New Zealand
Aotearoa (The Land of the Long White Cloud)
New Zealand is gorgeous! Strikingly beautiful. Definitely worth a visit! How fitting to have the Maori name, Aotearoa, or “Land of the Long White Cloud.” That’s because you’ll notice the dramatic clouds in many of my photos that were taken there…a great ingredient for landscape photography!
I’m going to do my best to show a few examples of what we encountered on our recent visit to New Zealand. Unbelievable scenery, extremely friendly people, interesting cities, great food, and adventures of every variety and level.
Above is a photo of the top of the impressive mountain range as we flew to Milford Sound (actually, a fjord). Lookin’ good in black and white, I believe. And I’ll try to have a photo or two of the stunning Milford Sound in subsequent blog posts about New Zealand.
Judy and I were led to this beach by Gayle and Russ…our family who are living in New Zealand now (part of the impetus for moving this trip up the bucket list!!). They told us that this beach was extremely dangerous, though it is a favorite spot for adventurous surfers. When we were there, we were fortunate (in a way!) to run into a storm which provided a nice recipe for photos! And, yes, my camera and lens got very wet, but they can take a little bit of water!!
I saw this pair walking on the beach and waited as they walked into an interesting composition.
A stitched panorama of Aoraki Mount Cook. What an amazing scene we saw as we drove away…had to stop the car and take this photo from the road. While we had stayed there, we took a helicopter ride to the top of a glacier and got to walk around a bit on the snow.
Iconic image of a Maori warrior. They used this facial expression to ward off or intimidate invaders or strangers. I get it. They also do a traditional Maori dance called a “haka” which adds to the atmosphere. The Maori tribes arrived in New Zealand several hundred years before the Europeans.
Imagine…we were just walking through the Government Gardens in Rotorua and came across this fantastic landscape scene. Perfect timing and ingredients…early evening, tranquil night, and dramatic blue clouds (to add a little more interest to the scene). As it turns out, this is the Rotorua Museum, but it is currently closed for repairs.
Many of you know I like to get people into my photos. Strangers included. This was taken as we walked to the harbor for dinner one night in Queenstown. This guy was sitting on the ledge, smoking, and I simply stopped to take a composition with him in the foreground. I took three exposures before this one, but he wasn’t looking at me in the others. I guess he gave in…or wondered what I was up to!
This was, eh, weird. It’s the cockpit of a jet…just the cockpit. Located in Christchurch (the largest city in the South Island), in Hagley Park and adjacent to Christ’s College. It’s a beautiful park and impressive “English Styled” school with this airplane right there…though you may be able to see the sign that the cockpit was closed at this time. Anyways, this guy was sitting there and he didn’t seem to care that I was taking a photo. I imagine he knew he was in it since I was so close to him. I rattled off a few frames and picked this one where he’s smoking and NOT looking at me.
Thanks for joining me on this blog. And, be sure to click the light blue hyperlinks throughout the text for more explanations!
More New Zealand photos coming soon! I have so many. Plus, follow the other social media sites (below) for more images!
Beautiful! Glad you had a great trip. Talk to you soon. Barb
Yep…it was a great trip! Beyond our expectations.
Omg. That guy with the tongue looks just like you! Wonderful pictures. Wish I was there!
Oh yes! I’m a very scary guy!
Do go if you can…it’s a wonderful place to visit.
Thanks.
Great Pictures! You captured the essence of NZ
Thanks, Gayle! More to come.
Appreciate your help…for sure!
My daughter just got back from driving around New Zealand in a camper with a couple friends. I’m looking forward to sharing your sites and experiences with her.
Excellent!
Maybe we passed them on the road!?!?
This is just the beginning. So many great sights and sites.
Every direction a picture postcard. Post more soon. Everyone else-start planning your trip.
I agree…always something interesting to experience and look at.
I’ll be posting more soon…such a variety of scenes to choose!
Beautiful images of where I hope to visit! So glad you & Judy went & thank you for sharing your wonderful photos.
Hugs to both of you
Hugs back!
Yes…you would love it there. So much to see and do. And, wonderful food and unbelievably friendly people. Far away, but worth the trip.
Glad you like the photos!
Hey Stephen-what great
pics & explinations of them. Also it sounds like
you & Judy had a wonderful experience .
Yes…a truly wonderful experience! Especially coming from an artist like you, it’s good to hear you like the photos!
I do enjoy talking about the photos. Part of the fun of the adventure.
An amazing country!!
After our conversation and your blog I want to go back.
I can’t wait to see more.
Les
Hey! I’m ready to go back, too!!
More coming…
Thx.
These are terrific, as always. I want to see your New York pictures.
Glad you like these, Lois. Thanks.
Not sure if I’m gonna make a post with NY photos, but I have been putting up some on Instagram (sml_photo).
Hello Stephen, we’re the couple you met at breakfast in Shelborne villa in Nelson. We love these pictures and think they really capture New Zealand. We thought the place was amazing and plan to go back in a couple of years. We’d like to see how Christchurch has changed in the interim. Did you go to Tekapo by any chance. David and Jill.
Hi David and Jill! SO glad and interesting to hear from you! Of course, we remember crossing paths in Nelson.
I don’t think we went to Tekapo, off the top of my head. I think we approached Mt. Cook from the other direction. There’s SO much to see there! Spectacular scenery.
Glad you like the photos. I have a ton more! I’ll be making more New Zealand blog posts shortly. And, I’m also posting some photos on Instagram (sml_photo) and my Facebook Photo page (Stephen M. Levin Photography) if you’re interested. Actually, today I’m going to sort through photos from Christchurch. I’d also like to see how it changes. Perhaps another visit!
Thanks for stopping by! Let’s keep in touch.
Beautiful,stunning,interesting compositions accompanied by great commentaries….a nice way to end my today with a smile..
Can’t wait to see more …Thanks
That’s so nice, Joyce! You, in turn, gave me a smile! Glad you enjoyed the photos.
Stephen, Thanks for the photos. You must make prints, or is that old fashioned? What a great trip. Lynda & Bob your Goodman seatmates
Thanks for stopping by, Lynda!
I do make prints, though not as often as I should. It’s so nice to enjoy a physical photo rather than only a screen image. So much easier (and more creative control) than it used to be in the darkroom.
And, yes…a fantastic trip!
Yup, New Zealand is AWESOME! Can’t wait to be back there next year!
AWESOME is just one of the superlatives I have used to describe NZ! haha I agree!