Waitaki Valley

There are always adventures to be had and memorable images to be captured up the valley so get up early. Really early. First light hitting the tops is always magical and it lasts for only a few minutes. Never let the weather put you off. There might be a howling gale where you are but 10 kilometres down the road the sun will be out and, in the transition band, spectacular lighting can be captured.

Autumn in the valley is always spectacular and Anzac Day seems to almost always coincide with the peak colour. Being surrounded by the blazing glory of autumn can excite and inspire photographers to fire off shots in all directions without much thought to composition. Sometimes taking a deep breath and sitting down to see what you are looking at will be the difference between arriving home and being disappointed with your shots or yelling out to anyone nearby, “Wow, come and see this!”

The vistas and landscapes are so large and enveloping that the temptation is to use a very wide-angle lens to capture as much as possible in one shot. This can be effective in many situations but it can also dilute the dramatic scene that you perceived with your eye and brain by pushing the mountain rim further back into the distance. Using a longer lens and looking for the essence of the landscape in your field of view can often produce a stronger, more compelling image.

Talking to locals can give clues as to where hidden gems may lie and one of the best places to obtain such information is the Ohau Lodge. The congenial hospitality (and amazing dinner) will set you up for a list of things and places to shoot. The sunrise and sunset from the deck of the lodge are wonders in themselves and the Milky Way at night just needs a tripod to reach out and touch it (or catch it in your camera).