HAMILTON GARDENS NZ – 2014 INTERNATIONAL GARDEN OF THE YEAR

Indian Char Bagh Garden

The celebrated Hamilton Gardens in Hamilton New Zealand have been internationally recognised and named International Garden of the Year at the 2014 Garden Tourism Awards in Metz, France.  Read more at www.hamiltongardens.co.nz/

Te Parapara Garden

Japanese Garden of Contemplation

The site, which was originally a rubbish dump and sand quarry, has been transformed into a series of magnificent themed gardens over the last four decades and have become an outstanding tourist attraction for Hamilton. 

Chinese Scholars Garden

Gallery 21 photographers have long recognised the great asset Hamilton Gardens have become and have enjoyed capturing their beauty over many years. We are happy to share some of these images with you.

Italian Renaissance Garden

  

 

THE MAGNIFICENT WILD CATLINS, NEW ZEALAND

Nugget Point Lighthouse - Catlins

A recent visit to The Catlins region in the south east of the South Island of New Zealand was an unforgettable experience. It offered the perfect combination of rare wildlife, stunning scenery and wild unspoilt landscapes – a real treat for photographers.

Yellow eyed penguin

Two of the many highlights was being able to get up close and personal with rare Hooker Sea Lions and Yellow Eyed Penguins.    Even more special was being able to view and photograph these magnificent creatures in their natural wild environments.

Hooker Sea Lion

   
Using a telephoto lens is the only way to take this type of photograph. There were plenty of warnings not to get too close for personal safety and for protection of the wildlife. The telephoto made it easy to capture some memorable images at a safe distance.




 

PHOTOGRAPHING SUBJECTS FROM DIFFERENT ANGLES

Posted by Judy@Gallery21

In photography it is important to look at your subject from a variety of different angles.   Don’t be in too much of a hurry to snap your subject.  The first view you have of the subject often isn’t the best view.

Taking time to walk around the subject initially before ever using the camera is a good place to start.   This provides many completely different views of the subject allowing it to be photographed from the most suitable angle/s.   Only the photographer can decide what is a good or bad angle.  Things that can impact on this include light, distracting backgrounds, colours, architectural features, people, animals, vehicles etc.

I have used a photo essay style to portray my blog subject, which is the magnificent Dunedin Railway Station in the South Island of New Zealand.  I have added interest to my photo essay by also including some relevant facts about this building.

The view of the station from “front on” was definitely not the most attractive one on this occasion, as there were road works and signs in the foreground.  I immediately discarded this angle as being unsuitable and moved on to find a couple of side view shots for a better angle.  



 
Other angles I have included are of the station platform with people and the Dunedin sign to add interest and a platform scene with a train. To provide more information on the magnificent detail of this station, I have also included a shot taken inside the booking hall.

Opened in 1906, the station has in recent years been fully restored to its former glory. The ornate Flemish Renaissance-style architecture features white Oamaru limestone facings on black basalt rock.  The booking hall features a mosaic floor of almost 750,000 tiles of Royal Doulton porcelain.  The one kilometre main platform is the country’s longest.

 

IDENTIFYING SUITABLE PHOTOGRAPHIC SUBJECTS

Posted by Judy@Gallery21

 Sawmilling of native timber was the lifeblood of many townships in the King Country district in the central north island of New Zealand.  Waimiha was one of those small towns.   

 


Sawmilling ceased there in the 1980s, and rusty machinery, vehicles and dilapidated buildings are all that remain as reminders of those glory days.

Photography is all about identifying suitable subjects.  Rusty old machinery and old buildings make ideal subjects for HDR (high dynamic range) which is a set of techniques that allows a greater dynamic range between the lightest and darkest areas.    

  
Although the conditions were not the most favourable (slightly overcast), we were pleased with the results.






All images copyright ©Gallery 21

BLUE SPRING – 100% PURE NEW ZEALAND

Posted by Judy@ Gallery21  

A recent trip to the internationally acclaimed Blue Spring near Putaruru, New Zealand, provided wonderful photographic opportunities, with plenty of scenic beauty along the way.  There was great contrast between the intense blue-green water and the lush green of the surrounding farmland and bush which added to the appeal of this subject.  

Access is via the well formed

Te Waihou Walkway which lies alongside the upper reaches of the Waihou River and is fed by many springs and tributaries.  The crystal clear, pure, intense blue-green water flows from the spring at 42 cubic metres (9240 gallons) per minute. Blue Spring water accounts for around 60% of bottled water sold in New Zealand and also supplies the local town of Putaruru with no treatment necessary.

CAMERA BAG CHOICE REQUIRES CAREFUL CONSIDERATION

Post by Judy @ Gallery 21

When it comes to choosing the best camera bag for your gear, it is always important to remember that cameras and lenses are high precision pieces of equipment which require special storage for protection.  There are several matters which will determine what type of bag is required. 

If you have a point and shoot camera, these are usually compact in size without the need for separate lenses or flash units and will only require a small bag which may be supplied with the camera or can be purchased as an extra.

Professional photographers mainly use SLR cameras (usually digital but sometimes also film) which are generally more bulky, requiring lenses of varying sizes, separate flash units plus a myriad of accessories such as filters, digital cards or film, tripod etc.   Most professional photographers would have more than one camera body which would also need to be accommodated in the bag.  The type of work the professional photographer is doing and the distance from home base will also determine the type of bag required.

Tamrac Expedition 5 camera backpack

At Gallery 21 for example, we specialise in photographing the natural and built environment, so the majority of our work is outdoor requiring a sturdy, hard wearing bag.  As we are often in remote places, we also need to have all of the equipment with us (two camera bodies, three lenses, a separate flash unit plus filters, digital cards, charging units, spare batteries, tripod etc), to ensure that we are able to capture a wide range of images.  

The bag we have chosen is the Tamrac Expedition 5 model 5575 camera backpack which is not only rugged and hardwearing, but also practical because it has a handle for carrying it as a bag and a harness which allows it to be carried on the back leaving your hands free.  The bag, although not waterproof, has been built to withstand some inclement weather, with a big rain flap that you can tighten down over the zipper of the main compartment. Rubberized zippers on the front pouches help to keep those as dry as possible. 

Inside compartments of the Tamrac backpack

There are several padded compartments inside the bag with movable velcro inserts which can be configured into various shapes and sizes to suit your equipment.  Inside the lid there are several more zipped compartments which have either clear plastic or netting which allows visibility of the contents.  On the outside of the bag there is further zipped storage plus two smaller zipped pouches which we use for accessories.  A vented pocket on the bottom of the front of the bag is made to hold the feet of a tripod, while three straps can keep the tripod tied down.   

The type and amount of camera gear, the purpose for which it is going to be used and location should determine camera bag purchasing decisions.  Although not the largest camera bag on the market, the mid size Tamrac certainly suits our needs.

MAGNIFICENT NATURAL BRIDGE – WAITOMO NZ

Post by Judy@Gallery 21

"Photography is more than a medium for factual communication of ideas.

                           It  is  a creative art."                 Ansel Adams

A recent field trip to the remains of an ancient New Zealand cave was not only a photographic challenge and a real test of photography skills, but also a bit of a physical challenge too!

The Mangapohue Natural Bridge is located just 25 km west of Waitomo in New Zealand’s north island and once made up part of the entire cave system around the Waitomo area.  Today, all that remains of this ancient cave is the impressive 17 metre high limestone arch which spans the Mangapohue Stream.  Fortunately a walkway has now been built to allow visitors to climb up to a great vantage point with relative ease compared to the old stone track that used to be the only means of access.  Nevertheless, lugging heavy camera gear up this walkway still required a certain amount of stamina!

There are many other caves in the Waitomo area, the origins of which began over 30 million years’ ago with the creation of limestone at the bottom of the ocean.  Now these limestone formations, which include the world famous Waitomo Glowworm Caves, are one of New Zealand’s most famous natural wonders.

Photographically there was a wide range of light variations experienced from the dark interior of the rocky limestone arch to the lush green of the natural foliage, the flowing stream and the bright daylight beyond.  It was a real photographic challenge to ensure that all areas were correctly exposed and good results were accomplished by merging several shots at varying exposures.