NZPhotographer Issue 26, December 2019

Brought to you by 

ISSUE 26, December 2019 

WELLINGTON HERITAGE 

PHOTO QUEST 

INTERVIEW WITH 

MARIA LIGAYA 

CONFESSIONS OF A NOT SO PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER 

BY PETER LAURENSON 

December 2019 1

WELCOME TO ISSUE 26 OF 

NZ PHOTOGRAPHER MAGAZINE 

HELLO EVERYONE, 

I hope you're ready to indulge in 

some wanderlust as issue 26 is all 

about travel! 

We've interviewed travel 

photographer Maria Ligaya 

whose words and images take us 

around the globe to Mongolia, 

the Balkans, the Cook Islands, 

Chile, and the Philippines which 

is where Maria is originally from. 

In New Zealand, we head to 

Lake Matheson with Brendon, 

go to Mokau Beach in Behind 

the Shot, and head to a secret 

waterfall location with Ken 

Wright before returning to the 

theme of over-tourism and how 

we can protect Aotearoa with 

Ann Wheatley. 

We also welcome Peter Laurenson back as he reveals more about his style 

of shooting in confessions of a not so professional photographer and then 

Philip Banks shares his photography journey with us, explaining how joining 

photography groups led him to produce his first solo exhibition. 

No doubt many of you will be travelling over the holidays too, whether 

you're jumping on a flight or hopping in the car, let me take the time to 

wish you safe travels and happy holidays wherever you may be. 

Emily Goodwin 

Editor NZ Photographer 

General Info: 

NZPhotographer Issue 26 

December 2019 

Cover Photo 

Ashburton Lakes 

by Maria Ligaya 

Publisher: 

Excio Group 

Website: 

www.excio.io/nzphotographer 

Group Director: 

Ana Lyubich 

Editor: 

Emily Goodwin 

Graphic Design: 

Maksim Topyrkin 

Advertising Enquiries: 

Email hello@excio.io 

2 

NZPhotographer

REGULAR CONTRIBUTORS 

Brendon Gilchrist 

Brendon is the man 

behind ESB Photography. 

He is an avid tramper 

who treks from sea to 

mountain, and back 

again, capturing the 

uniqueness of New 

Zealand’s unforgiving 

landscape. 

Ana Lyubich 

Co-founder of Excio, Ana's 

photography journey 

started many years ago 

with one of the first Kodak 

film cameras. She loves 

exploring the unseen 

macro world and capturing 

genuine people's emotions. 

Richard Young 

Richard is an awardwinning 

landscape and 

wildlife photographer who 

teaches photography 

workshops and runs 

photography tours. He 

is the founder of New 

Zealand Photography 

Workshops. 

nzphotographer nzp_magazine nzp@excio.io 

© 2019 NZPhotographer Magazine 

All rights reserved. Reproduction of any material appearing in this magazine in 

any form is forbidden without prior consent of the publisher. 

Disclaimer: 

Opinions of contributing authors do not necessarily reflect the 

opinion of the magazine. 

December 2019 

3

CONTENTS 

INTERVIEW WITH MARIA LIGAYA 

10 

DRIFTING LEAVES AT MAMAKU 

FALLS 

BY KEN WRIGHT 

6 

10 

24 

30 

36 

40 

44 

50 

52 

BEHIND THE SHOT 

with Helen Knight 

INTERVIEW WITH MARIA LIGAYA 

DRIFTING LEAVES AT MAMAKU FALLS 

by Ken Wright 

CONFESSIONS OF A NOT SO PROFESSIONAL 

PHOTOGRAPHER 

By Peter Laurenson 

TAONGA FIRST 

By Ann Wheatley 

A PHOTO JOURNEY THAT LEADS TO 

THE CELEBRATION OF WELLINGTON 

By Philip Banks 

WELLINGTON HERITAGE PHOTO QUEST 

WHAT’S THE MOST IMPORTANT THING 

IN PHOTOGRAPHY? 

By Ana Lyubich 

A MIRROR VIEW 

by Brendon Gilchrist 

24 

WHAT’S THE MOST 

IMPORTANT THING 

IN PHOTOGRAPHY? 

BY ANA LYUBICH 

52 

A MIRROR VIEW 

BY BRENDON GILCHRIST 

50

1 Day Workshops 

Learn how to take full creative control 

and capture your own unique images. 

Different one day options: 

Basic Photography 

Creative Photography 

Long Exposure 

Fine Art Printing 

2 Day Workshops 

Small Group Photography Weekends 

Lightroom Processing 

Tongariro Landscapes 

Kaimai Waterfalls 

Cape Palliser 

BOP Seascapes & Waterfalls 

4 Day Masterclass 

Be inspired with our master class 

workshops, which are designed to be 

educational vacations, where you are 

immersed in a specific area 

of photography. 

Long Exposure - Coromandel. 

Landscapes - Aoraki, Mt Cook. 

Astro - Aoraki, Mt Cook. 

Autumn Colours - Wanaka. 

Wildlife - Otago Peninsular 

Photography Tours 

Taking you to the best locations 

the country has to offer. 

Draw inspiration from capturing 

New Zealand’s most iconic 

landscapes alongside some of 

our more hidden gems. 

20 Day: South Island Highlights 

20 Day: North Island Highlights 

17 Day: Ultimate New Zealand 

12 Day: New Zealand Icons 

15 Day: New Zealand 

Coastal Landscapes 

15 Day: North Island Landscapes 

7 Day: Wild South Island 

7 Day: West Coast Wilderness 

7 Day: South Island Beaches 

& Bays 

7 Day: Volcanic North Island 

7 Day: Northland & Bay of Islands 

4 Day: Fiordland 

www.photographyworkshops.co.nz 

info@photographyworkshops.co.nz 

021 0845 7322

Behind The Shot 

with Helen Knight 

HELEN, INTRODUCE YOURSELF TO US… 

I am 52 years old and a mother of two amazing 

young women who are living their lives – My 

youngest daughter Ceridwyn is 18 and is studying 

law and psychology and my oldest, Ashlynbrenna is 

studying to be a personal trainer. 

I live in a small town called Te Kuiti with my two cats 

and two dogs which are Bull Mastiff x Jack Russel, 

overlooking the township. 

6 


MOKAU SUNSET DRIFTWOOD 

F18, 1/2000s, ISO320 

What makes me tick is being in such a beautiful 

country and seeing the beautiful birds and wild 

scenery that we have – Behind my house is bush 

and farmland, every morning I wake up to the 

chorus of birds as they bring in a new day. 

WHERE’S YOUR FAVOURITE PLACE IN NZ? 

My favourite place to visit on the West Coast is 

Mokau which is an hours drive from Te Kuiti. It 

is beautifully wild with hardly anyone there. My 

other favourite coast to visit is Tirohanga outside 

of Opotiki on the East Coast, the campsite there 

is a fantastic place to stay. Of course, I prefer to 

go off season to these places when there are less 

people around! 

TELL US ABOUT YOUR JOURNEY WITH 

PHOTOGRAPHY… 

I got into photography in high school when 

I was part of the magazine club back in the 80’s 

where I was a student at Ruapehu college. But 

it was during my time living in Tauranga that my 

passion evolved and grew and where I became 

obsessed with sunrises and sunsets – Getting up 

in the early hours to rush to the mount to see 

the sunrise. I love the colours that nature brings 

to you in those early moments, the golden hour 

or blue hour as we call it. It’s a time I feel the 

power and glory of nature and when you stand 

on a beach and see that glorious sun rising and 

knowing that New Zealand is the first to see its 

rays makes it even more special – It gives you 

hope that nothing is all that bad in the world. 

It’s been a hard year this year with a marriage 

breakup and going through ‘the change’. 

It was extremely debilitating and I suffered 

tremendously with depression and anxiety. My 

health was affected greatly by the sudden 

decrease of hormones, they became so low it 

affected my ability to even think and I became 

extremely emotional with things. My mothers 

death three years ago did not help and my 

husband’s diagnosis with Huntington’s disease 

made things even harder. We are still supporting 

each other and I am still supporting him but 

I needed to find myself and find who I was to 

become a better person so that I could be there 

for him. I needed to find myself to come right. 

I love my photography, it’s a passion that runs 

deep and has saved my life. At one time I nearly 

gave it up but I’m glad I haven’t. It takes me 

places and I meet amazing people and have a 

journey and adventures at the same time. 

I love to photograph nature, macro, 

astrophotography, city nightscapes, dancers, 

and also I love fire photography and have done 

quite a bit of work in that area. I would love to 

get into photographing ballet dancers and into 

extreme sports photography so yes my tastes 

vary and I experiment with photography all the 

time since technology is forever changing. 


I love knowing that I am part of preserving history, 

preserving precious moments and creating images 

that evoke emotion. It’s about giving others 

pleasure and preserving our way of life even if it is 

just for a split second. 

WHAT ARE YOU SHOOTING WITH? 

For my landscapes, I have a Nikon D5500 with an 

8–20mm lens. 

My Canon 80D which alas has died recently, is 

currently getting fixed at Canon. For this camera. 

I have a 16–300mm Tamron lens, a 150–600mm 

Tamron lens and a Samyang 8mm wide angle 

which I use for Astro photography. I also have a 

Singh-ray Trio filter, a Pluto trigger, and a tripod. 

I don’t have a lot of funds for photography but will 

hopefully be able to upgrade soon – I’d love a full 

frame camera one day. 

TELL US ABOUT YOUR PHOTO FROM 

MOKAU… 

The photo was taken on 8 th November 2019, a 

Friday night. 

The day before this shot I had just found out my 

husband was diagnosed with cancer, a tumour 

in his throat along with liver disease so a lot of 

thoughts were going through my mind, a lot of 

emotions. 

I have known my husband since I was fifteen years 

old. When he was 23 years old he was in a serious 

car accident and suffered a chronic back injury 

and brain injury. We were married in 1997 and 

together for 21 years, so the last year was very hard 

as I was his support person. Even though we are 

apart it is still very raw and emotional but I am there 

always whether he wants it or not. 

Combining my anxiety and this latest news, it took 

a lot for me to get to Mokau that day but I was 

determined as I enjoy spending time at the beach – 

I love the power of the waves as it cleanses the soul 

and recharges your being. 

I did some long exposures that day and noticed 

that even more driftwood had washed onto the 

beach from when I was last there. It looked like 

remnants of decayed skeletons scattered over the 

sand, the wind blowing sand across the surface like 

those old cowboy movies with the tundra blowing 

across the scene. 

Whilst taking photos and picking up rubbish (every 

place I go I make sure I remove rubbish that I see) 

I was having conversations with God and asking 

him why is he so cruel, berating him. But as I left 

I thanked him for the wonders of nature that he 

bestows upon us, the beauty and the power of life. 

WHAT ELSE SHOULD WE KNOW ABOUT YOU? 

I am half blind from an accident I had as a kid 

where a golf ball smashed through my glasses into 

my left eye, I’m classed as a monocular driver. 

I also have impinged hips and suffer with quite 

a bit of pain in my left hip. I’m also half deaf lol 

and was born with a rare syndrome along with a 

hole in the heart. None of this stops me getting to 

places, but what did stop me was the depression 

and anxiety – this can be more powerful than any 

physical disability you can imagine. 

WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS AND DREAMS FOR 

THE FUTURE? 

Now my girls have grown up I have more time 

to concentrate on my photography. My dream 

job would be to work for a magazine. I have a 

bachelor’s in graphic design and photography and 

want to get into journalism/photography. 

I am taking a cruise next year as an internship on 

the Holland American Cruise ship that is travelling 

up to Cascade Islands, back down to New 

Zealand, Bay of Islands, New Plymouth, Mount 

Maunganui, Wellington and Akaroa. Where I will be 

writing a blog and promoting the cruise. 

I am also currently selling my property in Te Kuiti and 

hopefully getting a motorhome where I will spend 

the next few years touring New Zealand. I have a 

dream to create my own publication too, I have a 

few ideas in mind! 

WHERE CAN WE FIND YOU ONLINE? 

albums.excio.io/profile/knightfire 

www.facebook.com/ 

www.HelenKnightPhotographer 

sites.google.com/view/ 

hellfire-photography/home 

BEHIND THE SHOT IS PROUDLY 

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Interview with Maria Ligaya 

MARIA, WELCOME! LET US KNOW WHO ARE 

YOU AND WHAT YOU DO… 

I was born and raised in the Philippines but am 

currently residing in West Auckland with my partner. 

I work as an accounts administrator in one of the top 

manufacturing companies in the country and am a 

part-time photographer. 

I graduated from a course in business management 

with honours at the University of the East, Philippines. 

I previously worked as a customer service officer in 

banking, a budget analyst for government agencies, 

and as an office administrator in a real-estate 

company. 

The course of my life changed entirely when a 

window of opportunity opened and I was given a job 

offer to work in New Zealand – I packed my bags and 

left my home town 10 years ago. 

Currently, apart from pursuing my love for travel 

photography (I often break the routine of everyday 

life to pursue my dreams by travelling to the lesserknown 

corners of the globe!), I am working as a 

sports photographer for the Beach Series, an 18 week 

ocean swim, beach run & stand-up paddle fitness 

series held at Takapuna Beach throughout summer. 

I am also creating content for a camera phone 

brand specialising in designing innovative mobile 

photography technology. 

WHEN DID PHOTOGRAPHY ENTER YOUR LIFE 

AND WHERE HAS THAT PASSION LED YOU? 

I knew deep inside me that there was this “hole in 

my soul” that would grow deeper and deeper until 

I couldn’t fill it in. You see, 3 years ago, life hit me hard, 

it hurt me, knocked me down and I suffered from mild 

depression. It was so difficult to handle; I had some 

suicidal thoughts. I know that the only way to fight 

through these thoughts is to not surrender, not allow 

myself to be consumed by them. 

I looked for something to be busy about – I occupied 

myself with work but I knew that was just stressing me 

out even more. I looked for something more creative 

to do, something where I could express myself. 

I started sketching and painting some abstracts. 

I travelled too and so as to document my travel 

experiences, I bought my first DSLR. 

I started taking photos of everything that would 

remind me of all the moments I had while travelling, 

from landscapes to portraits of locals and even 

strangers along the road. With every click of the 

shutter, I felt alive! As I saw the images I took, 

somehow, I could connect with them. I started to take 

photos wherever I went and later on, photography, 

helped me to express my feelings that are too difficult 

to put into words. 

Photography became a way of personal healing and 

growth. It started to build my self-esteem. It enabled 

me to learn more about myself and to see the world 

differently. That “hole in my soul” started to be filled in 

with so much hope and faith. Photography became a 

passion. 

I knew I needed to learn more about composition 

and the technicalities of photography so I started 

attending workshops and took photography courses 

online, this earned me a Diploma in Advanced 

Photography. 

Using what I learned in the course, I applied for 

some photography jobs to have extra income. I was 

hired to shoot a wedding and then other events like 

birthdays. My first proper work as a photographer 

was with Express Magazine, New Zealand’s leading 

LGBT+ media, where I took photos for events and 

nightclubs, working there for 3 years. I was also hired 

10 


y a professional photographer to assist her with child 

photography in her studio. 

I am grateful for all these photography opportunities 

and never really expected that what had started as 

a personal healing process would lead me to where 

I am today! In fact, I never really considered myself as 

a professional photographer, not even close to that. 

I think of myself as a girl with a camera who enjoys 

capturing all moments, regardless of whether those 

moments are mine or someone else’s. 

For me, photography is not about the end result, 

it’s the process. It is something I just love doing, and 

sometimes for no reason. It’s not something that I do 

to please anybody else, I do it because it makes me 

happy. Photography is where I feel most alive. 

WHAT’S IN YOUR CAMERA BAG? 

My camera bodies include a Canon 6D Mark II (fullframe), 

a Sony A7 Mark 1 (Mirrorless), and an Olympus 

OMD (Micro four-thirds). 

For the 6D Mark II I use two Canon lenses, the EF 

17–40mm f/4L USM Lens is my walk-around lens and 

the EF 70–200mm f/2.8L I use for events and sports 

photography, it’s good for portraits too. 

For my Sony, I use a FE24–240mm f/3.5–6.3 OSS lens, 

this is my most versatile lens that I use for my travel 

photography. For my Olympus camera, I use a 45mm 

F1.8 lens which I use for street photography and 

portraits. 

Recently, I found myself going back to the basics 

and falling in love with film cameras again – It 

reminds me of my childhood and why I fell in love 

with photography in the first place. I started using an 

Olympus Trip 35 and Praktica MTL 5. I love using film 

cameras as it allows me to enjoy my surroundings 

whilst focusing on creating compositions, not 

distracted by the elaborate settings and complexity of 

the digital cameras of today. 

DO YOU HAVE A FAVOURITE TRAVEL 

DESTINATION? 

This is one of those questions that I find hard to 

answer – It’s like having children, you know deep in 

your heart that you love and adore all of them! 

Personally, my favourite travel destination varies from 

the memories that I made, good or bad. Despite 

having more than one favourite destination, the place 

that has the softest spot in my heart is Mongolia. 

KHOGNOKHAN, MONGOLIA 

F4, 1/160s, ISO500 


YOLYN AM, MONGOLIA 

F4, 30s, ISO4000 

12 


On our visit to Mongolia, we stayed in a traditional 

ger with a host family and received a warm welcome 

from the other nomadic families, experiencing their 

hospitality, playing with their children, and eating 

delightful homemade dishes including “airag”, the 

Mongolian delicacy of fermented mare’s milk. We 

joined in with family life; milking the goats, rounding up 

and guarding their herds, and driving those herds to 

the pastures. 

Through living in a ger with the nomadic families, it 

gave us genuine insight into a simple and pure way 

of living, that despite having no wealth, and not too 

many possessions, these people still live a free and 

contented life. Life in Mongolia as a nomad can be 

harsh sometimes, but we felt that the saying ‘less is 

more’ rang true and this is what led me to question 

my own way of living and to reflect on how little stuff 

I need in life to be happy; that material things don’t 

last – I truly believe that the true meaning of happiness 

comes from experiences, it comes from the things we 

learn, not the things that we own, after all, it was here 

in the Gobi Desert that I got engaged! 

TELL US ABOUT YOUR MOST RECENT TRIPS 

ABROAD THIS YEAR… 

I was truly humbled and fortunate that, despite my 

busy full-time job, this past couple of months I was 

able to travel to the Baltic countries: Latvia, Lithuania, 

and Estonia, and right after that, I travelled to one of 

the Pacific Island Countries, the Cook Islands. 

In the Baltic countries, I travelled with my partner 

Greg. We were moving all the time, from one region 

to another, and rented a car instead of joining a 

group tour so that we could include those off-thebeaten-path 

places. We love travelling independently 

on our own, apart from the fact that it’s cheaper, we 

find it challenging and we get to choose our own 

route. 

Many people underrate the Baltic Countries by 

just visiting its capital cities: Riga in Latvia, Vilnius in 

Lithuania and Tallinn in Estonia. But the Baltics are 

more than just the old towns. We spent a considerable 

amount of time exploring the hidden gems that these 

countries have to offer, each with its own diverse 

landscape, cuisine, and culture. 

We ventured to different National Parks of each 

country; Gauja National Park, Latvia’s first and most 

popular park that was established in 1973. Curonian 

Spit National park in Lithuania where one of the 

highest dunes is located and last but not least, 

Lahemaa National Park where the mysterious “bog” is 

located. 

HILL OF CROSSES, LITHUANIA 

F18, 1/200s, ISO250 


RELIGIOUS CLOTHING 

IN LITHUANIA 

F9, 1/250s, ISO320 

14 


TRAKAI ISLAND, LITHUANIA 

F14, 30s, ISO125 

A LADY IN THE ORTHODOX 

CHURCH, LITHUANIA 

F2.8, 1/40s, ISO2500 


TALLINN, ESTONIA 

F13, 1/250s, ISO250 

HERMANN CASTLE, ESTONIA 

F13, 1/250s, ISO250 

16 


RIGA, LATVIA 

F10, 1320s, ISO200 

TURAIDA CASTLE, LATVIA 

F5.6, 1/200s, ISO200 


One way to understand a country’s culture is through its 

cuisine. Generally, the Baltic’s are all about potatoes and 

rye bread but each have their own unique dishes that have 

been passed from one generation to another along with 

accompanying stories. Some traditional dishes we tried 

included Latvia’s National Dish – a stew made from grey peas 

mixed with fried bacon and pork. We also sampled black 

bread and the classic sauerkraut soup. Lithuania is known 

for its potato dumplings – hearty, football-shaped dumplings 

made with grated raw potatoes and rice boiled potatoes. 

They are made in either a curd cheese variety served with a 

sour cream-milk sauce or a meat variety. In Estonia, they love 

to pickle things, and of course, there’s the blood sausage. 

Religion is another fascinating aspect of the Baltic’s. While 

Christianity is the main religion, it was interesting to see the 

several denominations and differences between churches, 

from Catholic to Lutheran to Orthodox and so on. 

The journey through the Baltics, as we tried to encompass as 

much as we could, certainly gave us a better understanding 

of the region’s past. From the atrocities of the concentration 

camps around Riga towards the end of WWII, to life under 

the Soviet Union which is still remnant in the buildings and ruins 

both the towns and the countryside. More recently, to the 

fight for Sovereignty in the early 90s as the people peacefully 

demonstrated by forming a human chain from Tallinn to 

Riga and on to Vilnius, what famously came to be called the 

“Baltic Way”. 

With the Cook Islands, everybody knows that this country is 

rich in beautiful lagoons, crystal clear beaches, and gorgeous 

resorts. Many are mistaken with the idea that once they’ve 

seen one country in the Pacific Islands, you’ve seen them all. 

While it is true that the seascapes might be no different from 

one another, their culture and traditions are very unique. 

We immersed ourselves deeply in the culture of the Cook 

Islands by attending their church service on Sundays. This is 

not hard to do as most resorts offer this kind of experience as 

part of their package but we went on our own. It was nice 

to observe the locals dressed up in their best brightest white 

or colourful outfits as they entered the sacred place. Women 

wore a variety of headdresses like a hat and a beautiful 

garland of flowers. When mass started, we let ourselves be 

carried away with the choir’s angelic voices. After the service, 

we were invited for morning tea in which the local people 

bring food they prepare at home to be shared with others 

after the service. 

While on the island of Rarotonga, we were able to witness 

a unique celebration called “NUKU” – a celebration of the 

arrival of Christianity. Churches compete against each other 

to put on the best show. Islanders dress up, sing, dance, play 

music, perform some stage dramas and generally have a 

great time. 

We wouldn’t have been able to experience these 

traditions if we had just stayed in the comfortable confines 

of the hotel resorts – Yes, it is important to relax and enjoy 

yourself while travelling, but it is more meaningful if you 

learn a country’s customs and culture as you can then 

also learn to appreciate your own. 

ONE FOOT ISLAND, AITUTAKI, 

COOK ISLANDS 

F5.6, 1/1000s, ISO100 

18 


WOMAN READING THE BIBLE 

DURING THE SUNDAY MASS, 

RAROTONGA, COOK ISLANDS 

F2.8, 1/400s, ISO500 

NUKU, A GOSPEL CELEBRATION 

IN THE COOK ISLANDS 

F2.8, 1/250s ISO250 


WHERE ARE YOUR FAVOURITE PLACES TO 

TAKE PHOTOS IN THE PHILIPPINES? 

Cultural landscapes of the Philippine are 

very diverse, a treasure trove for nature and 

adventure lovers, and the reason why I am proud 

of where I came from. 

When I last visited home, one of the places 

I loved photographing was Boracay Island. This 

small island in the central Philippines is known for 

its beach resorts and diverse marine life, and of 

course, it is a prominent place for sunsets. 

For a more distinct landscape, I love the place 

called ‘The Chocolate Hills”, a geological 

formation in the central Visayas region of the 

country that has been dubbed the “8th Wonder 

of the World”. During the dry season, the grasscovered 

hills dry up and turn chocolate brown. 

This transforms the area into seemingly endless 

rows of “chocolate kisses”. 

For more cultural and artistic photo possibilities, 

Ilocos Region is the place to go. It’s known for 

its historic sites and the well-preserved Spanish 

colonial city. It holds a special place in my own 

heart as it’s the birthplace of my late Father. 

From time to time, I visit my Mother’s birthplace, 

Pangasinan which is located in the Northern 

Philippines. This is where the infamous “Hundred 

Islands” can be found. The distinct mushroomshaped 

islands (caused by years of ocean waves 

and eroding action) are believed to be over two 

million years old, very interesting to photograph. 

HOW ABOUT A FAVOURITE PLACE IN NZ 

FOR PHOTOS? 

I love going to the South Island, specifically 

Aoraki National Park which I only discovered 

recently. Notable for its mountains, lakes, 

and glaciers, there are endless photography 

opportunities due to the sheer natural 

landscapes with so many trails to explore so 

many great things to experience. 

On our visit, we took a caravan and drove around 

the Aoraki. We hiked the Sealy Tarns track which 

is called the “Stairway to Heaven” and traversed 

the Tasman lake. I have a very sentimental 

connection and memory with Aoraki, it being the 

highest mountain in NZ but also the first mountain 

in NZ that I hiked during the time I was depressed. 

WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON OVER- 

TOURISM AND INSTA-WORTHY IMAGES? 

Over-tourism has been an issue for several years 

now and while social media does play a role 

in contributing to the problem, it cannot be 

held solely responsible as humans, by nature, 

can become destructive, ignorant, and trash 

the environment. Social media and the culture 

of taking a selfie at a specific location has just 

magnified these consequences to different 

levels. 

Most people choose their travel destinations 

based on what they see on social media and 

try to be “cool” by visiting what is trending 

now. Once they reach the destination, they 

try to recreate the image that they saw, and if 

they fail, they feel frustrated. They forget that 

the experience of just being there is more than 

enough. In this case, I think social media has 

become a tool to feed the ego – the inclination 

to show the world that they live a perfect life by 

collecting photos for their Instagram feed instead 

of collecting moments and experiences. 

At the end of the day, it is up to each 

individual to decide whether they want to be 

a responsible traveller or not. We can choose 

to have a positive impact on the places we 

visit and similarly choose to share enriching and 

informative content on social media. This can be 

in the form of a story, or a local interaction or a 

personal experience. This, in turn, will influence 

people to experience rather than search for 

“insta-worthy” destinations around the globe. 

Social media is just a tool, and like any tool, it 

can be misused by people. 

TELL US ABOUT YOUR TRIP TO CHILE AND 

YOUR INVOLVEMENT WITH TRAVOLUTION 

TRAVEL… 

When I was planning my trip to Chile, I was 

looking to have an authentic and communitybased 

experience. I stumbled upon Travolution 

Travel and read about their mission and goal 

which instantly appealed to me – They work to 

promote locally-led projects and communities 

by giving visitors the chance to meet local 

people and experience authentic cultural 

exchange. It’s about supporting local products 

and homestays that have a direct benefit for the 

local community, as well as travellers. 

On arriving in the Atacama Region of Chile 

through Travolution, we had the opportunity 

of staying with a family in the tiny little village 

of Coyo. It is here that many of the indigenous 

people known as the “Lickan Antay” live. From 

experiencing the Ancestral Llama Caravan, to 

learning about the crops grown locally and trying 

out several local dishes, the activities proved to 

be a wholesome experience as we were able 

to connect with the local culture on a different 

level. 

20 


AORAKI NZ 

F4, 25s, ISO4000 


I share Travolution’s vision of travel where tourism 

can be used to create a positive effect on the 

community and encourage fellow travellers 

to be more conscious of their decisions and 

contributions. This was the main reason behind 

my desire to publicise the company through my 

social media accounts. 

WHAT’S NEXT FOR YOU? 

Next year, my partner and I are going back to 

South America, this time to visit Argentina and 

Uruguay, which I am very excited about. We also 

have plans to go to Iran, later in the year. 

CAN YOU LEAVE US WITH A TOP TRAVEL 

TIP? 

Let go of expectations. It’s easy to presume 

too much nowadays, with so many amazing 

“ïnstagrammable” images posted throughout 

social media. We tend to expect a certain 

landmark to be the same, only to be 

disappointed because it is far too different 

from what we saw online. We forget that the 

experience to be right there in the moment is far 

more important than taking the same image we 

saw on social media. 

WHERE CAN WE FIND YOU ONLINE? 

www.instagram.com/mycameraandbackpack 

www.facebook.com/marialigayaphotography 

www.marialigaya.com 

albums.excio.io/profile/Maria Ligaya 

Photography 

LUCIA COOKING DIFFERENT TYPES 

OF CORN, CHILE 

F5.6, 1/100s, ISO200 

22 


SANDRA, ONE OF THE 

LICKAN ANTAY IN CHILE 

F5.6, 1/100s, ISO200 

2020, 1 Day Dates: 

Auckland Workshop 

NZPW Tutor Ken Wright 

29th Feburary, 4th July 

& 24th October 

Wellington Workshop 

NZPW Tutor Richard Young 

2nd Feburary, 31st May 

& 4th October 

Long Exposure Workshop 

This is a one day coastal and long exposure photography workshop at 

Murrys Bay on Aucklands’s North Shore or Wellington’s South Coast. 

On this workshop, you’ll learn how to shoot dramatic and awe-inspiring 

coastal landscapes and make long exposure photographs. 

This is designed as an intermediate-advanced workshop. 

www.photographyworkshops.co.nz 

info@photographyworkshops.co.nz 

021 0845 7322 


Drifting Leaves at Mamaku Falls 

by Ken Wright 

24 


MAMAKU GREEN DRIFT 

F14, 0.5s, ISO100 


The first time that I saw this location I was blown away, 

we spent an hour walking there and it poured with 

rain so I didn’t get a shot. The next day we tried again 

and got perfect light. 

“Mamaku Falls” is about 1.5m high and about 

6m wide. The cool thing about this location is the 

foreground, perfect for my style of photography. I 

place a lot of emphasis on the foreground as I want 

the viewer to feel like they can walk into the shot. 

The foreground in this location is made up of a rock 

plate/shelf that over the years has split like a crazy 

paving effect. The water runs across the surface at a 

depth of 100mm, ankle deep but in the cracks it can 

be anything from 500mm to 1.5m deep. 

I have shot this fall so many times now that it has 

become a challenge to find a new angle. 

The concept of drifting leaves came from one 

particular workshop, we had already captured the 

effect with falling leaves so we decided to add more 

to enhance the foreground and show the flow of 

water. This created a nice dynamic green effect 

drifting out of the foreground. The exposure length 

was half a second and shot on burst mode to capture 

the leaves as they flow out of the scene. The final 

image is a blend of 4 images. 

MAMAKU ORANGE 

F10, 0.8s, ISO50 

26 


On a later workshop we tried to replicate the effect 

with autumn leaves, to stand out from the chocolate 

brown rocks. 

If you Google the name in the hope of finding the 

location you will end up at my images. “Mamaku 

Falls” is the name given to the location by myself and 

the ranger that helped me find it, it’s not marked on 

the NZ Too Map. 

We so called it because each time we have been 

there the light falls on the single Mamaku Fern above 

the falls. To our knowledge it does not have an official 

name. 

Each time I go back to this location its a challenge to 

get better images than I have gotten before. 

For me, this is my favourite location in the Kaimai 

Mamaku Forest Conservation Park and it’s one of 

several locations that I use for our remote Kaimai 

Waterfalls Workshop. Join me in discovering this 

magical place, and others, in May or July 2020 - 

Workshops are limited to 4 people and you will need 

a good level of fitness to manage the several river 

crossing required to get there but the struggle is well 

worth it! 


Want your photography 

to have impact? 

Join Excio today for global reach 

and showcase your message. 

We’re different from magazines and social media. 

Take a look 

28 

www.excio.io 


excio.io 

#photographyforgood 


CONFESSIONS OF A NOT SO 

PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER 

By Peter Laurenson 

What defines a ‘professional’ photographer; and is computer-based 

post-processing cheating? 

In this age of digital pixels and instantaneous social 

media-based, often free-to-air, self publication it’s 

never been harder to make a living from professional 

photography. While I did start my own journey into 

photography with some manual photography night 

classes before I set off on my O.E back in 1988, that 

hardly qualified me as a professional. Probably like 

most photographers, I’m essentially self taught, both 

in terms of taking pictures and, since the advent of 

digital, post-processing them. 

As the years have passed and my photographic 

experience and knowledge have grown, I’ve 

sometimes pondered what the gap is between 

me and ‘real professionals’. Certainly, my gear has 

never been top end. Today I own a Nikon D750. 

It’s a beautiful camera, but still there are more 

‘professional’ models within the Nikon stable, the 

D850 and Z7 to name just two. While I’ve been able 

to win photo competition awards, have had quite a 

few of my images published in various publications 

and sell some of my images in their own right and as 

featured in calendars, I certainly don’t earn anywhere 

near enough from my photography to make a viable 

living. Perhaps that’s the only meaningful measure to 

determine whether someone is ‘professional’ or not? 

But it’s also worth considering reputable professional 

photographic practises. Aside from using top-end 

professional gear, other professional practises that come 

to my mind include frequent use of a sturdy tripod (and 

cable or wireless shutter release), use of fixed focal 

length specialist lenses, use of filters, being very selective 

about light conditions, shooting in manual mode, usually 

using spot metering, rather than leaving some shooting 

decisions to in-camera programming; and shooting 

in Camera RAW mode, along with having the skills to 

effectively process those files. I’m sure there are some 

other practises I should list too – and if I was a ‘true 

professional’ I’d know what they are! 

Part of me would like to be recognised as a 

professional photographer. Put that down to artistic 

pride and ego mainly. Sure, more money would 

be nice, but really it comes down to the extent 

that others appreciate my work. Rightly or wrongly, 

that does matter to me and being recognised as a 

‘professional’ might be a nice manifestation of that 

appreciation. But I’m sufficiently honest with myself to 

know that I fall short against my list. Another interesting 

self observation though, is that my shortfalls are mostly 

by choice. I could actually adopt more professional 

photographic practises more of the time, but I choose 

not to. Why? In my case, because the sheer pleasure 

I get from taking and processing photos in the way I 

choose to overrides my ego frailties. Let me explain... 

The origins of my photography lie in quite fast-paced, 

constant backpacker travel through mostly developing 

countries. In this mode, carrying a lot of camera gear is 

a significant burden in terms of more than just weight. 

The risk of theft increases. The degree of spontaneity 

reduces. Consequently I mostly shot hand-held, relying 

on a wide ranging zoom lens. Lazy I know, but I was able 

30 


to take a lot of interesting photos, many times where 

I couldn’t have if I’d been more technically diligent. 

It was an enthralling journey of discovery, where my 

photography never became a travel burden. 

My photography began before the digital age, but 

while I was a manual mode photographer, I only ever 

used colour print and slide film and never gained any 

darkroom experience. Before pixels, with no back of 

camera screens for instant feedback, I had to be on 

top of my exposure settings, otherwise costs and/or 

disappointments mounted up. But even then, handing 

my film over to a lab sometimes ended in frustration. 

Use of old chemicals could really mess things up. And 

there was a big gap in my ability to enjoy complete 

control of the end result. Back then I think professionals 

were exerting more overall control on their end results 

than me, either by processing their own black and 

white film or working much more closely with only 

selected top-end processing labs. 

But then along came digital. According to Mr Google 

the first DSLR was Minolta’s 1.75 megapixel RD-175 in 

1995. Nikon’s 2.73 megapixel D1 followed in 1999 – the 

first digital to be built from the ground up by a major 

player. I bought my first DSLR in 2005 - a 6.1 megapixel 

Nikon D70S, replacing my Nikon F801S film camera. I 

really loved my F801S, but felt that digital technology 

had progressed sufficiently for amateurs like me to get 

on the bandwagon. Immediately I enjoyed the ability 

to adjust ISO frame by frame if required - two main 

exposure tools had just jumped from two to three. 

Having instantaneous back-of-camera feedback was 

also a big development, initially probably just making 

me a bit lazier about exposure setting. Otherwise, I 

continued to shoot pretty much as I had done with 

my F801S. To begin with, I was oblivious to perhaps 

the biggest game changer of all - while the D70S 

could shoot in Camera RAW, I had no post-processing 

knowledge and just stuck with jpegs. 

Post-processing seeped into my photography skill 

set over the next five or so years. In about 2010 I got 

my first edition of Photoshop and since then, have 

never looked back. Even then though, it took until mid 

2014 for me to click on to the power and wonderful 

freedom of RAW files. Finally I was starting to build 

post-processing skills that approached what the 

professionals were applying. 

25.4x25.4mm MOS sensor 

20.1 megapixels 

24-360 F8.8 lens 

340g 

35.9x24mm CMOS sensor 

24.3 megapixels 

24-120 flat F4 lens 

1450g 

These days, a lot of my photography occurs on 

mountain slopes in places where a big heavy DSLR 

tends to stay in my pack. Tramping and climbing have 

largely replaced backpacker travel, but my need to 

travel light and remain photographically spontaneous 

and opportunistic remains the same. While I love using 

my Nikon D750, I frequently use a mirrorless compact 

camera (currently a Lumix TZ220) in the hills. 

'Shadow and Light' is a stitched image, created from 

8 hand-heldportrait shots, taken on my Lumix TZ220. It 

is a dawn view of the top 600 metres of Mt Taranaki 

(New Zealand), taken from the southern rim of 

Fantham’s Peak. Syme Hut sits to the left of the summit 

cone, which has projected a shadow out to the far 

left. Mounts Tongariro, Ngauruhoe and Ruapehu are 

SHADOW AND LIGHT 

F8, 1/160s, ISO125, 24mm 


silhouetted on the right skyline. It was my fifth trip up 

this route and the best light so far. I’ve printed this 

image at 1.2m wide by 40cm high and, in terms of 

colour and sharpness, it stands up very well. 

Digitally enabled mirrorless technology has really 

come of age. The amount of photographic power 

that can be packed into a space the size of a 

sardine can is quite astounding. While some may 

deem my gear ‘amateurish’, when using my TZ220 

I still shoot Camera RAW files using spot meter, with 

manual settings. The TZ220’s three quarter sensor’s 20 

megapixel files aren’t quite as nice as my D750’s full 

fame 24 megapixel files, but they’re still pretty good – 

easily sufficient for print publication. The TZ220’s built 

in Leica optical zoom range is outrageous – 24mm 

to 360mm. Of course, there’s no such thing as a free 

lunch - the higher end of the zoom is not great, but 

image sharpness is, for the most part, not an issue 

and it being so tiny, there’s no need for a heavy-duty 

tripod. 

More generally, whether I’m using my TZ220 or D750, 

I use a tripod less than many professionals do. Good 

hand-held technique and being able to dial up the 

ISO enable this, especially with my D750, which is very 

good in low light. As a consequence I am able to 

capture a lot more action than some do and, when 

with non-photographers, I tend to hold tramping 

progress up less. 

In my shot 'Autumn Reflection' which shows a small 

lake between Cromwell and Clyde in Central 

Otago, a tripod would have been impossible as I 

was balanced on driftwood right on the shore line. 

In post processing I used adjustment layering on 

the foreground as a graduated filter to allow the 

foreground detail and colour to come up, balancing 

the top and bottom halves. 

'Singapore Light Show' is another case in which I 

didn't use a tripod. It shows (from left to right) the Helix 

Bridge, Marina Bay Sands, the Art Science Museum, 

and Marina Bay. When I took it, I was on my way back 

to the hotel with my family after dinner and had no 

time to set up a tripod. But because the D750 is so 

good in low light at higher ISO settings, I was able to 

take this hand held stitch of 2 landscape shots. 

However, when I want to catch water movement 

such as in my shot 'Bridal Veil' a tripod is usually 

essential. This shot was taken on my Nikon D750 and 

shows the view at dawn from Tunnel View (1,400m) 

looking east to Bridal Veil Fall. 

BRIDAL VEIL FALL 

YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK, USA 

F22, 5s, ISO100, 174mm 

32 


AUTUMN REFLECTION 

F16, 1/60s, ISO100, 24mm 

SINGAPORE LIGHT SHOW 

F5, 1/20s, ISO1000, 24mm 


I shoot a lot of panoramic series that I stitch together 

in Photoshop later. I often find that a standard 

landscape or portrait format is too limiting when trying 

to capture the vast magnificence of our natural 

world. Stitching also brings the advantage of creating 

bigger files that can be printed larger or more freely 

cropped. Stitched panoramas don’t have to be 

restricted to grand horizontal landscapes either. 

Vertical pans enable me to capture wider angled 

images than a single wide angle shot can. I’ve got 

some really interesting results in human-made and 

urban settings too, although subject movement, hard 

angles and straight lines can present challenges. 

There is certainly an art to getting the most from a 

stitched series. It adds another whole dimension to my 

photography which I love. 

Aside from a ubiquitous UV filter (for lens protection) 

I don’t use lens filters. I’ve tried them and hence 

understand their capabilities, but I find using 

adjustment layering in Photoshop to be more versatile 

than any set of filters. Is this cheating? One method 

uses glass on the end of the camera while the other 

achieves the same or perhaps better results on 

screen. Both options are forms of image manipulation. 

My view is that it’s the end result that counts and using 

either method requires skill and artistic judgement. 

When considering the validity of post-processing 

techniques, here’s a useful analogy from the alpine 

world. Although crampons, as a highly energy efficient 

alternative to cutting steps, had been in use in the 

European Alps well before the end of the nineteenth 

century, it wasn’t until after WWI that they started 

to be accepted by most serious climbers in New 

Zealand. Until then ‘old-school’ and ‘purist’ climbers 

deemed the use of crampons to be unsporting and 

cheating. Today, in the photographic world, some 

(probably more novices than professionals) still apply 

this sentiment to post-processing. I’m the first to 

concede that 21 st Century computer-enabled postprocessing 

makes it easier to create really stunning 

images. But let’s not forget that the professionals were 

post-processing long before the digital age – it’s just 

that darkrooms have been replaced by computers. 

Yes, I think computer-based post-processing is much 

more accessible (and versatile) than dark room or lab 

post-processing was, but to do computer-based postprocessing 

well still demands a very wide range of 

technical and artistic skills and judgement. 

The photo 'Incoming' is a stitch of 2 landscape shots 

taken on my Nikon P7800. It shows me sheltering from 

snow squalls at about 2,000m on Mount Taranaki with 

two of my sons. Those crampons came in handy that 

day! I couldn’t have taken this image in one wide 

angle frame as I was too close to my own feet but 

stitching 2 made it possible. 

Today the preferred base image file format for 

professionals is RAW. In its unprocessed state a 

RAW file is dull and flat, but once you open it in 

Camera RAW, a whole world of artistic potential is 

released. Of course, if you want to create images of 

a ‘professional’ standard, then once you’ve chosen 

your subject, getting things right in camera is still 

crucial. But today more than ever, that is just the 

first step. Digitisation in photography has introduced 

a new and sometimes alternative set of tools and 

techniques open to photographers. And because 

of that, in my perhaps ‘not so professional’ opinion, 

photography today has never been more enriching. 

INCOMING 

F5, 1/1250, ISO100, 28mm 

34 



WAKATIPU BLUE 

F11, 1/800s, ISO200 

Taonga First 

By Ann Wheatley 

Ilive in Nelson, at the top of the South Island, Te 

Waipounamu, a region blessed with beautiful places. 

To the east, we have the Marlborough Sounds, ancient 

sunken river valleys now filled with the waters of the 

Pacific Ocean. Golden Bay lies to the north; a paradise 

of pristine beaches, rugged mountains, and scenic river 

valleys. To the west stretches a wildly beautiful coastline 

and the huge Kahurangi wilderness. The snow-capped 

spine of the Southern Alps divides Te Waipounamu into 

a huge diversity of landscapes, including ten of New 

Zealand’s fourteen national parks. There’s a lot of space 

and beauty to contemplate. 

While I often photograph landscapes, I wouldn’t call 

myself a landscape photographer. Masters like Adris 

Apse set the bar too high, spending days or even 

months waiting for the right moment to realise an idea 

imagined in the mind’s eye. I make pictures to honour 

visual experiences of personal significance. A particular 

angle, play of light or juxtaposition of objects reveals 

something previously hidden, or something that feels 

mysterious, surreal, whimsical or magical, and I’m 

moved to raise the camera to my eye. Other times 

I make a photograph because the subject arouses 

strong emotion or tickles my curiosity. I may itch to know 

its origin or history, and post-processing then includes 

research to learn as much as I can. Magic, mystery, 

wonder and awe are everywhere, if you slow down, 

take the time to be present, and to look deeply. 

As someone who started with an Olympus OM1 in 

1977 and switched to digital in 2009, I can’t help but 

notice huge changes in every aspect of photography. 

With affordable, high quality digital cameras now so 

widely available, almost everyone makes pictures. This, 

more than anything else, has transformed the world of 

photography in ways that were once unimaginable. 

In the past, professional nature and landscape 

photographers were a small tight-knit community. 

Novice photographers would typically spend time with 

someone they knew to learn the art and the craft. 

Mentors would also pass on the ethics of stewardship 

and a deep respect for nature, but with the advent 

of phone cameras, social media and the sharing of 

GPS coordinates, mentoring is becoming much less 

common. Nowadays, technology places decent quality 

photographs within reach for many more people. We 

can look up a location online, find it using GPS, and visit 

without learning anything about the fragility of the area, 

why it’s special and unique, or how to protect it. 

Huge numbers of people now flock to some locations 

popularised through social media. Visitor numbers to 

Aoraki/Mt. Cook, New Zealand’s highest peak, rose 11% 

in the past year, reaching one million for the first time. 

Visitors to the Blue Pools in Mt. Aspiring National Park 

skyrocketed from 3,400 to more than 100,000 in just three 

years. In an interview with the BBC, a spokesperson from 

the Department of Conservation revealed that visitor 

36 


numbers to Roy’s Peak had increased by 12% to 73,000 

between 2016 and 2018, because the spot had become 

a “quintessential icon for the Wanaka region through 

social media.” The #royspeak hashtag on Instagram had 

just over 56,000 images in August 2019 and just under 

58,000 by November. 

Around the world, some sensitive locations are suffering 

damage from the sheer number of visitors, but also 

from the behaviour of people who’ll do anything to 

get “the” shot to post on social media. They trespass, 

ignore regulations, trample vegetation, create new trails, 

compact fragile soils and harass wildlife. In cities and 

towns, cultural locations are suffering similar fates. 

Many of the pictures and posts on social media are 

mindful, but others feel like a visual bomb, all about “me, 

me, me.” More than a few people need to show off their 

travel images to feel important, to fit in, or as a symbol 

of status. This continues unabated, despite ongoing 

revelations about depression and anxiety caused by 

unhealthy social media use. 

Internationally, photography collectives, indigenous 

groups, governments and the private sector have 

launched campaigns to educate people about the 

downside of the photography/social media/tourism 

nexus and to recommend appropriate behaviours. In 

New Zealand the Tiaki Promise is a wonderful example. 

Tiaki is a powerful Māori word, meaning to care and 

protect, to look after people and place. The Tiaki Promise 

is a commitment to care for New Zealand and is meant 

to instill a sense of responsibility and a commitment by 

international and domestic tourists to good behaviour. 

Another example, initiated by photographers for 

photographers, is the Nature First Alliance started by the 

Nature Photographer’s Network. The Alliance reminds 

us that historically, photography has been a vital tool in 

environmental protection across the world – promoting 

the conservation of wild places and encouraging 

positive stewardship practices – leaving a legacy that 

makes it possible for photographers today, and many 

others, to enjoy protected wild places. 

With the rise of social media making it so easy to 

share photos and location information; the increased 

popularity of photography; the steep increase in 

visits to public lands and wild places; and the lack of 

widespread knowledge of basic stewardship practices 

and outdoor ethics, the Alliance is concerned that 

visitors, including photographers, are causing worsening 

negative impacts on nature. While these developments 

may seem separate from photography, many pressures 

on wild lands stem from people being drawn to them 

because of inspiring photographs and cinematography. 

While most photographers haven’t intentionally 

contributed to negative impacts, they urge each of us to 

acknowledge our potential contribution to these issues, 

and to take responsibility for solving them in a positive 

way. 

DRESSED IN A BRYOPHYTE COAT 

FENIAN TRACK, KAHURANGI 

NATIONAL PARK 

F2.8, 1/125s, ISO500 


THE ALLIANCE PROMOTES SEVEN NATURE FIRST 

PRINCIPLES: 

• Prioritize the well-being of nature over photography 

• Educate yourself about the places you photograph 

• Reflect on the possible impact of your actions 

• Use discretion if sharing locations 

• Know and follow rules and regulations 

• Follow Leave No Trace principles and strive to leave 

places better than you found them 

• Actively promote and educate others about these 

principles. 

The principles are relevant not just for professional 

nature and landscape photographers, but for 

amateurs and tourists. Replace the word “nature” in 

the first one with “cultural treasures,” and they apply 

just as well to photography in cities and towns. 

Since discovering Nature First I’ve changed my own 

practices and adopted some new ones. Rather 

than providing geographical information I prefer 

non-specific tags like New Zealand, Aotearoa, 

South Island (Te Waipounamou), or district names. 

I leave comments acknowledging and thanking 

photographers who decline requests to provide 

geographical information for sensitive locations. 

Sometimes I ask people why they’re revealing the 

location of “beauty spots” that used to be known 

only to locals. I’m finding ways to promote the Nature 

CLOUDS AND TUSSOCKS 

HAKATERE CONSERVATION PARK 

F11, 1/150s, ISO200 

38 


First principles on Instagram through my personal 

page and another I curate called @top.of.the.south. 

images. 

With Portuguese photographer Hugo Pinho, I coauthored 

an article on the growing harm to cultural 

and natural treasures occurring around the world 

and our responsibility as photographers to work for 

change. Our story, Imitation and Its Consequences, 

appeared in a recent issue of Olympus Passion 

Magazine. Hugo proposes a wonderful challenge 

for each of us: to draw on our unique creative spirit 

rather than just imitating images of iconic places. He 

reminds us to nourish that spirit not just by consuming 

images made by others, but by allowing our spirit to 

drink from other influences: our personality, family, 

culture, traditions, and art in all its forms. 

Be inspired to practice photography thoughtfully 

and mindfully, in a way that does no harm to our 

irreplaceable natural and cultural heritage. And 

that’s just the minimum. Get inspired and find your 

own personal way to help protect and conserve our 

taonga. 

instagram.com/ann.wheatley.photography 

instagram.com/top.of.the.south.images 


A Photo Journey That Leads To 

The Celebration of Wellington 

By Philip Banks 

40 


MARTIAN WAR-MACHINE? 

F5.6, 30s, ISO6400, 17mm

My journey with photography began with an 

Olympus Superzoom 110, a film point and 

shoot camera. Being a student meant that 

I couldn’t afford to process much film so it 

got used mostly as a holiday snapper. That 

was until a friend and I ill-advisedly tried canoeing on the 

River Avon and managed to drown ourselves and the 

camera. That incident led me to purchase an Olympus 

Superzoom 120 which got some use but things went 

quiet for some years as studying and then entering the 

workforce took priority. 

I did get a Canon EOS500 camera but again, the cost of 

film meant I dabbled for a long time. It wasn’t until digital 

cameras came down in price and the feedback loop for 

shooting, evaluating and then adjusting how you shoot 

was nice and short that I really made a lot of progress 

with my photography. 

Film was good for teaching me to take the time to think 

about the shot, composing a scene before clicking the 

shutter but that is only the start of the process – learning 

how to use RAW format shooting and then the right 

software to manipulate the image is where things began 

to really take off for me. 

I wouldn’t say I have a preferred genre, I end up 

doing quite a few landscape and architecture shots 

interspersed with wildlife – Zealandia with a 150–600mm 

lens is a favourite spot. The camera ends up being a 

great excuse to travel and see chunks of the countryside 

but I am an engineer by trade so I quite enjoy getting 

into the technical side where I can so I end up dabbling 

in things like astrophotography, shooting fireworks, and 

working on various pet projects. 

One long term project I’m working on is to recreate 

Pink Floyd’s ‘Dark Side of the Moon’ album cover as a 

practical shot. I have tried various experiments using 

prisms and different forms of lighting to try and achieve 

that and have come close but not quite got it to where 

I want it to be. 

I do enjoy setting myself challenges such as trying to 

create an album cover for a favourite artist/song or 

submitting photos to a competition with a particular 

theme to see if I can visually interpret it in a different 

way. In fact, one of my most prominent images came 

out of an informal competition based on the theme 

of contrasts. It can be a bit hit and miss as what you 

consider obvious in an image can quite often be subtle 

to others, that is where I find being active in various 

groups helps. 

I used to be a member of the Wellington Photographic 

Society but had to stop that when I needed to move to 

Auckland for a few years. Once I was back in Wellington I 

found that the social landscape had changed a bit 

and meetups were more my speed. So I’ve been out 

pretty regularly for the photo-walks with the Wellington 

Photography Meetup Group which is run by New 

Zealand Photography Workshops together with the Excio 

Photo Community. I’ve also joined a more casual Coffee 

and Photography group known as CAPES and attend 

the more focused Coach with the Camera group. It has 

been a good boost because each group provides a 

different approach to photography as well as getting 

that regularity going. 

For me, photography is often an intensely singular activity – 

a lot of it is about capturing a scene in your own unique 

style. But doing that in a group provides a good way to 

see how others are interpreting the same thing and also 

share techniques and ideas. Often someone will be trying 

a camera technique for fun – like rotating and zooming 

during the exposure to see what effect they get. It is a 

great way to spark creativity and each group usually brings 

something different. The Coach with a Camera group, for 

instance, is much more focused around doing something 

with the images created and less about the taking of them 

directly. It has been that group which has given me the 

motivation to put on an exhibition. 

Titled ‘The Celebration of Wellington’, my exhibition has a 

fairly loose theme – mostly an exploration of the Wellington 

region to try and give people an appreciation for the 

varied and beautiful environment we live in so the focus is 

fairly heavily towards landscapes with a few exceptions. 

My aim isn’t to sell anything, I want to do this more as a 

community activity of sharing some beautiful images 

and hopefully making people aware of some things they 

may not have seen. It doesn’t hurt that it is on in the rush 

up to Christmas to provide a bit of an antidote to all that 

busyness that is the norm for the holiday season! 

THE CELEBRATION OF WELLINGTON EXHIBITION 

9 TH ‐20 TH DECEMBER – 8.30AM‐6PM MON-FRI, 9AM‐5PM SATURDAY. 

LEVEL 1, AA CENTRE, 342 LAMBTON QUAY, WELLINGTON

Photography 

Unleashed 

PHOTO COMPETITION 

Submit your long exposure photos by 10 January 2020 

to be in to win an Unleashed smart camera control 

plus other great prizes. 

How much do you dare to expose? 

Check Out Now 

Sponsors

Wellington Heritage Photo Quest 

The architecture of any city is a reflection of its history 

and in the case of Wellington we can look back 

over the last 150 years. You can find examples 

of almost every architectural style – from wooden 

structures to ArtDeco with Chicago-influenced industrial 

high-rise buildings in the CBD. From modern buildings 

to historical remnants of what were once beautiful 

facades, Wellington provides a great number of photo 

opportunities for those who love to try their hand at 

architectural and urban photography. 

There are still many places around the city that have 

survived from the early days of its settlement by the 

Europeans. Many of the building may at first glance 

seem ordinary but if you do some research and explore 

a bit more you will soon see the layers of history revealing 

themselves. In fact, some buildings may only be fully 

appreciated when they are considered in the context 

of the era they were built in. Think about some of the 

buildings that we see every day on our way to/from 

work, more than 600 times a year, that we never have 

enough time to pay attention to, these very buildings 

may have represented a revolutionary shift in design 

and architecture 50 or 100 years ago. Changes in 

architectural style always reflect the development of the 

nation and with the help of photographs we take today, 

our descendants 100 years into the future will be able to 

see what ‘modern’ Wellington looked like back in the 

21st century. 

By capturing buildings and architecture we create history 

– what stands there right now may not exist tomorrow. As 

photographers who care about #PhotographyForGood 

we need to make sure that the generations after us can 

appreciate and enjoy what we see today even if it is no 

longer standing in the future. Cities are always in a state 

of continuous transition and transformation. Think of any 

place you visited a few years ago, if you go back there 

in 10 or 20 years you may not recognise the look of it. 

The power of photography is that it not only freezes 

the moment but it shows the ‘collective’ view of 

photographers. Last month more than 50 photographers 

took part in the Heritage Photo Quest organized by 

the Excio photo community. Photographers were 

encouraged to capture the most interesting buildings 

and learn more about the history of Wellington city. 

On the following pages, you will see many different 

perspectives from some of the photographers who 

took part. It is always amazing to be able to see after a 

photo walk what other photographers have captured. 

Photographers see things differently and that’s great – 

see for yourself different reflections, long exposures, and 

the perspectives and angles captured by creative and 

talented Wellington photographers. 

To find out more information or take a walk along our 

heritage trail at your own pace visit www.excio.io/ 

heritagewalk 

MICHAEL HARRIS 

44 NZPhotographer

ANDY HEPWORTH 

DAVID WILCOCK 

DAVID WILCOCK 


CLINT MAXWELL 

CLINT MAXWELL 

46 NZPhotographer



MARGARET JEUNE 


JOANNA SHRIGLEY 


48 NZPhotographer 

EMMA HISSEY

EMMA HISSEY 

CLINT MAXWELL 

ANA LYUBICH 


What’s The Most Important Thing 

In Photography? 

By Ana Lyubich 

Lets’ think, what answers jump into your mind? 

You might be thinking that the most important thing 

in photography is to have a really good camera. 

How else do you get that perfect shot if you don’t 

have the right gear? But wait, what about those 

slightly out of focus shots or the ones with lots of 

noise that captured that perfect moment, that 

smile? Ok, so it’s not about the gear. 

In that case the most important thing in 

photography must be composition? The rule of 

thirds, having a straight horizon, and the lines, 

light, shadows being perfectly presented. If that’s 

the answer does it mean we then say that there is 

nothing important in creative shots? So no, it can’t 

be about the composition. 

Third time lucky – the most important thing in 

photography must be about planning the shot! 

Mastering it in-camera so then you don’t need 

to do any post-processing later. No but wait, you 

can’t plan street photography, you can’t plan that 

split second, the look in someone’s eyes. Planning 

your photo session is a sign of good discipline and 

will definitely lead to success but photography is 

about being in the right place at the right time and 

having your finger on the shutter release ready to 

capture the moment so that’s not the answer. 

What about colour? Black and white? Could that 

be the most important thing in photography? There 

is definitely a lot to learn about light and shadows 

and it takes a lot of time and practice to know 

how to shoot in different lighting conditions but 

sometimes the images that were shot against the 

50 


light, that are faded away, are the ones that most 

often touch our souls. 

Ok, so it absolutely has to be about gaining 

experience – the more you practice the more you 

know and can master your skills. Right? I would 

agree with just one exclusion – why, when out of 

millions of people who have dedicated their lives 

to photography and have years and years of 

practice, do we only know a few names? Is it about 

popularity? Talent? Connections? Networks? 

Let me stop playing this guessing game with you 

and put you out of your misery. 

To me, the most important thing in photography is 

the magic. It is a combination of some of the things 

mentioned above that enables you to capture 

moments so that years later (if those moments are 

still important to you) you can easily travel back in 

time. 

Don’t make photography the sole purpose of an 

experience. Don’t spend hours overthinking the 

composition - it doesn’t matter in the end. What 

matters is being able to fast forward a few years, 

and have your photos take you back to that 

moment in time when you pressed the shutter 

button so that you can re-live the experience. 

Photography must be something bigger than 

having that perfectly exposed shot. It must be able 

to bring back the atmosphere of that moment, the 

people around you, the smells, your thoughts and 

feelings at that exact point in time. Without that 

your photographs won’t do their magic and won’t 

work as time machines. They will be just ‘prints for 

sale’ and silent reminders of you missing being in 

that moment. 

Every time I look at my photos I instantly find myself 

exactly in that moment be it at Washington railway 

station or Chengdu panda reserve. Just by looking 

at those photos the conversations, laughter, 

feelings and everything associated with every trip 

and occasion comes back to life. When I look at 

the photos from my Denmark trip this time last year, 

my fingers start freezing again and I remember 

the smell of cinnamon and the sound of Christmas 

music in the fairy-tale-like Tivoli gardens. Which of 

your images bring back memories and emotions 

like that? 

Many of you will be travelling over the Christmas 

period and while I of course look forward to seeing 

what you capture over the holidays, always 

remember to bring back experiences, not polished 

photography techniques. 


A Mirror View 

by Brendon Gilchrist 

Lake Matheson is the most photogenic 

lake on the West Coast of New Zealand 

and draws in thousands of tourists every 

year but few think about the 14,000 year 

old history as they take their photos and 

admire the view. You see, Lake Matheson 

started out as a river of ice formed from 

a large Glacier called Fox. When glaciers 

retreat they change the landscape, moving 

huge boulders and creating depressions in 

the land which then creates lakes giving us 

delights such as this. 

There are a few vantage points to view the 

mountains over Lake Matheson but only one 

place gives that iconic picture postcard view 

that you must have in your collection of images. 

Thankfully, I arrived at Lake Matheson a day 

ahead of schedule so that I could scout out 

where I needed to be to get the famous 

shot. I was shooting a time-lapse at one of 

the viewpoints in what I thought was the right 

place but I soon realised Aoraki didn’t seem 

to be quite where I thought it should be. 

I waited for the time-lapse to finish as it was 

still looking really good and then packed up 

to see if I could capture Aoraki in the correct 

position. 

It was getting a little dark but I had my head 

torch and the track was easy enough to 

follow, so I headed off around the lake. 

I found a place called The Views Of Views 

which, to be fair, had a nice view but it was 

not the view of the view that I wanted to 

F10, 1/200s, ISO100 

52 


F10, 1/200s, ISO100 

view!! I carried on and found a signpost that 

said Reflection Island. 

I walked down some steps to get almost to 

lake level and looked towards Aoraki – Yes, 

this was the view I came for! Now I knew 

exactly where I’d be heading for sunrise 

but I still didn’t know where I’d be spending 

the night – Grateful for phone signal I gave 

Backpackers a call and got myself a bed. 

Now safe in the knowledge that I had 

somewhere to sleep, I continued shooting 

as I still hadn’t captured the shot nor the 

time lapses I wanted. I was getting hopeful 

for my sunrise shoot though, the weather 

was looking really good and there was 

snow down quite low on the mountains so 

I would be able to get my Winter shot of Lake 

Matheson with reflections. 

Deciding that the cloud around the 

mountains was too much now, I decided to 

pack up – I was getting tired and still had a 

30 minute walk to the car, then a short 10 

minute drive to Fox Glacier township. 

Next morning, when it was still dark out and 

everyone else in the dorm was still asleep, I was 

waking up. Having already pre-packed the night 

before I slipped out of the dorm as quietly as 

possible and dropped my key off. Walking outside 

it was chilly with ice on the parked vehicles so I lost 

5 minutes defrosting my car which wasn’t part of 

my early morning plan but I was soon off, driving 

towards the lake and then parking up, gathering 

my camera gear for the 30 minute walk. 

There was a slight glow on the hills when 

I started walking which made me walk 

that bit faster, not wanting to miss out on 

my much-hoped-for postcard shot. As I 

kept walking around the lake to Reflection 

Island I caught a glimpse of the water 

showing a crystal clear reflection. That 

made me excited as there was lots of 

low cloud hanging around the lake and 


the mountains – My postcard shot of Lake 

Matheson was in reach! 

Reaching the turn off for Reflection Island 

and walking down what seemed like a cloud 

onto the platform just above the lake, my first 

thought was ‘wow, I have this view to myself, 

I am beyond blessed’. With clouds in every 

layer, the steam rising off the lake due to 

the sun hitting it, clouds above Mount Cook, 

clouds creating an unreal atmosphere around 

the mountains, and snow well below the bushline 

I was wondering ‘Is this place even real?’. 

It was mid-week, not the weekend so I was 

hopeful that not too many other people 

would turn up as I needed to use the fence 

post to rest my camera on for the time-lapse 

as I only had one tripod to use (my second 

one broke) and I needed that for the stills. 

I put my go-to 14–24mm lens on and took 

a few shots at 14mm and then 24mm but 

neither composition looked good. I only 

had one other lens to turn to, my big 80– 

200mm zoom, my 50mm being used for the 

time-lapse on my other camera. Turning 

the camera back on I knew I’d found the 

composition I was looking for, even though 

the lake is known for its reflection, the 

superimposed mountains at 80mm were 

looking insanely beautiful. 

As the sun kept rising and the clouds kept 

moving, the light hitting the clouds and the 

mountains, the trees aglow, the ducks and 

other birds waking up for the day, the scene 

was blowing my mind – I could not have 

asked for anything better. 

I took around 1000 images at Lake Matheson 

that morning, most of those being time lapses, 

but the number doesn’t matter – I got the shots 

I wanted and am ecstatic that I captured 

something unique to this lake and something 

I said a few years ago that I would never do; 

shoot what everyone else is shooting. 

My postcard images of Matheson are now in 

my collection and show not just one average 

shot of a perfect reflection but tell a story, 

not just my story, but of a morning that was 

just meant to be – a perfect morning. 

I still look at my reflection image for 

inspiration, reminding myself that no 

reflection is perfect, that there is always a 

ripple somewhere. 

54 

NZPhotographer 

F11, 1/125s, ISO100

THE GALLERY IS PROUDLY SUPPORTED BY 

PORTFOLIO 

BEST READERS' SUBMISSIONS THIS MONTH 


56 


THE MIGHTY 

MOUNTAINS MYTHEN 

F11, 1/100s, ISO200, 67mm 

On my trip up Stoos with the worlds steepest 

funicular railway in Switzerland, I saw the 

beautiful mountain panorama, the Mythen. 

Anita Ruggle 


58 


TREE OF LIFE - SAMOA 

F3.7, 1/200s, ISO125 

The Samoans call the coconut tree, the Tree of 

Life. Almost all parts of a coconut tree can be 

used. Taken near where a devastating tsunami 

washed into Samoa a few years ago on a 

Samsung 6 Galaxy phone. 

Ann Kilpatrick 


60 


WHICH WAY? 

F9, 1/320s, 35mm 

Seeking directions, or maybe just having a chat, 

with the helpful information ladies, near Flinders 

Street Station, Melbourne. 

Ann Kilpatrick 


62 


SURVIVORS 

F5.6, 1/2500s, ISO640, 20mm 

Photo taken at Craters of the Moon in Taupo. 

It's amazing how plants can survive this kind of 

soil temperature. Truly one of New Zealand's 

interesting attractions. 

Anne Balila 


64 


CANTONSVILLE, MARYLAND 

It is sometimes difficult to find a perfect place to 

photograph moving traffic. When I saw this area while 

visiting Maryland in the USA I knew I could get the shot. 

Chick Piper 


66 


ALASKA GLACIER 

F3.7, 1/200s, ISO125 

GLACIER BAY, ALASKA 

Where the glacier meets the sea. 

Corinne Moor 


"A STORY TO TELL" 

F9, 1/125s, ISO200 

This photograph was taken in a small village 

near the town of Konya in Turkey. The people in 

the area live as best they can from the land with 

sheep and other animals. 

Don McLeod 

68 



70 


BURANO ABSTRACT 

Taken on the colourful island of Burano, Venice. 

Gail Orgias 


STREET MUSICIAN, PARIS 

F3.7, 1/200s, ISO125 

This musician was one of many performing at a 

busy morning market in Paris. 

Gail Orgias 

72 



74 


CATHEDRAL COVE 

F8, .6s, ISO100 

Cathedral Cove in the Coromandel is an iconic 

destination for overseas visitors to New Zealand. 

The perfect scenario for this shot was sunrise to 

capture the light reflection on the rocks and the 

early morning low tide to wash the multitude of 

footprints from the previous day away. 

It was a 5am start for the hour walk to get to the 

location. My hope was to have the place to 

myself as by 7am the water taxi's begin arriving. 

Graham Jones 


76 


ROUGH RIDE 

Okere Falls in Rotorua has the most thrilling white 

water rafting with the highest 7m Tutea Falls as 

the highlight. If you are a thrill seeker this should 

be on your bucket list. 

Linda Cutche 


78 


COLOURS OF INDIA 

F8, 1/200s 

Walking through the Red Fort in Delhi one is 

constantly impressed by the vivid colours. This 

image portrays one of the many women who 

spend their day at the site in the hope of getting 

a few coins from passing travellers who are in 

awe of their elegance and charm. I was careful 

to select a background that would speak of the 

environment and complement the colours. 

Paul Rea 


80 


GOA FISH MARKET 

F8, 1/125s, ISO12800 

The Goa market is a dark congested space, an 

amazing sensory experience. The colours and 

contrasts make it difficult to capture the characters 

who make it so interesting. I was determined to 

keep my images sharp so I hiked the ISO up. 

Paul Rea 


82 


HELLO WINTER 

It was supposed to be spring, but on this 

particular day a frosty sleet had little respect for 

the calendar in Saint Petersburg, Russia. 

Peter Kurdulija 


84 


1600 METRES UP 

EYJAFJALLAJÖKULL 

F11, ISO200, 18mm 

Travel is awesome experiences such as Gunnar 

taking us to the summit of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland 

in his ‘truck’. It was a beautiful sunny spring day and 

even at 1600 metres was quite warm (for Iceland). 

The two people in the distance gives some idea as 

to the expanse of the summit. 

Peter Maiden 


86 


HUNT FOR THE 

WILDEBEEST 

F11, 1/1000s, ISO200, 300mm 

On safari in Botswana during a dust storm, these 

animal silhouettes drew my attention. 

Rudolph Kotze 


88 


ONWARDS AND UPWARDS 

Ski touring in the Two Thumb Range in Southern Alps of New 

Zealand is a great way to get away from it all. On this trip we 

started the journey actually carrying our skis until we hit the 

snow and then it was a steady upward climb. 

Sarah K Smith 


90 


SAILING AWAY 

F3.5, 1/400s, ISO100, 18mm 

A cruise ship leaving Tauranga Harbour. It 

almost seems impossible that there is enough 

water between the Mount and Matakana Island 

in the background. 

Tanya Rowe 


"THE ONLY THINGS I OWN WHICH 

ARE STILL WORTH WHAT THEY 

HAVE COST ME ARE MY TRAVEL 

MEMORIES.... THE MIND-PICTURES 

OF PLACES WHICH I HAVE BEEN 

HOARDING LIKE A HAPPY MISER." 

BURTON HOMES 

92

NZPhotographer Issue 26, December 2019

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