Since I started photography using an Olympus OM-1 film camera, I was already familiar with manual mode, but over the years I got lazy after buying fully automatic digital cameras. Consequently, the class didn't go well at first as the controls for aperture and shutter speed were not exactly obvious on my current Sony cameras, which have great picture quality but an inscrutable user interface. Fortunately, all was revealed in a YouTube video.
Our first assignment is to capture the motion of ocean waves.
Tripods and shoes - check
Back lit waves breaking on the Davenport cliffs
Longer exposures reveal the motion of waves breaking against an arch in the cliffs
As the light fades Nick tells us to use longer exposures to capture motion.
Scott - a photo friend
golden hour light
The class lined up at cliffs' edge
The ocean pours in circles through cracks
in even lower light wave motion reveals itself more
The next morning we are up before dawn to catch first light over the Capitola wharf.
The early alarm was worth catching this shot
The fog rolls in and as the whole class groans, Nick encourages us to work with the fog to take advantage of whatever weather conditions Mother Nature presents us with.
Wharf disappears into the fog
back lit sunflowers
flat light helps showcase color
After brunch, we move to Nicene Marks to practice taking photos of bright sunlight and deep shade in the redwood forest.
Fern lined stream
Shade & sunlight
back lit leaves against blue sky
It's been a fun class Nick - thanks for teaching us to slow down and better appreciate the world around us before hitting the shutter.
Below is an interactive map of our approximate route through New Zealand and the places we stopped. To see a listing, click on the square on the upper left.
These are some highlights (in chronological order):
There's no shortage of good hot springs especially on the North Island. We certainly did our best to try out as many as we could.
Overall the varied landscape is what impressed us the most about New Zealand. Yes, bigger mountains and more impressive glaciers can be found in Alaska and the Yukon, but to see them takes weeks of driving versus just a few hours in New Zealand. Don't like where you're at? Just drive a few miles down the road and it's completely different. The contrasts are amazing.
From sunny beaches
to ice and snow covered mountains
then through ferny forests
and even desolate volcanic deserts.
Then there's the Kiwi's themselves. We thoroughly enjoyed 99% of the people we met. In fact, we found fewer grumps in New Zealand than usual.
Most Kiwis live up to their reputations as being both quirky and easy going. We especially got a kick out of the Kiwi bland of humor, which appears to be an earthier version of the traditional British tongue-in-cheek dry wit.
Once back home, a question we often get asked is "Was New Zealand THE trip of a lifetime?" "No" we generally reply, "but it was certainly ranks up there as ONE of the trips of a lifetime."
In short, we had a blast and hope to return.
Nice place - it needs a little modernizing, but we'll take it!
Interested in visiting New Zealand? Try this page on travel tips - it's got all the stuff we wish we knew before we went.
Our plane from Auckland lands in Honolulu late at night. After customs, wrangling our luggage and picking up a rental car, it's almost midnight by the time we start driving to the North Shore. Coming from New Zealand, the wide streets and highways seem downright spacious. Both of us are tired, plus Peter has picked up a stomach bug. Fortunately we make it to our Airbnbapartment in Pupukea in one piece. It's early December and we hope to watch one or two of the big wave surfing contests.
Light fades in Pupukea
Peter recovers in our North Shore apartment
Peter takes a day or two to recover from his bug and as he is getting better, I come down with it. It's a good thing we've booked enough time here to rest and recover by our next flight home.
Our very sweet landlady, Gina is a working nurse and looks in on us from time to time. She tells us about a Maori couple she once rented to from Waimea Inlet in New Zealand close to Nelson. Both she and the Maori couple wondered if they could possibly be related as Gina's mother is Hawaiian.
At the time I just thought it was an interesting coincidence, but while recovering from my bug I watched the YouTube video seen below. A thousand years ago, the Polynesian peoples dominated the Pacific Ocean with settlements as far apart at the Marquesas, New Zealand, Hawaii, Easter Island, and even as far as South America. They supported a vast trading network until (if I remember correctly) around 1300 AD . Then suddenly the trading network collapsed and each individual settlement became more isolated with each evolving separate cultures and languages.
Gina is delighted with this history and to learn -Yes - she and the Maori couple could actually be related.
After days of one or both of us being ill, the stars align between our health, the weather and surf conditions. The Van's World Cup of Surfing is now on and taking place at the nearby Sunset Beach.
Sunset Beach
Smokin' waves for the surf contest
The photographers and media have already arrived and set themselves up.
The crowd is waiting and surfers scheduled for the first heats prepare themselves. The great Kahuna blesses the waters and then the horn blasts - the contest is on!
A favored Brazilian takes off on a good ride, followed by Kelly Slater. We are of course cheering for our Santa Cruz home town favorite Nat Young. Between heats, we make friends with an industrious grom, who is busily collecting signatures of the top surfers on part of a broken surfboard as well as skipping school. With this kid's dedication to surfing, he could become one to watch in the future. Who knows?
Brazilian has a good ride
Grom
Kelly Slater takes a wave
In the final round, the crowd favorite, Mick Fanning, paddles out and puts in the best showing of the day with a breathtaking ride though a long tube.
Mick paddles out for the final round
Coming out of the tube
and adding a fancy turn.
The crowd (including us) all go wild at such a spectacular ride. Everyone is standing up, waving and whistling as Mick comes to shore. He's not only won this contest but is a nice guy. He humbly welcomes his fans and poses with all wanting a photo.
Notice admiring grom on left
thrilled fan
and of course selfie shooters
At 35 years old (ancient for a pro-surfer), Mick Fanning proves Old Guys Rule for at least today.
Dream on - my sweets - dream on.
That evening we walk down to Sunset Beach as the clouds take on different colors.
The next morning, our last day on Oahu, we both feel well enough for some exploring and drive around the north eastern side of the island. In Laie, we cruise by the Mormon Temple. Next we make a rest stop at a roadside store and then back to the Turtle Bay Resort. The last time we visited this resort in 2010, we watched film crews shooting scenes for the movie Soul Surfer, the movie about Bethany Hamilton, the Kauai surfer girl who lost an arm to a great white. Despite a horrible injury, she continues surfing. Recently, she placed 3rd in a surf contest in Fiji.
Laie Mormon Temple
Tiki bearing flag
Turtle Bay Resort
We enjoy a nice lunch at an outdoor cafe and then explore the beach beyond.
Beach east of Turtle Bay Resort
Volcanic reef
Sandy lagoon inside reef
Finally by our last night on Oahu, we are both feeling healthy again. Of course, we have to watch the sunset at Sunset Beach.
Peter snaps this shot of a paddle boarder catching a wave
