Maukatia (Maori Bay)

Todays shot is of the southern side of Maori Bay (more properly titled Maukatia). Shot from the souther hilltop of Muriwai, Maori Bay is a popular stop for surfers, offering nice waves and little of the swimming crowds that places like Piha (another west coast beach) offer.

I tried to look into the history behind Maukatia/Maori Bay and its name change, but didnt really find much. For those of you reading from overseas, you may have noticed from time to time I discuss New Zealand and its dual names of places – owing to the fact we have three official languages (Maori, English and Sign). I found record of some treaty settlements in recent history that rename Maori Bay back to its likely original name of Maukatia. Im not sure on the definition/translation of Maukatia. My usual dictionary does not list it. I can only assume it was called Maori bay from some observation of locals way back in the past?

With the car park high above the beach, surfers and visitors alike get some amazing views out to sea. Visit at low tide and you can also explore the natural tunnel on the northern end of the beach.

So thats Maikatia/Maori Bay. Some more from the Muriwai area tomorrow.

August 6, 2013 2

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!

August 5, 2013 0

The Polarizer

With the poor weather of late, and a bit on my plate work wise, its been hard getting out to take many images. What I did work on however was a bit of a filter project for my Ricoh GRD. Ive written about the full control one can get using the great little Ricoh, but one limiter it, and 99% of all compact cameras has is the lack of a filter mount. One can buy an attachment tube where you can put filters on, but ultimately you end up with something the size of a small DSLR. Once that size, I’d just as soon use my Nex with a larger sensor.

So, after hunting around and finding no retail option, I went about making my own converting ring. Buying a 25mm-46mm step up ring, I removed the 46mm thread and attached via foam tape the new adaptor to my GRD. Most of my filters are 49mm, so I got a 46-49mm adaptor and viola, a sub $10 filter adaptor on my compact camera – yet still compact ‘enough’

As above, the weather has been poor when I have been free, but after a week of waiting, I set out determined to test the filter adaptor on the Ricoh. To see the obvious difference, and something you simply cannot replicate in post editing, I attached my polarising filter – a great addition to ones camera filter kit (and one I should use more).

As in todays image, you can see the difference a polarising filter makes on a camera – identical aperture and exposure time – filter just rotated to reduce reflection and darken the sky.

Images straight from camera (obviously two edited into one)

July 24, 2013 0

View from Herald Island

During a work stop in Auckland West, I made a quick stop in at one of the unique little communities, Herald Island. A small little community, Herald Island was joined to Auckland’s West with a causeway built in 1958.

With a small number of streets you could likely count with your fingers, it has a real sense of a small community. At the opposite end of the island from the causeway, we see the main wharf/boat jetty area. Greeted by a friendly ‘sea cat’ (just a normal cat that wandered the wharf), I took todays shot of the boats and across to Greenhithe on the North Shore.

In post using Gimp, I switched to B&W and adjusted levels a little as well as cropping the aspect.

July 13, 2013 0

Last Hour of Light

“Dusk is just an illusion because the sun is either above the horizon or below it. And that means that day and night are linked in a way that few things are there cannot be one without the other yet they cannot exist at the same time. How would it feel I remember wondering to be always together yet forever apart?”
― Nicholas Sparks, The Notebook

July 9, 2013 2

Sleepwalking to the River

Pentax MG on Fomapan 100

July 2, 2013 2

Up the Harbour

Out for a stroll we ventured to the Beach Haven Wharf. Looking North West’ish has us looking up to the end of the Waitemata Harbour.

Long been used as the areas main anchorage point (pre european), the harbour is sheltered from the ocean by Rangitoto Island and other small surrounding islands. The modern translation of Waitemata is ‘Sparking Waters’.

Shot on the Sony Nex with pancake 16mm

June 30, 2013 0

Ends of Land

Shot in New Zealands Coromandel.

Unknown camera.

June 28, 2013 2

Towards the Journey

“Not all those who wander are lost.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring

Been a busy week with little time to write. Almost the weekend though, so hopefully I will find some time then!

June 20, 2013 0

Racing for the Sun

The sunset this evening was one of the more amazing of recent. Unfortunately I was stuck in traffic for the best of it. Racing (or driving as prompt as possible) once out of the traffic, finding a park and jogging down the track to an open area, I missed all but the last of the sun as it dropped into the horizon. With tide out and still, I did manage to catch it reflecting the last of the days sun as it slowly curved down and away out to sea.

Shot on the Ricoh GRD IV and resized in Gimp.

May 15, 2013 0