More shots and the learning of waiting

I spent a number of nights where I would wait for the shot. No longer was I taking many photos on a location, but instead I was taking only 5 or 6. Where I would have taken 20 to 30 only a few months ago. I took the time to get the correct focus, the time to get the correct exposure, and the time to get the composition, just right. Sometimes this created a great image, and other times, well at least the elements were correct even if the subject was a bit bland.

Yes, the side of a motorway, but I had to climb a fence that blocked the way in. Even the kids wouldn't come with me, "its illegal and the police will arrest me". Lucky they didn't and I got to walk along the side of the motorway.

Shoot and reshoot

After reviewing my images I knew I had to go back, and for quite a few days I was up at 5am shooting, and then again at 7pm, hoping for that golden light. Some times were quite depressing, the light wasn't quite right, or I had forgotten something, such as a remote shutter release.

I added Mt Eden into the mix to see if I could build on my shots of lines, maybe a path might present itself, or a cityscape at night. I liked what I could do with the long exposures and the way light and movement can be captured.

Here is an image at night, maybe something I could work with.

I was lucky with this shot, the end of day was drizzly and overcast, but it meant that the clouds were very low. This shot of the path was taken around 6pm and you could see the low clouds drifting over the path.

Deciding the title

I thought about why it was so important to me to capture Auckland in the way that I was. I realised that with moving to Queenstown one of the things that I will miss the most is the familiarity I will leave behind. I have lived in Auckland for almost all my life. I know her quirks, the places that the tourist wouldn't. From this loss a photographic series was born. A series on Auckland called familiarity. The brief to capture images that are a little unusual, capture the beauty of the everyday Auckland that I know.
Here are some of those images.

Under a jetty at Herne Bay


Under the harbour bridge

Another jetty at Herne Bay

Only those who live in Auckland will know where they are, and even then maybe they won't..

My shot list

I decided I needed a plan, a shot list that would make a portfolio of Auckland. I wanted to capture the everyday places, not the fantastic sunsets, or seascapes, but the everyday that Aucklander's take for granted. I had some shots of Cornwall Park that showed the park in a different light, the misty look. after some thought I came up with a plan and went on a recky to visit the places and get ideas on the shots I would take. It took a couple of days but finally I had a shot list. Here it is;

1. Devonport wharf at - sunset

2. Cornwall park early morning - sunrise

3. Herne Bay jetty and around the small bays - sunset

4. New walkway along motorway and Victoria park tunnel - night

5. Wynyard Quarter around the containers - sunset and sunrise

6. Under Harbour Bridge from first turn off after bridge heading north - sunrise and sunset

These areas are where I feel comfortable, I feel that they have a story that I can capture in a photo. My only worry is will I have enough time to make the photos and then edit and print them....

Final decision

Do I shoot using the studio, or do I take  a punt and try landscapes where I am at the beck and call of the light?

At the beginning of this course I had an idea in my head of doing a series that was about the diversity of Auckland, not just the people, bu the places as well. I had not got the chance to do anymore on the idea, and this was going to be my last chance as part of the course. I decided to bite the bullet and carry on with landscapes, and expand and work on the idea of the diversity of Auckland.

After having a look at some of Rita's amazing landscapes I knew that I had to pull something out of the hat, what could I do that would be unique to me...

Portfolio review

After thinking about the work involved with doing more landscapes I toyed with the idea of doing still life instead.

Final portfolio for the end of the course

With the last four weeks of the course here and a final portfolio of 12-15 images to be produced the first thing I wanted to do was go back over all the photos I had taken. There are over 2000, but I have noticed that I take a lot less photos now, and the quality is a lot more. A good reflection of what I have been getting out of the course.

I decided for this part of the course that I would not do any more research around photographers. Having done so much on the last part I thought it was time to focus more on the actual making of photos, from making the photograph, to editing and photoshop work.

I spent a few hours going through my library of images and it became apparent that I had a few good landscapes, so to build on these for my portfolio seemed a good idea. Here are a few of the landscapes I have taken that I like.