we don’t have a lot of stone structures compared to many countries. Part of the reason is that we are still only about 200 years out from the first European settlers arriving here, part of the reason is that we have a lot of earthquakes and unreinforced masonry does not perform that well in a good shake, and part of the reason is that reinforced concrete has been around for at least half the time those of us who are of European descent have been here. The Otago Central Rail Trail – masonry lined tunnel in the distance In the area that I grew up in, houses were generally timber framed and clad ..read more

since the landing of allied forces on the beaches on Normandy, in the decisive and costly action now remembered as D Day, which marked the major turning point of WWII, ultimately leading to the defeat of Nazi Germany and the end of the war which cost millions of lives. Sadly it appears we have begun to forget what happens when we elect leaders who lack the ability to seek peace and prosperity for all people, preferring instead to put their own interests and what they perceive to be their national interests ahead of all else. My Zeiss Ikon Contax II, the same as the cameras used by Robert Capa ..read more

I still have quite a few frames from the Warbirds Over Wanaka airshow we attended last Easter, and today I though we might look at some of the more modern aircraft – the jets! USAF F16 inverted and going really fast! We had a visit from a pair of USAF F16 fighter jets, who put on a very polished display – noisy and very fast! Capturing these aircraft is a little more difficult as they are moving so quickly, and because of that their radius of turn is much larger, so that the amount of time that the aircraft is able to be in frame, at a reasonable size even with the 300mm lens, is quite minuscu ..read more

In the past two or three weeks many of the photographers whose blogs I follow have been posting about their five “dead hand” cameras – those that are in their collection and regularly used that they plan never to part with – cameras that will need to be pried from their cold dead hands! At first I resisted sharing mine, but this has become much larger than the original five photographers who came up with the idea and posted their top five simultaneously! So, here are mine! Contax 139 Quartz The Contax Quartz 139 Quartz The camera that I always have with me – I bought my first one new in 1985 ..read more

caused by solar activity brought a most amazing and rare display of the Aurora Australis and the Aurora Borealis last weekend, with the lights being visible in places that normally never see them! Pink and Red light visible even in bright twilight! There was a lot of excitement on the interwebs during the day, so I charged the battery in my Panasonic Lumix S5 camera, mounted my Contax Zeiss Distago 3.5/15 ultra wideangle lens on it, and trudged up the hill behind our house as the sun was setting. Sun has set but still twilight with strong beams visible Normally at latitude 45 deg south the aur ..read more

at Waikawa! We are not visiting as often now, as it is a six hour round trip – we have found someone who will mow the grass when needed so a visit to the coast is something to be savoured. Or on the other hand an opportunity to do some maintenance! Either way it is also an opportunity for photography, as I am still working on my project to hopefully gain a distinction from the Royal Photographic Society based on life at Waikawa. The standard is very high – a blown highlight will blow my attempt out of the water instantly – so I am still plugging away at it! The Estuary with a Kingfisher on a p ..read more

universally referred to as the A&P Show is a cultural icon in New Zealand, and still a very important part of rural life! Farmers deep in discussion as the sheep are penned ready for judging Farmers bring their finest sheep and cattle for judging, with fierce competition for the best ram, or ewe, or Merino sheep – the list is quite extensive so everyone has a chance of recognition. Plenty of silverware up for grabs! Judging is a serious business, and there is of course an opportunity to catch up on all the latest news – farming is a solitary occupation and these opportunities to talk are r ..read more

here in New Zealand, and Australia. It is our national day of remembrance where we acknowledge the sacrifice of those who have gone to war on our behalf, especially WWI, WWII, the Korean War and Vietnam War, and numerous other more recent conflicts. The day begins with a Dawn Parade in every town or city where there is a war memorial, and then in the larger towns there will be a parade with current and former servicemen marching later in the morning. My father’s base camp in Korea, 1952. Photo Ted Mitchell, Leica and Kodachrome I am very fortunate, as are many of my generation, in that I never ..read more

Part II World War II was fought using piston engined aircraft, with thousands upon thousands of them produced during the hostilities, but as the war closed the very first jet aircraft made their appearance, notably the German ME262 and the British Gloucester Meteor – both twin engined fighters. The Vought Corsair becoming airborne at Wanaka Consequently at the end of the war, there were many fighter aircraft, including brand new ones, that were very rapidly becoming obsolete. The air forces had no need in peace time for all these aircraft and servicemen, and as pilots and others returned to ci ..read more

when I was eleven years old, my parents took us to an airshow at Rukahia Airport, near Hamilton. I was already very interested in becoming a pilot, which I later did, and the airshow was memorable for being the only time I saw the British Avro Vulcan bomber flying. The Vulcan did not land, but gave us a wonderful handling display, and I remember that when the pilot opened up the throttles and lit the afterburner the sound vibrated all through my body! RNZAF C130H (NZ) Hercules – Contax 139Q, Kodak Ektar 100 It was also memorable as it was the first time I saw the Royal New Zealand Air force di ..read more