This article discusses using Live ND in New Zealand during a photography tour my wife and I did in late 2024. Live ND is a computational photography technology that is available on a number of Olympus/OM cameras. It provides an in-camera effect similar to using a neutral density filter.
Category Archives: Tours & Travel
Beauty and the Beach
Beauty and the beach is something that we can experience during our meanderings through life. Sometimes in obvious ways… and sometimes unexpectedly. During our trip to New Zealand in late 2024 we had the opportunity to do some exploring at Kaka Point.
This remote hamlet captures much of what my wife and I love about New Zealand in terms of its rugged beauty, quiet location, and friendly people.
Hamilton Gardens with 12-100 PRO
This article shares a selection of images captured handheld at Hamilton Gardens with the M.Zuiko 12-100 PRO IS zoom lens. The city of Hamilton (New Zealand) is situated 122 kilometres south of Auckland on the North Island.
Photographing Thermal Mud Pools
Photographing thermal mud pools can be challenging when attempting to capture erratic mud bursts breaking on the surface of the pool. Technology like Pro Capture can allow photographers to capture a wide selection of useable images at this type of venue with a very high confidence level.
M.Zuiko 14-150 mm f/4-5.6 II Review
The M.Zuiko 14-150 mm f/4-5.6 II zoom lens is a wonderfully flexible piece of kit that is sometimes undervalued by folks. This article provides some first hand insights on this lens. These are based on some time using this lens, observing my wife using it in the field, and working in post with files produced with it. We’ve owned this lens for over 4 years and have found it to be reliable, and a joy to use.
Governors Bay Jetty
Towards the end of our latest trip to New Zealand we visited the Governors Bay Jetty as we explored parts of the Banks Peninsula.
Must Have Myths
The internet is full of must have myths, and this is particularly true when it comes to photography gear and related equipment. I can’t speak for other folks, but some of the worst photographic purchases I’ve made were based on must have recommendations that I got from other people. Of course the ultimate blame for those purchase errors lies with me… for having followed ill-advised suggestions.
Whakarewarewa Forest Compositions
This article shares some handheld images taken in Whakarewarewa Forest which is near Rotorua on the North Island of New Zealand. We spent about an hour and a half exploring some of the walking trails, as intermittent rain fell.
Oamaru Christmas Parade
The 2024 Oamaru Christmas Parade happened to coincide with our visit to Oamaru during our recent trip to New Zealand. This article shares some of the images I captured as the Oamaru Christmas Parade progressed through the town.
New Zealand Travel Kit
This article discusses the camera equipment that we included in our travel kit for our recent photography tour to New Zealand, as well as our decision rationale.
My wife and I ended up taking a total of five lenses, two camera bodies, six batteries, and two battery chargers. All of the gear had to fit in my Tenba laptop backpack. Along with a portable hard drive, a 13″ laptop with charger, and about a dozen 64 GB UHS-II SD memory cards. We were able to stay within a 7 Kg weight limit… but just barely.