A single place has just become available on my New Zealand South Island Masterclass workshop in May next year. The workshop runs from the 1st of May until the 12th of May and is fully inclusive of all in country transport (private 4WD’s), food, helicopter flights, tuition and more. If you are interested in travelling to New Zealand and photographing in the spectacular South Island you can register you interest in this last available place. Like the 2015, and 2016 workshops, the 2017 Masterclass workshop also includes extensive use of helicopters for accessing some of the most remote and spectacular country as well as aerial photography of the spectacular Southern Alps and glaciers. Full details of the workshop are available on my website as a PDF HERE. You can read a trip report from the 2016 Masterclass HERE.
Category: New Zealand
Travel Photography in New Zealand
New Zealand South Island Masterclass 2017 Sold Out
I had been planning for some time to formally announce my New Zealand South Island Masterclass workshop for next year (2017) here on my blog; but realised yesterday the trip is actually already sold out. If you are interested in travelling to New Zealand and photographing in the spectacular South Island you can still register your interest to be put onto the wait list. Like the 2015, and 2016 workshops, the 2017 Masterclass workshop also includes extensive use of helicopters for accessing some of the most remote and spectacular country as well as aerial photography of the spectacular Southern Alps and glaciers. Full details of the workshop are available on my website as a PDF HERE.
I will be announcing dates soon for the 2018 New Zealand South Island Masterclass. If you would like to get the jump and be one of the first to be notified when dates are confirmed you can register your interest now by dropping me an email. No obligation at this point. You can read a trip report from the 2016 Masterclass HERE.
New Zealand South Island Masterclass Workshop Report 2016
In May of this year I lead my annual masterclass workshop to the South Island of New Zealand with co-nature photographer and friend Phillip Bartlett. Our 2016 masterclass workshop itinerary was based on our years of prior experience operating in the South Island and had been designed to provide us the best possible opportunities for photography utilising a number of different locations as bases in the South Island. We focused our efforts on certain key areas to really maximise our chances to get everyone the best photographs. We then lead an extension to the northern tip of the South Island to further expand our opportunities.
The South Island of New Zealand is home to some of the most spectacular scenery and landscapes in the world. Perhaps nowhere else in the world can one see and photograph precipitous mountains plunging into temperate rainforest and wild ocean beaches in so short a space. New Zealand is home to an unbelievably diverse range of subject matter, all packed together in a very small land area. Glaciers, majestic mountain ranges, moss-covered rain-forests, hidden valleys, and ocean-beaten coastlines are among the incredible array of natural wonders found there. It is an island of ever-changing weather and spectacular light conditions. To quote myself, it is a country made for photography.
This masterclass landscape workshop was about maximising our time photographing in some of the most spectacular parts of New Zealand. Our small group size of just six photographers provided us a really small intimate group that enabled us to put in some long hours in the field in some of the most spectacular parts of the South Island. The workshop ran for 12 days (11 nights) with an optional four day extension and we stayed in good hotels which were functional and clean. We travelled by private 4-wheel drive vehicles. We utilised several primary locations as bases from which we travelled to each shooting location. We had a good mix of weather and light during the workshop and although we encountered some rain in the Fox Glacier area we were still able to maximise our opportunities with some extraordinary light and conditions. We also managed all three of our planned aerial shoots from helicopter, despite some touch and go weather. Helicopters and aerial photography really add an extra dimension to photography in New Zealand’s South Island. The ability to quickly get up into the mountains to take advantage of weather and light is a significant advantage.I wrote quite an extensive report on our South Island masterclass workshop last year (read the Full Report) and so rather than re-iterate the same itinerary with different language I have instead detailed our extension to the northern part of the Island as this aspect was a new addition.
The northern part of the South Island is home to some pretty fantastic coastline that in many ways complimented many of the areas we visited in the southern part of New Zealand. We began our extension in the picturesque seaside town of Kaikoura and were out pre-dawn for our sunrise shoot of first light on the coast. The impressive Kaikoura mountain ranges tower above the clear, blue waters of the Kaikoura bay making for dramatic photo opportunities. Sunrise at Kaikoura ever disappoints and we were blessed with some pretty fantastic colour. After breakfast we left Kaikoura and travelled north along the coastline as we made for Golden Bay, at the top of the South Island.
An even earlier start this morning to drive into the Abel Tasman National Park for our sunrise shoot. This pristine coastal location has isolated beaches with rich, golden sand, backed by limestone rock formations and dense forest. After exploring this area we returned for lunch before going out to photograph the last light, and sunset, along the coast.Another early start as we made for the North-west coast, which is completely different to the coastal scenery we had been photographing. Characterised by dramatic sea cliffs and imposing rock formations, there are also intimate lake and tidal inlet scenes so we were kept busy for the whole day in this unique location. We returned to our lodge in the evening.We departed early this morning for the drive back to Christchurch. This was a full day on the road and we stopped along the way to photograph forest, country and mountain scenery as we took the Lewis Pass route south. We arrived into Christchurch in the early evening and enjoy a relaxed dinner to conclude our workshop.
Our 2016 Masterclass workshop provided us with some fantastic opportunities to create really unique images and it was an absolute pleasure to share it with all the participants. The South Island of New Zealand is a fabulous country for landscape photography and should be high on any landscape photographers wish list of places to visit and photograph. Our 2017 masterclass workshop is now close to capacity with only one place remaining before it will be sold out. If you would like to join us, you can register your interest in this last place by dropping me an email.
Photo of the Month May 2016 – Lake of Fire
It feels only fitting that the photograph of the month for May this year should be from the South Island of New Zealand (where I am currently leading my 2016 Masterclass workshop). This photograph was taken on my 2015 workshop and was one of those ‘drive by shootings’ when one is fortunate to see some really spectacular light, slam on the brakes and be able to grab a photograph before it disappears. In this case, early morning mist burning off a lake. The scene was quite far away from me so I used a long lens and the panorama format (something I rarely do) to capture the scene. It was pouring with rain when I made this photograph. A timely reminder that its well worth getting out to take photographs in inclement weather. 
New Zealand South Island Masterclass Workshop 2016
In a couple of hours I will be making my way to the South Island of New Zealand in preparation for my 2016 Masterclass workshop. It has been a full year since I was last in New Zealand and I am very much looking forward to returning to this magical country. May is a wonderful time to be visiting and photographing in the South Island; the fall colours will be just about at their peak and the weather is usually quite stable with fresh crisp mornings and rosy pink light.
We are looking forward to photographing around the island including several planned aerial shoots over the spectacular Southern Alps. Aerial photography from helicopter with the doors removed is an incredible experience over these majestic mountains. This photograph from the 2015 Masterclass was taken just on sunrise near Mount cook. Temperatures were will into the sub zero range and the resulting wind chill without the doors meant it was more than a little chilly. The results though are worth all the pins and needles…
I am also looking forward to putting the new Canon EOS 1DX MKII cameras through their paces during this workshop. Over the last year I have been photographing with the Canon EOS 1DX and the EOS 5DSR 50 mega pixel camera. My experience with the 5DSR has been somewhat of a mixed bag and I have to say that on the whole I generally prefer the files from the original EOS 1DX (especially above the 5DSR’s base ISO of 100). Quite honestly, 50 mega pixels is just a whole lot more than I need for the vast majority of my photography and so I find myself reaching less and less for the 5DSR. The initial testing I have done with the new EOS 1DX MKII shows the files are considerably improved from the original 1DX; which in conjunction with the other improvements has me very excited about this new camera. I will have more to say about my thoughts on the new Canon EOS 1DX MKII in a future post as well as my thoughts on the current state of equipment in the industry.
For now, its time for a last luggage check and then its time to make my way to the airport. See you in the South Island of New Zealand.
www.WILDNATUREPHOTOTRAVEL.com 