National Park

National Park is one of the most intriguing regions in the country. The sacred mountains of Tongariro, Ruapehu and Ngauruhoe form a mysterious and haunting centrepiece. On their shoulders rides an astonishingly diverse sweep of landscapes, ecosystems and historic townships. At altitude, where vegetation springs from impossible places, the rock shapes are fantastical and the light is ethereal.

Trying to distil these things into a single image that hasn’t already been shot a thousand times that day is often a challenge. Anyone who has walked the Tongariro Crossing will know what I mean. Endless breathtaking views and otherworldly terrain are the hallmarks of this great walk.

I approach photography with the minimum of fuss and gear. This is particularly useful when you are carting your camera kit plus food and clothing on your back for multiple days. I rarely use a tripod – a rock will suffice – and my preference is for a wideangle zoom lens to capture the breadth of the vast open spaces.

Timing a hike to coincide with either sunrise or sunset will usually imbue your images with rich warm tones. Linger longer before and after the sun and you may catch one of those fleeting moments when heaven and earth meld, the sky mirroring terra firma with a wash of complementary hues.

I am possibly the world’s most impatient photographer, constantly playing with composition, and looking for details or contrasting elements that offer some sense of scale and help tell a story. So no matter how enlivened I get tramping in the mountains, I know I must slow down, consider the environment, watch how the time of day and weather patterns affect how light falls and find a vantage point away from the crowds. Sometimes, though, the trick to a good photo is as simple as remembering to breath the rarified air and let the energy of the mountains direct the shots.