Beyond The Lens

14/01/2026

Look after your gear!

Shooting in bad weather can produce some of the most dramatic and captivating photos. Rain, snow, fog, and mud add atmosphere and texture that are hard to replicate in a studio. But these conditions also expose your camera gear to moisture, dirt, and grit that can cause serious damage if not cleaned...

17/10/2024

Captured this afternoon outside the front of the house. Been watching them for weeks. Chicks cant be far away from leaving the nest.

30/09/2024

Milford Sound. South Island NZ.
An unplanned and unexpected last minute sunset through the mountain of Mitre Peak.
So much so that this is hand held and taken with controlled breathing as I was below the reciprocal rule using a 50mm and shooting at 1/25s
And the bonus of no sandflies (well minimal) becasue it was winter was a welcome change!

27/09/2024

Not too far from Wanaka in New Zealand I decided to go off the beaten track in my camper van one very chilly morning. Lake Hawea I have passed through numerous times but I just wanted to wander along and see where it took me.

To get his shot I stood knee deep in 8 deg water and subsequently couldn't resist taking a cold plunge afterwards. Fresh to say the least and so worth it.

The log caught my eye as I wandered along the shore and so I put a polarising filter on and tried to remove the reflections on the surface.

I hope you have a great day ;-0

21/09/2024

"Not all perfect"
it would be nice to send out photos that you were 100% happy with all the time. But this is a capture I have spent far to long editing to get it to feel right.
In essence if I had been here at dawn or sunset I think it would have come out better. However it was late morning, with shadows around me and a bright sky and despite exposing for the sky I am having difficulty highlighting the hero of the dish which is the branch on the shore in the foreground.

I've done linear gradients, radial masks, reduced highlights, inverted the radial. Time to move on and find peace with it 🤣

If you have any CC or ideas please let me know.

20/09/2024

"We've all been there"

Twas a cold and frosty morn in Wanaka, South Island New Zealand only a few weeks ago in July 2024.

After a chilly night in the camper van I got up before dawn and went to take some photos of "the tree".

This is not me in the photo. I have no idea who he is but we did exchange a few photography early morn pleasantries from a distance. I think he was trying to check out my gear and I was kind of not trying to check out his gear. Its a photographer thing :-).

Then we bid each other farewell and the travelling and shooting continued.

20/09/2024

It was after my climb up and down to Mueller's hut that I needed to stretch screaming muscles at Mt Cook / Aoraki, South Island New Zealand.

And so a gentle stroll to a little lookout gave me the movement I needed and the distraction to take my mind off my weary legs.

Panorama of 14 or so shots stitched together.

05/09/2024

"Morning Glory"

It was just before dawn and -14 with the wind chill here at the top of Mt Oliver and at Mueller's Hut in NZ.

Even with "Photography" gloves which allowed the tips of the fingers out to make adjustments the cold was just brutal. And I had only been awake 20 minutes :-).

Single exp. ISO 100, 1/10s F13 20mm prime, tripod.

04/09/2024

"The wonder of it all"

Mt Oliver in Mt Cook / Aoraki. South Island New Zealand. 3 weeks ago.

An hr from Mueller Hut, a very very steep climb behind me after this shot with crampons and an ice axe. But so so worth it.

02/09/2024

"On top of the World"

is how I felt after a physically demanding but stupendous climb of 1000m using sheer determination, some fitness, crampons and an ice axe...

Mueller's Hut. Mt Cook Aoraki in South Island New Zealand.

This is no walk in the park. But if you have the willpower then put it on your bucket list.

ISO 800 F2.8 25s 24mm

06/06/2024

8 weeks and I hope to be up here, weather and Rangers permission pending. Wont know until I arrive. :-). If no avalanche risk then I will be allowed up to stay for a few nights in Muellers hut and photograph the Milky Way above these mountains.

03/03/2024

"Manhattan"

Chillagoe Caves - Mungana. Arial plan from120m

Only when I looked at this did post shooting did it somehow present itself to me (and possibly only me) the chaos and order of the rocks and the green centre. like Central Park in Manhattan, which I visited a couple of times many many years ago.