Special images win place in book

IMAGES of New Zealand shared and voted on through social media have been compiled into a book — a project featuring a range of Wellington-based photographers and images. Put together by New Zealand Geographic, the publication Southern Exposure is the first known time in this country that a book has been produced from content entirely from social media.

New Zealand Geographic editor James Frankham said the online community had been sharing the images already before his publication jumped on board.

‘‘It’s a social media community so it runs itself. People vote on each other’s photographs and carry out discussions without us. Our contribution was to combine the photographs into a book.’’

Photographs were not commissioned but were taken by amateurs and put online, where they were voted on by the public.

The images that made it to the print publication were chosen from 25,000 taken by more than 1500 photographers over a year.

Wellington-based photographer Philip Dyer’s photograph of triathletes at Scorching Bay was one of the images chosen.

He said there was a tendency with digital photographs to leave them in digital form, but this project went against that. ‘‘There is something really nice about a printed image and in some ways it’s more permanent and you are more likely to dwell on it.’’

Mr Frankham said if the project was a success this year, there was potential for it to become an annual event.

This would be welcomed by Wellington photographer Mark Gee, whose image of travellers enjoying the sunset at Princess Bay was one of those chosen. ‘‘Obviously, I was pretty over the moon about it. It’s great to have that opportunity to get published like that.’’

The book was offered first to the contributors and their friends. It will not be available at bookstores, but can be bought from the New Zealand Geographic website from Monday.

Photo: ROBERT BELL Birds of a feather: A kea at Nga Manu Nature Reserve, Kapiti. The kea’s intelligence has served it well in harsh alpine conditions, but it has also a reputation for misadventure. Antics include sliding down roof huts before dawn, or stealing metal...

Photo: MARK GEE Camping out: Travellers enjoy the sunset at Princess Bay. ‘‘Obviously, I was pretty over the moon about it. It’s great to have that opportunity to get published like that,’’ the photographer says.

Photo: NORBERT RUPP Beacon: An old Marine Department brochure describes Castle Point Lighthouse in Wairarapa as “one of the most popular lights for keepers”. The lighthouse was first lit in 1913.

Photo: CHRIS ZIELECKI Living fossil: A tuatara rests at New Zealand National Aquarium in Napier.Tuatara have changed little in the last 200 million years. Some live 80 years or more.

Photo: PHILIP DYER Big swim: Triathletes take to the water at Scorching Bay.

PHOTO: ED COOK Mt Kaukau: The Ohariu Valley from the 445-metre summit of Mt Kaukau, whose television tower, built in 1965, dominates Wellington’s skyline.