A moody night at Castlepoint in the Wairarapa. With rain imminent I set the camera up for a long exposure for something a little less typical of the lighthouse. As it got darker and darker I kept adding more time, until after my best guess I closed the shutter after 12 minutes. Quite an ethereal effect.

Canon 5DII + Zeiss ZE 21mm Distagon + Lee Big Stopper

An opportunist shot taken from the back of my cabin on the fringes of Lake Tekapo during the big snowstorm in early July. I hunkered down under another large Redwood to get this shot as the snow pounded down.

Canon 5DII + Zeiss ZE 21mm

Taken deep in the Waitaki Valley in Southern Canterbury. Beyond the distant range the roads were becoming impassable but on this side the only weather to contend with was the howling southerly gale. I decided to use this to my advantage and let the foreground tussocks behave appropriately.

Canon 5DII + Zeiss ZE21mm + Lee Pro ND 3 Stop + Lee 3 Stop Grad Filter

I was sunset shooting at the Kaikoura Peninsular when the gulls that were gracing my foreground got spooked. Quite an eerie effect as they made a run for it.

Canon 5DII + Carl Zeiss ZE 21mm + Lee 0.9 ND Grad Filter + Lee 0.9 Pro ND Filter

The calm after the storm. Hard to believe just hours prior to this shot I was digging out the vehicle in one of the worst blizzards theyve had in these parts for some time. The gale force winds have put the melt into high-speed mode!

Canon 5DII + Carl Zeiss 35-70 + B+W Circular Polariser + 2 Stop ND Grad Filter

Looking towards the seaward Kaikoura's on New Zealand's east coast.

Canon 5DII + Carl Zeiss ZE21mm + Lee 0.9 ND Grad Filter

Kaiteriteri Beach at the top of New Zealand's, South Island. A very popular retreat in the summer months, but in the middle of winter we were the only ones there. I used a 10 stop ND filter to give me a very long exposure. The idea was to try and add some interest to the moving clouds. This is the resulting 8 minute exposure!

Canon 5DII, Carl Zeiss ZE 21mm + Lee Big Stopper + 3 stop hard ND Filter

Cave Rock in Sumner near Christchurch. The sea has been boiling over the last few days so I hoped for a great sunrise to top it all off. Not quite there but still a shot I like for the dramatic waves. Our distinct lack of winter certainly helps the morning patrols..

Canon 5DII + Carl Zeiss Distagon 21mm + 3 Stop Lee Graduated ND filter

A crisp winters morning turned into a beautiful dawn. It didnt explode quite as I  hoped, but the eary start was still well worth the effort. Even though a strong earthquake ("aftershock") shook the ground beneath me during the session crashing boulders down behind me. I love the way the strong overhead winds have created the sky effect. Now, time to explore the North Island....

Canon 5DII + Carl Zeiss ZE 21mm lens + 2 stop Lee Grad ND filter

Stranded by the incoming tide (again). The sea was actually menacing and incredibly powerful this morning but I like the serenity of this capture. Taken about half an hour before sunrise.

Canon 5DII + Zeiss Distagon 21mm + Lee 3 stop pro ND