New Zealand was NOT a bad place to be during lockdown because I was able to go out on walks in nature every day. How special! Luckily, I live out in the country, so I was able to wander off in different directions. I would take photos almost every day. Here’s one of the many paths I walked along the way. Also, believe it or not, I took this one with my pixel phone. No, this is not a paid add for Google! 🙂

Lockdown Walks in Dalefield

Photo Information

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• Date Taken2020-04-16 14:41:57
• CameraPixel 4
• Camera MakeGoogle
• Exposure Time1/900
• Aperture2.4
• ISO41
• Focal Length5.8 mm
• FlashOff, Did not fire
• Exposure ProgramProgram AE
• Exposure Bias

Every day during the lockdown in New Zealand, which I think only lasted about four weeks, I would go on an afternoon hike. I found myself drawn to this area again and again… these tiny little perfect pools of water… I actually took these with my mobile phone, although I don’t think most people would guess that in 100 years.

Lockdown Walk

Photo Information

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• Date Taken2020-04-15 12:06:44
• CameraPixel 4
• Camera MakeGoogle
• Exposure Time1/5900
• Aperture1.7
• ISO92
• Focal Length4.4 mm
• FlashOff, Did not fire
• Exposure ProgramProgram AE
• Exposure Bias

Here’s a photo I got early one morning up at the Remarkables Snowfield. I forgot the exact reason I went up here, but I got on a snowmobile and rode up to the very top for photos. It was freezing cold, naturally, but it was pretty cool to get up there before it officially opened to get some clean photos. I’m actually so lame that I haven’t snowboarded in about five years! Although, on this day, I wish I had brought my board! 🙂

Snow Day

Photo Information

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• Date Taken2016-06-14 05:58:46
• CameraILCE-7RM2
• Camera MakeSony
• Exposure Time1/320
• Aperture8
• ISO100
• Focal Length24.0 mm
• FlashOff, Did not fire
• Exposure ProgramAperture-priority AE
• Exposure Bias

When Derek came down to visit, we spent a lot of time rolling around in grass of various heights. On this particular day, we decided to find some grass that was just a little higher than Derek when he was supine. It was the horses over there that gave us this ingenious idea.

Derek Sivers in a Field

Photo Information

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• Date Taken2017-03-21 04:48:35
• CameraX1D-50c
• Camera MakeHasselblad
• Exposure Time1/2000
• Aperture3.5
• ISO100
• Focal Length30.0 mm
• FlashNo Flash
• Exposure ProgramManual
• Exposure Bias

The chance to get a still lake are almost impossible… well, maybe once a month. So whenever this happens, I’m sure to head out to make as much hay as possible while the sun is shining. I prefer an “imperfect” reflection like this one where you can see some ripples and stuff in the water. If it’s too perfect, then people will probably think it’s photoshopped. I’ve even been known to throw a rock or something into the water ahead of time just to help with the imperfection! 🙂

Another Amazing Queenstown Reflection

Photo Information

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• Date Taken2017-03-28 19:55:09
• CameraPixel
• Camera MakeGoogle
• Exposure Time1/60
• Aperture2
• ISO504
• Focal Length4.7 mm
• FlashAuto, Did not fire
• Exposure ProgramProgram AE
• Exposure Bias

Yesterday’s photo shows where we landed the first time up in the Southern Alps, and today’s photo shows our final landing on the west coast. I was with my friend Ben and his family… they were loving the trip for sure. I got this photo of Ben as he was walking along the beach… it was a windy and wild day and the waves were super intense. In fact, when we got back in the helicopter, a huge wave came and washed up under the chopper!

The Last Landing

Photo Information

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• Date Taken2020-06-05 18:39:02
• CameraILCE-7RM3
• Camera MakeSony
• Exposure Time1/6400
• Aperture4
• ISO125
• Focal Length105.0 mm
• FlashOff, Did not fire
• Exposure ProgramManual
• Exposure Bias

We had an epic day flying around with Choppy from Over The Top Helicopters here in Queenstown. We probably made about five landings and this was one of the first. It’s so crazy to land up here after a fresh snow and be the only humans within a 5 mountain radius! Walking on this clean pure snow is always a treat too.

Mountaintop Landing

Photo Information

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• Date Taken2020-06-05 17:41:51
• CameraILCE-7RM3
• Camera MakeSony
• Exposure Time1/4000
• Aperture4
• ISO125
• Focal Length24.0 mm
• FlashOff, Did not fire
• Exposure ProgramManual
• Exposure Bias

Well, it’s summertime here now. I think. Or maybe late Spring. Either way, there’s hardly any snow left on the mountains except way up on the top of some of the highest ones. I do like how there are such strong seasons here… it makes for new types of photos every three months!

All the Snow Has Left Queenstown for the Season

Photo Information

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• Date Taken2016-10-12 11:22:31
• CameraILCE-7RM2
• Camera MakeSony
• Exposure Time1/8000
• Aperture5.6
• ISO800
• Focal Length70.0 mm
• FlashOff, Did not fire
• Exposure ProgramManual
• Exposure Bias-0.7

I saw this sort of photo the first time in a Nat Geo magazine of some camels crossing the desert at sunset. It was so disorienting at first… and then, when I figured it out, I got quite excited! Anyway, as we were about to land in the hot air balloon, I used the opportunity to grab one of my own… it’s quite rare to see white camels here in New Zealand.

Twin Horses

Photo Information

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• Date Taken2020-03-01 08:40:38
• CameraILCE-7RM4
• Camera MakeSony
• Exposure Time1/1250
• Aperture4
• ISO160
• Focal Length105.0 mm
• FlashOff, Did not fire
• Exposure ProgramManual
• Exposure Bias