I have worked in and around aviation, mostly helicopters for a large part of my working life in one way or another. In New Zealand with search and rescue, hunting, sphagnum moss, agriculture, and gaining my pilots licences for helicopter and fixed wing. I also spent a number of years in the West Australian outback […]
HDR Photography what is it?
Some or most of you are probably wondering what’s the difference between a normal photograph and an HDR photograph … Without getting into too much of the technical’s, a normal photo has a limited dynamic range of light, so we see a loss of detail in areas of darkness and light in the picture. An […]
HDR Photography Hong Kong
I stopped over in Hong Kong for a few days on a recent overseas trip and thought I would return to Victoria Peak to try out a few HDR pictures. It’s a pleasant but steep 15 minute ride in the Peak Tram before arriving at the top, named Peak Tower. I had taken a few […]
HDR Photography Japan
I arrived in Japan about a week after the devastating and tragic 2011 March earthquake/ tsunami. I stayed in the southern regions to keep away from the developing situation up north around the affected Sendai areas, and from Kyoto south on the surface daily life seemed as normal, except for the very reduced numbers of […]
HDR Photography Philippines
It was my first time to visit the Philippines, before I left I had read the scam horror stories, the drink and food spiking warnings and finally the Government travel websites not recommending travel to the Philippines because of terrorism, unsafe ferries and dangerous public transport … so it was with a little unease that […]
HDR Photography South Korea
This was my third visit to South Korea, I always find the people there incredibly friendly to travellers and they will often go out of their way to make sure you get to where you want to go or find what you are looking for. I took this HDR picture from the Hyundai Residence Hotel […]
Sphagnum Moss
What is it? There has been a sphagnum moss industry on the West Coast of New Zealand’s South Island for a number of years. The numerous swamps and high rainfall makes for ideal growing conditions. In New Zealand sphagnum moss is harvested by hand and exported worldwide for use as hanging basket liners, as a […]
Mountain Search and Rescue
From the bush and mountain skills gained during my hunting experience, I was able to be part of my local Greymouth Mountain Search and Rescue Organization for around 10 years. We were a group of experienced hunters and trampers (hikers) that volunteered to be on call 24/7. Often we would get the call in the […]
Hunting Tips
I want to say first off that these tips are general principles and some of the points could be downright dangerous if you are hunting in a country with potential man killers. You will need to know the individual habits of the animal you are hunting. Bears, cougars, lions, will need different hunting skills and […]
A Philosopher’s Path in Kyoto, Japan
I spent a couple of pleasant days photographing along and around Kyoto’s Philosopher’s Walk (or Path). The path can be walked in an hour or so if you only follow the pathway along the canal, but you can spend a day or more if you try to see all the attractions in the area. The […]
Hunting in New Zealand
I was brought up with firearms and learned to use and respect them from around 12 years old. My father bought me a BSA Meteor air rifle when I was still at school and he would take me out rabbit shooting with it below the Waimakariri River Gorge near Christchurch. As soon as I was […]
Christchurch Earthquake 8 Months Later
Travel Friends
The Shot Bar Rugal in Tobata near Fukuoka in Japan is a friendly, cosy bar and cafe with delicious homemade food, serving a wide selection of local and international drinks. The owner of Bar Rugal, Munehisa (pictured in the photo behind the bar) will be sure to make you feel comfortable and relaxed during your […]
Should I Travel to the Philippines
The Philippines has it all, beautiful secluded beaches, tropical green forests and rivers, a friendly outgoing people, and then there are the poor people, city slums, smog filled traffic choked city streets, city scam artists, the risk of robbery, food and drink spiking, and even kidnapping by terrorists groups in the Southern Islands. In spite […]
Japan 2011 Tohoku Earthquake/ Tsunami, Kesennuma 2 years on
I was in Japan the week of the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami, but stayed in Tokyo and the southern areas avoiding the developing disaster in the northern parts of Japan. On another trip to Japan in April 2013 I did visit the tsunami affected areas, there had been a massive clean up since 2011 […]
Whaling in Japan
Japanese whaling in terms of active hunting of these large mammals, is estimated by the Japan Whaling Association to have begun around the 12th century. However, Japanese whaling on an industrial scale began around the 1890s when Japan began to participate in the modern whaling industry, at that time an industry in which many countries […]
Perth Lightning Show
Perth weather put on an uncharacteristic lightning show recently, more suited to the Wet Season in the likes of Darwin. We get lightning here in Perth on odd occasions but this event was constant and continued for hours over 2-3 nights. It was my first attempt at lightning photographs, so I was lucky to be […]
Kyoto Wedding Couple in Rickshaw
I was walking along the footpath after visiting the Hein Jingu Shrine, when I was almost run over by this newly married couple riding in a traditional ‘jinrikisha’ or rickshaw. It was being pulled along the path by a guy also in traditional costume with his head lowered either as humility for the newly weds […]
HDR Toshogu Shrine in the Konchi in Temple, Kyoto, Japan
The picture above is of the Toshogu Shrine in the Konchi in Temple grounds in Kyoto, Japan. Due to a bright overcast cloudy day the underside of the roof is very under exposed and there is no detail of the wooden rafters that are hidden in the darkness. The grey tiled roof is over exposed […]
Baclayon Church Proper Attire
This amusing old sign is in the Baclayon Church on Bohol Island in the Philippines, it describes what it calls the proper attire to be worn in the church generally and at weddings. By the style of the clothing it would seem to be from the 1970’s, with the displayed slacks and mini skirts. I […]