Flatlands

shhhhh Everything was dead quiet apart from my hiking boots slapping the rocks as I hurried around trying to sort out an impromptu "Plan B".

The calm below the storm

Reflection

Clevedon Coast - The Tourist Part 2

Pohutakawa Coast - The Tourist part 1

Kaiaua - The Gulf http://slightlypearshaped.blogspot.co.nz/2012/11/kaiaua-gulf.html

Port Waikato - The Kelp Gardens

Bethells beach - Swept Away

Anawhata - Parera Bay

Eastern Beach - Repetition

Tuakau Bridge - Color

Tuakau Bridge - The Halfway Point.

Murrays Bay

Piha - chasing Luna 5 RAW HDR 100mm f/5.6 1/5th sec for the action shot with the waves.

Just something to contrast heavily with yesterdays Urban HDR. Ran out of time trying to get to Te Arai, so took a quicky at Waiwera. I can't think of a title so I'm just calling it Waiwera. Two exposures same settings the difference is I rotated the CPL to first cool the sand then warm the driftwood up to contrast them. 10mm f 7.1 0.4 sec Offset +1&2/3 ISO 100mm CPL used

Mahurangi - A one, and a two, and a...

3x RAW HDR f/16 1/50 sec for the exposure with the water spray 10mm (so that water was coming right at me) ISO 100 CPL fitted. I was going to stay away from water as the subject of my next update but I've had such a crap day and this photo puts a smile on my face so yeah. Too bad if you're sick of water :P My camera, fortunately, did not get wet. My tripod and I did however. I also managed a very unmanly high pitched yelp. My voice is reasonably deep so that's usually pretty hard for me to pull off.

Magazine Bay - Fire So continuing with the Game of Thrones themed title, here is Fire the sister photo to Ice. Imagine if you will that trumpets and all sorts of fanfare erupted loudly when you read the title. It just made sense considering the rapid change in color warmth between the two photos. Though I promise you that the water was still extremely cold. Read more here

Magazine Bay - Ice I hate to be repetitive but I'm afraid today's and the next photo are sunrise/predawn shots with a pier as the central subject. This was not the plan. However the past week has for the most part gone completely sideways in terms of photography. Every time I went out, gear primed and brain doing the backstroke through coffee, it all went to to custard. Well except one morning... Read more here.

Ruapuki Part 2: A companion shot to this previous landscape Ruapuki I've only ever been there a few times but each of those times its been extremely windy with rough seas. A true New Zealand west coast beach you might say. I don't think it needs a lot said about it. You don't really talk much when you're at this kind of beach, you just huddle up against the cold, let the wind push you around a bit and enjoy it for what it is. Wild.

Maraetai: Read about it on my Blog

Un cadre pour la lune: Two things quickly. First the title should translate to "A frame for the moon"...hopefully. Its late and my brain feels like chalk dust so it might also translate to "Your ferret wears his hat well". I'm going to risk it purely because I like both statements. Read more on my blawg

Mangatawhiri: Mangatawhiri is one of 10 reservoirs that supply Auckland with drinking water. Which is why I was in no great rush to dip my feet in to cool off. I'd never be able to drink tap water again if I did. more at my blog

Perigee. "Sam, get some sleep. You're very tired." more info at my blog

Suns Path: Little known fact, the path to the sun actually has a a two lane road with speed bumps along side it.

Ruapuki: 1st in a series of 2 maybe three. Might actually be four I'm in dire need of 40 winks at time of uploading. Zzzzz.

Incoming!

Beware: Man with Cat. Listen very closely, what I'm about to tell you is 100% true. You can trust me. I'm from the Internet... complete tale @ my Blog

Above the Amphitheater: Oh god I miss coffee. Day two of a brief break to "reset" my tolerance to it and its like someone replaced my brain with play-dough. Anyway here is a photo! A bracketed set of 7 taken literally seconds before the sun disappeared. I tried to take another set in a slightly different position and height, but before I could even lock the tripod into place the sun was gone. More on my Blog

Behold! Waikarekare. Facebook Twitter Blog

Foothill Farms

This is one of my first HDR's, probably my third. Done a very long time ago now. It was taken near the lighthouse at the Manukau Heads but looking in to the entrance of the harbour and across to Little Huia. Before you ask I'm not sure where Big Huia is. Little Huia is a very picturesque settlement though. Well worth stopping there for a bit of a kai and a stroll if you're heading out to Whatipu of up to the Dam. More @ my blag

Stepping stones to the Oneiros. Some words about this shot on my Blog

Te Toto Gorge: Through the Trees. The weird thing about looking at this photo, I find, is I don't think it shows just how steep the drop off actually was. I like heights and I got very close to the edge here, a little further and I think I would have lost that love of heights.

Karekare. The Early Setting. The sun didn't actually set till about another hour and a half after taking this set, but it was the last time we saw the sun that day due to the storm clouds. I took this a fair while ago, and its actually probably the last time I used my 18-55mm kit lens. Most of the other shots that day are really soft because of the crappy filter I had on it, I took it off for this one though.

As far as Anaximander could see. Well worth the drive to get this. Had to convince my Dad, who was driving, to go the final leg around this gorge to reach here. Nearly offered him blinders. Not that I leapt up to take over the driving duties mind.

Kawakawa: I'm reduced to one word titles now. Taken after packing up the kayaks, it was the first day back out on the water after winter. You don't realise how much you miss it then its just well....I dunno it feels good to be out on the water at any rate : ) Many thanks to the seagull for coming in from the right. Cheque is in the mail pal.

God Rays over Orakei. Its late and I can't think of good titles right now.

Same as previous but most of the color removed using Onone's Modern Antique filter.

A mountain stream running down the side of Mt Te Aroha in the Waiorongomai valley. Damn near froze my toes off taking this.

Rock formations and rock pools near Goat Island.

Bridal Falls just to the south east of Mt Karioi. 50 odd meter drop to the bottom.

Raglan. View from the roadside.

Tawharanui Regional Park: The rocky path to the beach. You can walk along here at most high tides, though we actually walked down to here on the way back from further along the peninsula.