Category: Blog 2018

Well the wifes not back  but the children are.

You had previously crossed out 2 weeks in your appointment book  to  go to Germany for a Dental trades show in Cologne. Then you decide not to go. So what do you do instead?

You go on another road trip  and leave the children at home-they’re old enough to look after themselves.

This time I fly to Christchurch and pick up a rental car for me and my three legged companion and we drive away into the sunset. Yes we are heading for the West Coast.

But wait, did I have an itinerary?  Did I know where I was going? Nope, not really, I only booked the first night in Arthurs Pass.This was the beauty of my plan and a long time dream. Just go and photograph with no time constraints or any other obligations -like wife waiting in the car!  You only need  fuel in the tank, and fresh water in the car. I did buy some fruit and a muesli bar as part of my survival kit if I did get stuck somewhere.

Just after picking up the car I dropped in to see my friend and mentor John Foster. He gave me lessons in the past on portrait photography and wedding photography. This time we sat in front of his laptop and John gave me a list of places  that I should visit. Most of them (should I say all) I had never even heard of. Places like Jacksons bay (below Haast), St Bathans (Central Otago), Hooker Valley (Mt Cook), Nugget Pt (Catlins) and the list goes on filling up the pages in my note book. John is a real expert on NZ and photographic locations as he runs photo tours regularly. I am especially grateful for John’s  willingness to share his knowlege.

To cut a two week story short, I had a great time, met wonderful people and other photographers along the way. You can tell the photographers from the tourist by their big cameras and long lenses. They also have their three legged companions and of different breeds. I took around 2400 shots but just a few made it to the website. My 5 and 4 star ratings (personal) make it to the Home page and Blog. The 3 star into the gallery. And the rest wait on my hard drive for their ultimate demise-“delete” or “reformat”. Actually its not really death row for the leftovers as I tend to keep then and eventually pass them over to another drive. As mentioned in a previous blog its amazing how you discover a “keeper’ months after or years down the track which you had previously passed over.

I have divided all my photos for the website into 3 separate subjects and release dates. The first being Aoraki/ Mt Cook and the Mckenzie Country area.

The second being The West Coast. And the third the Catlins.

You may also notice  that a lot of my photos are of insignificant objects or scenes. These are definitely not the beautiful great sweeping landscapes you see in the bookshops by famous NZ photograhers like Andris Apse and Petr Hlavacek- I visited both their galleries. The images I do are more what I call a photostudy  with a leaning towards photojournalism. This is an exercise in Light and how in just a few seconds it can change the scene, turning it from something mediocre into something magic. Its a bit like passing a South Island town- don’t blink otherwise you will miss it!

1.    Hooker Valley Walk. Mt Cook/Aoraki.

30 March 2017    Nikon D750    iso 200    f4.0    1/750sec    Nikon 24-70mmf2.8

9 July 2017

Well that’s what they say in the movies. Somehow Go West Geriatric Man doesn’t quite work unless the toilet is in that direction.

To continue from my previous blog, I picked up my Nissan Tidia from Apex rentals and headed off into the sun set (and you will see many in my photos).

Fortunately the car radio had an Aux in socket so I could plug in my Sony Walkman and play the contents of my CD library from one device. HA ! you exclaim people have been doing it for years with their MP3 players so, whats so special about even mentioning it in your blog?  Well for a start I’m very new to this personal audio business. I just learnt how to use Bluetooth and this tooth doesn’t need root canal treatment ! In fact I’m only  6 months into the personal audio scene. It all started when my wife left me all alone in a shopping mall in Hong Kong last Christmas.  So after all this hapless wandering I discovered this Sony Shop. I discovered a new Sony Walkman.

I dicovered FLAC files. I managed in the next few days courtesy of internet a quick catch up on digital audio over the last 20 years. Not bad for a Vinyl man.

Personally I can’t stand MP3 sound as too much is missing and it hurts my ears.  FLAC  files contain all the audio detail, just like comparing JPEG to Raw files and we photographers know what thats all about !  So now I can finally enjoy quality audio similiar to my last walkman which had a cassette tape containing only 1 album in the machine. Now I have over 150 ! And no tape hiss….

So gotta get some good road music playing to set the mood.

When I use to travel from Dunedin to Blenheim in my Mini during term breaks a constant favourite was “Born to be Wild” (Stepphenwolf -Easy Rider theme)

“looking for adventure, travelling down the highway” as the lyrics go.

Hey that’s the story of my life looking back over 60 years. Born to be Mild.

That reminds me I only got the vinyl, or else my brothers got it. Need to get the CD and “rip’ it into FLAC files for safe audio consumption.

So what do I play instead? The soundtrack to “The Guadians of the Galaxy”.  Great movie and he had a Sony Walkman!

So the sounds of Blue Swede  “Hooked on a Feeling”  permeate the “luxury” cabin of the Nissan competing with the road noise.

But wait  something else is missing…. Fortunately I come to Darfield and there is a Sign, one of many along the highway. These Signs or Shrines have been providing solace for many a road side traveller. What is this vision that comes before me…..Tip Top

There I buy my Hokey Pokey ice cream and now my provisions for the journey are complete. I am and my palate are fully prepared for the adventure that lies ahead .

Hooked on a Feeling and the crunch of Hokey Pokey.

1.    19 March 2017    Pororari River track   Nikon D800    iso200    50mm    f9.0    1/15sec    Nikon 24-70mmf2.8

2.    Pororari River track, Punakaiki.   Nikon D800    iso 200   62mm    f4.0    1/160sec

3.    19 March 2017    Hokitika   Nikon D800    iso200    300mm    f11    1/250sec    Nikon PF300mm f4.0

4.    19 March 2017    Hokitika    Nikon D800    iso 200    50mm    f5.6    1/50sec

5.    20 March 2017    Okarito    Nikon D800    iso 200    56mm    f11    1/800sec

26 November 2016

Normally on my birthday I usually spend a long weekend going to the South island doing some landscape photography as previously witnesed on this very website. i had already planned to go to Hokitika and do the Westcoast with Sally. Flights had been booked, rental car arranged and accomodation organised. However my dad died unexpectedly and we had to go to Blenheim instead for his funeral. This year is definitely one for the books. It represents for the Bing family (my siblings) the end of an era with dads passing and the sale of our motels. Bings Motel has been on the travellers list for 50 years in Blenheim and its surprising how many kiwis  throughout New Zealand had stayed there. And of couse there was Brexit, Trump, Wellington earthquakes, floods- what a year!

Anyway I still had an airticket to visit dad booked early October. So I arranged to meet my brother there to tidy up a few remaining things at the motels and also spend a couple of days doing photography as i was suffering from Landscape Photography withdrawal symtoms. Common symptoms include an itchy shutter finger, squinting one eye and a weeping camera trying to get out of the camera bag. So i booked a car to go to Mapua one night (Friday night) and spend the next 2 days in Blenheim. As there was nothing to do on the Sunday I took a day trip to the Nelson Lakes and flew to Wellington on the Monday.

Mapua

What a great place . its always been my favourite spot of all NZ. Memories of the tranquil estuary, smoked fish have always been with me but I have never seriouslly photographed that place. I did a music video previous to my digital camera days but I hadn’t returned for many years.

After flying into Blenheim on Friday morning i picked up the hire car (Mazda demio) and drove to Mapua. I stayed outside Mapua  at this wonder B&B called Cats Pyjammas which was rated 4 stars but my travel experience was definitely 5 stars (see my Tripadvisor review). I don’t normally do surveys or reviews but who could refuse the wishes of an attractive Scandanavian lady…. (oh Chris you never change). I photographed the late afternoon till sunset at Mapua. Bought my smoked fish and fish and chips at the local takeaway in the Village. I ate the meal and sampled the wonderful wine at the Rimu Grove wine bar. Normally I’m not a fan of Nelson wines (parochial Marborough Man) but I was amazed at the quality of the Rimu Grove wine and even bought 6 bottles of Pinot Noir. I’m  not even a fan of Pinots! I met some very nice people along the waterside and I had great converstions with Rimu Grove wine maker, Patrick Stowe. I even got to sample some of the other wine they produce and the chadonnay was also excellent-I’m not even a chardonnay drinker as well and I am a life member of the ABC club. For you non winnos out there that means “Anything But Chadonnay”.

But to change the subject slightly you are reading from the blog of one of the greatest contradictions, or even hypocrites (I think that is too strong a word) of all time! I don’t drink Sauvignon Blanc (I get tired of all the  cats pee and gooseberry) but when I go to Blenheim I buy the most expensive white wine in my cellar. Its a Sauvignon blanc! Brancott Estate Chosen Rows. I don’t drink chandonnay much but my cellar is full of quality Chadonnay- and none of it is that oakey buttery crap. With Pinoir a lot of the time they are overpriced compared to other varietals. You pay good money for a decent pinot – over $50nz. Where as you can often get a very good Syrah that exceeds it price range. I told Patrick that this is the first time i had a pinot that exceeded its price point in quality and taste-the “Bronte”. Thats why I bought 6 bottles. I took 2 bottles to Hong kong recently for my sister in law Winnie who is a wine expert and retailer. She confirmed my tastebuds or judment weren’t 100% stuffed. Although she has reservations on my lack of appreciation of sparkling wines especially expensive Champagnes. This inconsistency extends to all my loves in life. I like fast cars and buy a Skoda. I appreciate great movies but enjoy watching a lot of crap B grade or worse and, with repeated viewings! Even some Tom cruise movies…. I have a beautiful wife and look at me. Must be my charishma. I have Nikon cameras but rave and recommend Fuji to everyone. Whew, the bugger finally gets back to photography. This is not a wine blogg you might say.

Back to Mapua- sorry the wine got to my head. The next morning I got up before breakfast to capture the sunrise. Unfortunately it was cloudy but I still got some lovely shots. Hopefully from these photos you can experience the reason I love to visit Mapua.

Nelson Lakes

On Sunday I drove to Lake Rotoiti. On the way I managed to go to the Tophouse for the first time and had a lovely lunch there and great converstions with the owner (who knew my sister) At the lake I forgot about one thing…….. the sandflies!!!!. Soon as you are out of the car, bang you get bitten. Go back into the car and its full of sandlflies. I was itchy for a week. The weather all day was intermittent rain. There wasn’t much to photograph at Lake Rotoiti so I drove on to Lake Rotorua which is a lot more isolated. I forgot how long a drive it was as well. Anyway the lighting wasn’t much so I stayed in the car a slept for an hour. You can do that mucking around stuff when travelling alone. Then the rainbows came out. No pot of gold though, only flying ducks.