How is it possible for an ocean to look so moody, yet peaceful both at the same time? It’s an odd occurrence to see a wonderful hue of colours linger in the distance while at the same time wondering if the large dark clouds gathering in the distance are about to open with a torrent of rain. I’d been watching the clouds engulf the sky on the horizon, noticing at the same time the wind had picked up while the temperature dropped. Somewhere across the Pacific Ocean it was bound to be raining, yet here on the point looking out across the sea, the sky seemed to be in an erratic and impulsive mood.
The Royal Albert Hotel (aka The Albert Arms, aka The Bog)
I was in the inner city to complete a few errands and tasks that I had either been putting-off, avoiding or simply procrastinating over. They hadn’t been particularly time consuming or difficult, however I’d been telling myself ‘I’ll do that tomorrow’ and tomorrow had turned into several weeks! Now, having completed all the chores I had set, my time was free to fill in whatever way I pleased so I started with a walk along the main street. It was late afternoon and while one side of the street was still bathed in sunlight, the other was filled with ever growing shadows as the sun started to drop in the sky.
So, I was going to change direction today away from flowers however I got a message that changed my mind. I received an email from a viewer saying they didn’t like to leave comments on blogs, however she was loving the images of flowers. She then went on to ask if I had any more I could post. Well, I promised one more flower photo so today by special request here is a Belladonna Lily, a species of Amaryllis.
This is another image from my social media channels which you might not have seen. Once again, turning to my marvellous Picture This app I can tell you this plant is a Mediterranean Spurge and it symbolises purity, protection and wisdom. Why that is, I can’t say, however I do know that it is used in Mediterranean cooking such as with salads and cooked with vegetables. Interestingly, the plant is also toxic so working with it would be rather dangerous I’d imagine.
Oh, incidentally if you want to follow me on Facebook you can find me here (@fromasmallcity) or on Instagram right here (@fromasmallcity).
Just in case you need a little more purple in your life!
This is the image I shared on one of my social media channels yesterday however, since not everyone is not signed up to the various online communities, I’m sharing it here as well. If you’ve already seen it, you get the delight of seeing it again! I must say, I don’t really know plants and flowers, so identifying them is a bit of a mystery to me. Yet, I can tell you that it’s a Garden Mum, a species of Chrysanthemum. I know that thanks to my marvellous Picture This app on my phone.
Oh, incidentally if you want to follow me on Facebook you can find me here (@fromasmallcity) or on Instagram right here (@fromasmallcity).
The other day I was feeling a bit creatively uninspired. So, to spark my thinking I spent some time reading a bit of poetry by William Blake before going for a walk listening to Blues musicians such as Muddy Waters, Howlin Wolf, BB King, Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley, Blind Willie Johnson and Robert Johnson to name a few. At some point on my walk I passed the University School of Dentistry which I decided looked interesting in Black & White.
One of my autumn strolls around the North Dunedin area took me past the famous Captain Cook Tavern which sits on the corner of Albany and Great King Streets. In recent years it’s been open, shut, reopened, rebranded and sold, forever changing the hotel from being what made it famous. Which was, being one of the most famous student bars in the country. In the 1980’s when the Dunedin music scene became famous for the development of ‘The Dunedin Sound’ The Captain Cook Hotel was an important location where bands played. These days the upstairs is an event space with the downstairs being the site of Sal’s Pizza restaurant.
Demonstrators calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza
It was a bright, clear, sunny day. Since I had no particular plans, I decided to walk to the Botanical Gardens in North Dunedin. A distance of around 7.5 kilometres (4.6 miles). The harbour looked radiantly still and flat, I decided to stick as close to it as I could. Others clearly had the same idea as I passed all manner of people who were enjoying the stunning Dunedin day. After some time, I reached a spot called Steamer Basin where I decided to detour. I left my seaside stroll and head through the centre of town for a different vista. After crossing the railway tracks and passing the Railway Station, the Early Settlers Museum and the High and District Court, I ventured up to the Octagon where I visited the statue of Scottish poet Robbie Burns. Once there, I rested for a bit and contemplated a number of questions like why people find it so hard to use rubbish bins? a question I often find myself asking and one that I’m yet to answer.
After saying hello to the famous bard, I headed off towards the Otago Museum and the Botanic Gardens that are located in the north end of town. It was once I was nearing the museum that I came across a sight I wasn’t expecting, a protest rally. The crowd of several hundred were matching in silence which was strangely frightening and very effective. They carried signs that read “Cease Fire Now!” “Liberation for Palestine,” and other such signs and banners that called for a ceasefire to the conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. I stood and watched them as they slowly and silently matched down the street. Unlike other rally’s I’ve watched that seem a little disorganised and disjointed, this one clearly had a point that everyone believed in. I stood and watched as they rounded a corner and suddenly broke into one loud voice. Later, I read that the rally for Palestine group planned to hold similar rallies unless a ceasefire deal was reached. As they disappeared down the street, I wished them well. Then I turned, and headed for the Botanic Gardens.
White Island and Saint Clair Beach, St Clair, Dunedin – Buy
Historical Note: The Esplanade at St Clair is a lovely area of coast with some outstanding Bars and Restaurants. It’s also home to White Island and ‘The Poles’ on St Clair beach which have become an icons in their own right.
Photographic Note: Instead of making ‘The Poles’ the focal point of this image, I wanted to make them a part of it. Personally, I love the way White Island sits just of the coast of St Kilda and St Clair, appearing to be in a constant state of flux with the light and sea forever dancing around it.
Historical Note: The Otago Harbour is a stunning setting that never fails to inspire from any location. Along Portobello Road, there is a great collection of boat sheds that vary in all shapes and sizes as the road twists and turns its way around the bottom of the peninsula.
Photographic Note: Capturing this was an exercise in patience. Over the weeks I’d had a number of false starts, knowing the shot I wanted but not getting the light I’d hoped for. Then one morning, it all came together when then sky cleared and lit up in an amazing display of colour.
Historical Note: Lawyers Head separates St Kilda Beach and Tomahawk Beach on the east coast of Dunedin City. It gets battered and buffeted with wind and rain during winter and hit with warm dry winds in summer. It also offers spectacular views of the South Pacific Ocean and the whole East Coast of Dunedin.
Photographic Note: I clambered onto the rock face of Lawyers Head to find this vantage point of the surf at Tomahawk Beach. On this particular morning the suns reflection bounced off the waves with a lovely golden glow. You’ll often be told to not shoo t into the sun, but if you select your moments the results can be astonishing.
Historical Note: Olveston was built for Dunedin businessman and philanthropist David Theomin, his wife Marie and their two children Edward and Dorothy. Olveston was a family home from the time it was built in 1906 until 1966. Since then it has been maintained as an historic house museum depicting the life of a wealthy merchant family in the early part of the twentieth century.
Photographic Note: This photo was all about showing off the Olveston gardens as well the building itself. The gardens are full of colour and they complement the building magnificently. I searched the grounds high and low to find the right view and this perspective showed it all.
Historical Note: The Dunedin Railway Station was built in 1903 and remains one of New Zealands most photographed buildings. It stands in an elegant and grand location in ANZAC Square at the end of Stuart Street.
Photographic Note: There are many views, scenes, moments and situations when I’ve photographed the Dunedin Railway Station. By far, my favourite view is looking across ANZAC Square to the front of the building when the flowers are in bloom, the sun is shining and the sky is a brillant blue.
Historical Note: On the bushwalk to McLean Falls, there are a number of smaller waterfalls that the river passes through. They all look pretty nice, and they are also accompanied by some interesting features in the river, like this whirlpool.
Photographic Note: There was a good six to eight photographers around me all photographing a small waterfall in very much the same way, from the same position. I wanted something a bit different, so I turned around.
Purakaunui Falls, The Catlins, Clutha District – Buy
Historical Note: I heard it, before I saw it. I saw it and I just stop and stared! I stared some more and I just thought wow! The bush walk was a short (10 minute) stroll that took us through some outstanding forest before reaching a truly impressive sight.
Photographic Note: I wanted to show as much of the falls as possible, in a way that captured the beauty and power of the water and the falls. I wanted to capture the rough plateau of rocks at the bottom while also bringing out a mysterious, mystical feeling that the area seemed to hold.
Historical Note: There are two places to start the Pineapple Track that runs along the Dunedin City skyline. The starting points however are 5 kilometres apart and it takes over two hours to get from point to point. Towards the Southern end, the track starts to pass through tussock high above the city tree line and along Flagstaff Hill. The Flagstaff Hill vantage point, high above the harbour and inner plains, was used during pioneering times to signal when a ship was entering the harbour. A flag was raised on the hill signalling the ship’s arrival to the people on the plains and surrounding areas.
Photographic Note: This vantage point offers a 360 degree view of Dunedin City. From viewing down the Peninsula, to St Clair beach and inland over the Taieri plains. The main decision is which direction to photograph first. On this day, I timed it so I’d had a wonderful view back over Dunedin City.
Historical Note: Mitchells Cottage is a superb example of what living would have been like in the 1880’s in Central Otago. It was built by gold miner, Andrew Mitchell, for his brother and sister-in-law. Building began in 1880 and he used local stone and stone masonary techniques he had learned from his father.
Photographic Note: There were so many different ways to photograph this wonderful old building it was hard to decide which image to choose. What drew me to this one was the fact that you get a real sense of the hillside and the harsh surrounds.
Catherdral Caves, The Catlins, Clutha District – Buy
Historical Note: Getting to the caves was an experience in itself. First, we had a pleasant 20 minute walk through a native forest before a 10 minute stroll along Waipati Beach. The caves themselves rise (in some points) an amazing 30 metres from the ground and are only accessible at low tide.
Photographic Note: The caves are almost always filled with people, so in this case it was a choice between photographing the caves with people walking around or waiting till they had moved on. I went for the without people option, as I wanted to show just the natural features of the caves.
Historical Note: These fields of rapeseed often become a local attraction when the plants flower and huge fields turn into a sea of yellow. When you see it on a nice summer day with the green surrounds it really does become a wonder of colour.
Photographic Note: This composition took longer to find than I thought it would. The tricky balance was getting the right amount of yellow and green at the front, while not leaving the rest of the image to tight. The clouds also brought another dimension to the image.
Historical Note: McLean Falls is at the end of Rewcastle Road which is about 3 kilometres from the main road. Since it was a nice day, we decided to walk the 3 kilometres to the start of the walking track. After a few uphill climbs with the sun getting warmer, it was definitely nice to see a cool river before having to walk back!
Photographic Note: At the falls, the river plunges an astounding 22 metres into a ravine. This meant I wanted a slower shutter speed to give the water a candy floss style look, but not overexposing the surrounding bush at the same time.
Historical Note: Exploring around the coastline of Karitane and the Huriawa Pa was really fun. I found myself clambering over rocks, past seaweed and even stopping to view a few rock pools. It was like revisiting my childhood. Mind you, I couldn’t have picked a windier day to do it!
Photographic Note: I instantly knew I wanted to do this shot in black and white. The textures of the rock and the wood when added to the early afternoon light meant my mind was thinking and seeing in black and white.
Shag Point Coastline, Shag Point, East Otago – Buy
Historical Note: I was happy to see the sun come up over the rocks with the sea slowly drifting in and out. The local sea lions weren’t as happy to see me! They seemed to be in a grumpy mood, so I kept a respectful distance and found a spot that was away from where they were.
Photographic Note: I tend to leave wildlife alone. When wildlife get close, I often put the camera away and just let them be. On this occasion I focused on something else. I did need to keep one eye open however as they were all moving and starting to look for breakfast.
Historical Note: I was driving home late one evening through East Otago, after a very long day. As I drove, I watched the sky change and evolve as the night drew closer. I finally decide to stop and found myself a nice spot beside a tree that opened out onto a field.
Photographic Note: I wanted to frame the picture on the right with the tree, drawing the eye into the field with the long grass. At the same time capturing the colours that were changing in the sky and keeping the green glow of the field.
Historical Note: The area around Macraes really has to be caught in a dramatic light. In a nice light or moody conditions, the landscape starts to take on a different façade. The tussock, rocks and barren features all become interesting structures on their own.
Photographic Note: We’d been driving around the area near Macraes Flat for an hour or so without any luck. There was low lying mist and while it was very atmospheric, there wasn’t much happening in the way of interesting scenes. That was until we came around a bend and saw an old, unused carriage.
Historical Note: The wind was fairly whistling through the Ida Valley when I saw this view from the car window. It was a moment that seemed typical of the Ida Valley.
Photographic Note: I took the opportunity to take this from a low perspective as it gave the image a different feeling and mood. Once the horizon was lowered the image instantly changed and made me start to wonder ….
Historical Note: Getting to Poolburn is an adventurous drive up the Old Dunstan Road that twists and turns through part of the Ida Valley. Once you get there, it’s like an Oasis or a well-kept secret with the old huts scattered around a marvellous lake.
Photographic Note: I played around with all sorts of compositions at Poolburn and I fell into the trap of over thinking what I wanted to capture. The final result (which I’m pretty pleased with), came after putting the camera down, stopping and asking myself, “what unique view speaks to me?”
Home Hills Runs Road, St Bathans, Central Otago – Buy
Historical Note: There are many roads around the St Bathans and Ida Valley area like Home Hills Runs Road. They seem long and deserted, yet they still have their own unique sense of calmness and wonder.
Photographic Note: Once I dropped the horizon down and let the sky and road take centre stage this image started to give the sense of what it really felt like, standing in the middle of an empty Central Otago Road.
Lake Dunstan & Clyde Dam, Clyde, Central Otago – Buy
Historical Note: The trip to the top of the lookout about Clyde is a pretty spectacular drive, however I ended up doing it in the middle of winter, in the dark, with a decent frost on the ground. About three quarters of the way up I had to abandon the car (due to ice) and finish the journey on foot!
Photographic Note: This shot was an exercise in patience. Once I found the spot I wanted it was a case of getting the settings and calculations correct and waiting for cars to head along the road beside Lake Dunstan while hoping the sky lasted.
Historical Note: I was hoping to get a few more people surfing in this shot than I did. There had been a large number in the water, but by the time I had scrambled up a bank to get an evaluated view, they had all headed into the beach.
Photographic Note: I was timing this shot with captuirng the waves as they were building, before breaking. There was also a challenge with getting two waves breaking together before the sun hit and the colours blew-out.
Haast Pass, Mount Aspiring National Park – Otago – Buy
Historical Note: Driving over the summit of the Haast Pass from Makarora to Haast, I was greeted with heavy rain. Returning back to Makarora three hours later the whole area was covered in thick, heavy mountain snow. What’s more, there were lots of tourists in the area with cars sliding all over the place.
Photographic Note: I was standing in the middle of road when I took this. Meaning, I hand to work quickly. Not having the time to set up a tripod, I got 8 photos taken before I had to move. The first two were blurry due to movement in the trees. In third and fouth shots the composition was all wrong, resulting in four in usable images to choose from.
… from a Small City. My daily musings from Ōtepoti to get you inspired. Read the blog, view the photos, embrace the creativity.
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Dusk over the Pacific Ocean
