elements:

the story of water

By Al Ronberg

December 10^th, 2013

the big picture

In 2013 I was a part of an exhibition of four photographers in the Auckland Festival of Photography. Each of us had a different element to focus on, but what we did with the element we were given was entirely up to us. I wanted to tell a story with my images, so I created this series of images which (hopefully) tell the story of water as it moves from a high-country lake down to the sea... The images were shot across a variety of locations around the North and South Islands of New Zealand and as you scroll below the gallery below, you can learn more about each individual image... Where they were shot, how I captured the image and other useful tidbits like that!

Lake Rotoiti

I have a bit of a history with Lake Rotoiti in the Nelson Lakes National Park. I used to be involved in running a leadership development course for 15-18yo boys and it was a whole heap of fun. Getting up early in the morning and walking through the snow almost felt like I was about to step out into a scene from The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe… however, there were never any Mr Tumnus lookalikes that I was able to spot… however – there was a fairly pretty lake to pass the time of day with!

Camera: Nikon D90 Lens: Sigma 10-20mm @ 10mm Shutter Speed: 1/640s Aperture: f13 ISO: 800

Location: The town of St Arnaud is a small resort with a very awesome Lake Rotoiti Lodge in it's general vicinity - From the lodge, you take a short walk down to West Bay - There are lots of little clearings along the track which you can get down to the lakeside. This is taken from one of them. Alternatively, you can drive from St Arnaud and park in West Bay - it is on the road up to the Mt Robert Ski-Field.

Gates of Haast

I grew up not far from here, and the sound of a raging high-country river chaotically smashing through the rocks is a symphony to my ears. There is a quiet irony in such a violence residing in such a serene and untouched part of the country.

Camera: Nikon D600 Lens: Nikon 24-70 @ 56mm Shutter Speed: 1 second Aperture: f8 ISO: 100

Special Tricks: I used a tripod and a Variable Neutral Density Filter on this shot to achieve the low shutter speed. I played with the shadows to bring out details in the rocks for your viewing pleasure.

Location: The Gates of Haast are very well signposted on State Highway 6 between Wanaka and Haast.

Waikato River

I just knew there would be some great minimalist shots available to me as I passed the Huntly Power Station in a massive white-out. I was hoping for a shot of the MASSIVE chimneys popping through the fog, but was really taken by this simple post with a bird on top, and a Duck’s Bum in the air.

Camera: Nikon D7000 Lens: Nikon 24-70 @ 70mm Shutter Speed: 1/200 s Aperture: f8 ISO: 100

Fancy Tricks or Tips: This photo is all about the right conditions - I was heading to Ngaruawahia for work at the beginning of winter - I knew this often would mean fog along the Waikato River and took my camera just in case... I had hoped to get a photo of the smoke stacks peeking through the fog, but this is the one that truly grabbed me in the end. No fancy tricks - just the tip to be ready for anything!

Location: There are a set of loos on State Highway 1 in Huntly as you travel south from Auckland - You can get an awesome view of the Power Station from this spot.

Rainbow Falls

There are two ways to get to Rainbow Falls – a short drive out of Kerikeri township or a nice hour-long walk from the Stone Store basin… With 2 littlies in tow, we went with the short drive – it was an amazing sight to behold and our family LOVED our time here!

Camera: Nikon D600 Lens: Nikon 24-70 @ 24mm Shutter Speed: 20 seconds Aperture: f22 ISO: 100

Tricks or Tips: Again, the use of a Variable Neutral Density filter allows long shutter speeds during the day. I wanted the photo to be sharp all through the image, so the use of a small aperture (f22) was critical. The silky water is quite a striking feature of the photo. Set up on a tripod and shutter released with Infra-Red Shutter release.

Location: Rainbow Falls is just outside the town of Kerikeri in the Bay of Islands in Northland. The local information centre has a lot of great information about attractions in the area - the best way to see the falls is to walk from the Stone House for about an hour - we drove there due to time and child-related constraints!

Haruru Falls

The cool thing about this waterfall is that it feeds a tidal pool. This mean that the scene changes with the tide. I went back later in the day and the shots have a totally different feel as the falls hit bare rock! The other cool thing about this photo is that the falls aren't actually that exciting - the water is brown and the setting isn't exactly majestic - but the Black and White treatment along with the long exposure time makes it quite nice in my humble opinion.

Camera: Nikon D600 Lens: Nikon 24-70 @ 29mm Shutter Speed: 3 seconds Aperture: f22 ISO: 100

Tricks or Tips: Again, the use of a Variable Neutral Density filter allows long shutter speeds during the day. I wanted the photo to be sharp all through the image, so the use of a small aperture (f22) was critical. If we are honest, the colours of this waterfall are dirty tannin-brown with tidal water at the base – it isn’t exactly the most stunning place on the planet, but conversion to Black and White and the long exposure make this quite a compelling scene.

Location: Haruru Falls are found on the main road out of Paihia towards Kerikeri in the Bay of Islands - Northland. There is a campground at the base of the falls or a walk from Waitangi if you are feeling energetic.

Omapere Jetty

This is indeed a special place to end our journey to the sea… Omapere in the Hokianga is a truly special place for me… My wife and I BEGAN our journey together here and we return here every year or two to make sure that our girls grow up with this as a scene in the story that they are writing with their life…

Camera: Nikon D600 Lens: Nikon 24-70 @ 24mm Shutter Speed: 30 seconds Aperture: f4 ISO: 100

Tricks or Tips: The long shutter speed needs a tripod – so give that a burl – use of a self-timer to let the shutter release without creating camera shake… Wide Aperture to enable the light of the stars to capture well… That is about it really – low angle from right on the shoreline helps with the composition.

Location: Omapere is a small settlement on State Highway 12 in the Hokianga Harbour area of Northland. It lies just above the Waipoua Forest where you will find Tane Mahuta - NZ's largest tree.

exhibition rejects

Here are a few photos that didn’t make the cut for the exhibition for a variety of reasons - Have never put these on display before, so you can consider them a bit of an Exposure Exclusive! :)