Last week I went out on a photo expedition, determined to get some good shots of a block of larch about 70km south of Nelson. They are looking great right now in their late autumn colours, but I’m running out of time to catch them. So I planned the day quite carefully, using the “Photographers’ Ephemeris” to check out the sunrise and sunlight angles at various times of the day. The larches look their best in late afternoon light, but there was a good chance of some early morning mists creating other opportunities. And so it proved, along the Buller River near Kawatiri:
Only three days after some major rain (nearby Tapawera received over 100mm in 24 hours during the weekend), the Buller had cleared up nicely. It was back to its usual clear, green colours.
(Water clarity is actually the major factor contributing to the unusually large size of the wild brown trout found around here, but that is another story.)
I was chasing light all morning. Here’s example, which lasted for only a minute or two:
Just south of here is the Owen River Hotel, famous for many things in the past but right now for its food. I had a great lunch for less than $10! The nearby domain is also a ‘get-out’ for kayakers. I met a group of students from NMIT doing the outdoor recreation course. They had been enjoying the grade three rapids upstream and had one more run to do before heading back home to Nelson. (Nearby Murchison regards itself as the kayaking capital of the world.)
I was amused by the entrance to the domain. It had obviously become necessary to replace the gatepost, which was being swallowed by a tree:
Finally it was time to head back north to the larch, to catch the “golden hour” light. So what happened? It started to rain and the great light disappeared about 10 minutes before I got there. So I got back home a little earlier than planned. Next time.