New Zealand – Day 13 Part 1

Go back to Intro and Planning
Go to Day 12
Go to Day 13 Part 2

After a good night’s sleep and a quick oatmeal breakfast, I was charged up and ready to get going on this day.  I wasn’t expecting super pictures because I knew the times of day that we would be hitting our stops wouldn’t give us great light, but just being in those places would be a real treat.  We were going to see the other two of the top three places I wanted to visit on this trip.

Advertisement

New Zealand – Day 12

I love the shape and color of these rocks. Once again, impossibly blue-green NZ water.

Go back to Intro and Planning
Go to Day 11
Go to Day 13 Part 1

TWIZEL
For a day called Black Friday, it sure did start off with a beautiful sunrise.  I missed the beginning of it but screamed out the back door of our room and grabbed a few shots as the sky lit up.  It turned the mountains opposing the sunrise all shades of gorgeous.  Purple mountain majesty indeed!

New Zealand – Day 11

Lake Tekapo.  Can you spot the Tandem Kayak?

Go back to Intro and Planning
Go to Day 10
Go to Day 12

We got up as early as we could and headed out of town.  Today we would get to see what so many before us thought was the most spectacular part of their NZ trip – Mt Sunday!  The trick was to get up early because it’s about a 2.5-hour drive and the best light is supposed to be from about 10-1pm.  I was hoping for some nice photos.

New Zealand – Day 10

Morning Yoga on a Nelson Beach.

Go back to Intro and Planning
Go to Day 9
Go to Day 11

I probably shouldn’t have eaten as much chocolate mud cake as I did (see Day 9) and felt a little sick all day.

New Zealand – Day 8

Poet’s Park. So Peaceful! Anduin River Launch Point. Looking in the Opposite Direction from which it was Filmed.

Go back to Intro and Planning
Go to Day 7
Go to Day 9

Today was a true tourism day.  There is so much to see in Wellington.  We could have spent even more time there exploring architecture, museums, restaurants, etc.

New Zealand – Day 6

On the Silica Falls Trail. Iron Mixes with Clay in the Streambed. As it Oxidizes, it Turns this Brilliant Orange Color.

Go back to Intro and Planning
Go to Day 5
Go to Day 7

Please excuse the quality of these pictures.  I only had my phone with me this day and it was dark and rainy almost exclusively.  My phone does a rotten job in these conditions.

Self Portrait: The Stinging

***UPDATE***  I thought by adding a small radial (really zoom) blur it might help and it did.  I’ve replaced the image.  I think the rock looks cooler and I like how the trees now point to the sword subtly.  This image is ok considering the original was so crappy.

I had the privilege of visiting the actual film location outside of the troll cave where Bilbo unsheathes Sting for the first time.  They even had a toy Sting sword so you could recreate the movie still.

Technically it’s a portrait rather than a self portrait, but I think it counts since I helped set up all aspects of the shot and I’m the subject.  Unfortunately my photographer missed the focus pretty badly in all of these pictures so I combine a couple exposures to try and emphasize the magical quality of the moment by making everything look shaky, soft, and glowy.