Tag: dawn and dusk

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Auckland skyline from St Marys Bay

A night view of Auckland skyline reflected in calm waters below framed by trees on both sides and bushes in the foreground.

On my first early morning photoshoot I went straight back to St Marys Bay. Back in 2013 I captured Auckland Skyline at Dusk and it is still one of my favourite’s of the city. So going back in the morning seemed like the right thing to try. Unfortunately I hadn’t taken the time to look up the tides. The tide was out and the beach was very muddy. It was dark, I was on my own and not wanting to get myself or my tripod stuck in the sand as the tide came in I chose to look for a new view. Walking along the Westhaven Pier. Specifically towards VWXY Piers there was a nice row of trees. I walked up and down a couple of times looking for a good opening that framed the Auckland Skytower and skyline. Thankfully I had my larger, taller tripod so I could get the camera where I could capture the full reflection of the Skytower. In the foreground is the Westhaven Marina with the city lights behind as the sun started to raise up to the left of the photograph.

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River Lee at night

A serene river flows through a cityscape at dusk, reflecting the soft hues of the evening sky.


Stood on the Nano Nagle foot bridge this is the wonderful view east towards Holy Trinity Roman Church. The bridge is Parliament Bridge, a single arch made of limestone from the early 19th century. You can see the light trails of car headlights moving across the bridge. Taken a dusk this photograph was a 10 second long exposure. This has also blurred the movement in the waters of the River Lee. To the right of the river is Sullivan’s Quay. On the left is the railings at the waters edge of Grand Parade.

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That Wanaka Tree at dusk

Silhouette of a tree with no leaves standing alone in the lake, reflected in the water. Snow capped mountains behind.

The most popular stop for photographs of the lake is That Wanaka Tree. I’d visited Wanaka but not seen this tree on the water. On the day I arrived in town I visited this spot three times. On arrival in the afternoon it was very overcast and gray. Then after sunset, pictured above. Then a couple of hours later at night when it was too cloudy to see the stars above. Each time I walked along the shoreline of the lake to the tree there were more than a dozen other tourists. At sunset maybe 40 or 50 people around. And that was in a time when New Zealand’s borders were closed to international tourists! Photography has been changed a lot in the last decade. First smart phones with good cameras. Then Instagram. This tree isn’t just pin pointed on Google Maps. It’s labeled with #ThatWanakaTree. This has taken a popular spot and turned it into a must see location with public toilets and a big carpark.

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Castlepoint at night

Having been to Castlepoint around half a dozen times now, it’s my favourite lighthouse to photograph. Not just in New Zealand. I’ve shared many landscapes featuring this iconic lighthouse. Here we are looking south, back towards the small beachside settlement. At night the lighthouse is lit up in bright, coloured lights that cycle through the rainbow. As is typical for photographing this lighthouse at sunset. Just as I am about finished with my photographs, putting my camera back in the bag, the lights come up. I thought that the pink colour contrasts well with the coast landscape behind. It makes the lighthouse stand out as the focal point of the photograph.