjoy the end of the working week!

February 15, 2013 0

Construct Zone

I am generally one of those people who get a sense of relaxation and re-energizing from nature. Walking through the forest or bush, or along the beach the air feels cleaner, we have less (not none) forms of modern technology buzzing around us. Its a unloaded simpler feeling.

However, I also enjoy exploring ‘things in change’ – areas under construction (as well as areas returning to nature). Sundays walk took me to a new development area in Long Bay – the northern point of the North Shore. Here open fields and scrub has made way for carefully planned and measured sections for residential use. There is one road in/out with a monolith of a structure announcing you have entered this likely prestigious area. Today’s image was taken at the edge of this boundary, just before entering the area. For me, the title Construct Zone both signifies an area in change, literally being constructed, but also the mental symbolics of construct being the putting together of planning and theory to create a new suburb and the people within it.

Shot on the Sony Nex with the Sigma 30mm lens, I only slightly adjusted the levels before resizing to publish.

I’m also working my way through the 35mm film I took to the music festival yesterday. I initially thought I had a 24/27 shot film, but it must be a 36, so not too much longer until I can develop!

January 29, 2013 4

Immature chilis

With another week passing, here is another garden shot. According to the label when I purchased the saplings, I am in the process of growing red chilli’s (or chili depending on your areas spelling). Covered by my tomato plant (I tend to pack as many saplings into a small area as I can, then wonder how they will have room to grow later), I was not sure if they were going to take, but in the last 3-4 weeks the plants have shot up and started to amass a number of hopefully soon to be red chilli.

Shot in the Sony Nex with 30mm Sigma lens, I chose the image today for its simple relaxing green feeling.

We have a long weekend here in Auckland, with Monday being Auckland Anniversary Day. Although the weekend it starting to look busy, with a little luck I will try to get out and about and do some shooting.

January 25, 2013 0

Underleaf

A quick shot from the archives today, ‘Underleaf’

Being in a country full of green lush bushes and forests, a quick walk into this wilderness is always great after a hard day at work. Listening to the song of the native birds and breathing in the fresh breath of nature.

I have been a bit busy with bits and pieces today, with tomorrow looking similar again, but hopefully I will find some time to get out and take some shots!

Catch you tomorrow!

January 22, 2013 5