Photo Blog

Double feature

Posted on 22 July 2018 With a well-earned reputation as one of New Zealand's finest street and landscape photographers, Julian Ward opened two concurrent exhibitions at Photospace Gallery yesterday - 'Human Landscapes' and 'Banks of the Arrow'. The exhibitions run until 18 August. © 2018 Ross Collins

Leprechaunia

Posted on 21 July 2018 When I saw this huge painting attributed to Peter Stewart at the Wellington Irish Society, a little-known building tucked away in a lane off Cambridge Terrace, I knew I needed to make some images. My research has revealed the painting was completed in 1968. © 2018 Ross Collins

Remote control

Posted on 20 July 2018 Puppeteer Anna Bailey of String Bean Puppets was skilfully manipulating a character in her children's show, "The Runaway Sheep" in Te Papa's portrait gallery, as it was drawing an excellent mug shot of the star of the show. © 2018 Ross Collins

End of an era

Posted on 19 July 2018 Entering his last Super Rugby play-off series after four seasons in charge at the Hurricanes, head coach Chris Boyd was alone with his thoughts as he left the field after overseeing a short scrummaging session with his forwards group yesterday ahead of a crucial quarterfinals match against the Chiefs tomorrow night. He leaves in August to take up the role of Director of Rugby at Northampton Saints. © 2018 Ross Collins

Time flies

Posted on 18 July 2018 I knew it had been a little while since I had previously photographed at the former Coastal Artillery Battery at Point Gordon above Mahunga Bay when the opportunity presented itself again yesterday. But it wasn't until I returned home with my images that I discovered my previous shoot had been in April 2010. © 2018 Ross Collins

The chosen ones

Posted on 17 July 2018 When a rainbow first came into my view as I was walking in the Eastern Suburbs recently, it was perfectly framing two trees remaining as a sop to locals after the Wellington City Council removed all other macrocarpa and pine trees growing on a reserve opposite Worser Bay, ostensibly to mitigate a safety risk. Incidentally, five months on, our city fathers (and mothers) have yet to provide the promised native replacements. Am I surprised? © 2018 Ross Collins

Marine mammal spotting

Posted on 16 July 2018 Returning last Friday from following-up a reported (but incorrect) whale sighting Te Raekaihau Point on Wellington's South Coast (in the background of this image), I noticed that the last of the day's sun was spotlighting surfers enjoying good waves at Lyall Bay. © 2018 Ross Collins

Jail bird

Posted on 15 July 2018 I set out to capture some images at the Wellington, Hutt Valley & Districts Poultry & Pigeon Club's Annual Show in Upper Hutt yesterday expecting it might not be easy. But the low light, constantly moving birds and fine wire mesh on the cages all combined to present a formidable challenge. © 2018 Ross Collins

Heading under

Posted on 14 July 2018 Wellington International Airport recently revealed "indicative mural designs by Sheyne Tuffery in collaboration with Weta Workshop and Year 12 art students from Rongotai College" for art to be created at the western portal of the tunnel running under the airport runway. However, when I checked on progress this week, the scale and impact of the work to date was somewhat underwhelming. © 2018 Ross Collins

Twin exhausts

Posted on 13 July 2018 Characteristic of only 'right' whales, our visiting southern right whale was spouting water from its two blowholes as it surfaced in Fitzroy Bay near the Wellington International Airport southern breakwater yesterday afternoon. © 2018 Ross Collins

But wait, there's more!

Posted on 12 July 2018 Just as Wellingtonians were reluctantly accepting that the recent visit by a southern right whale had come to an end, he turned up yesterday outside the harbour along the city's south coast. While he was not indulging in dramatic breaches or exaggerated tail waving, he seemed to be enjoying some quiet time away from the madding crowds including more than two hours near Tarakena Bay where I captured this image. © 2018 Ross Collins

Could only be Wellington

Posted on 11 July 2018 I captured this iconic view from Queens Wharf showing the Chaffers Marina, Clyde Quay Wharf apartments, and houses on the slopes of the inner city suburb of Mt Victoria overlooking Wellington Harbour. © 2018 Ross Collins

Creature of habit

Posted on 10 July 2018 Much like he had done the day before, Wellington's visiting southern right whale yesterday returned to Evans Bay after having started the day checking out the ferry berths and later the downtown wharves and Oriental Bay. However by the time he neared the airport, light was fading fast but I managed to grab just a handful of images as he surfaced twice near the Miramar Wharf before submerging again and disappearing into the darkness. © 2018 Ross Collins

It's beautiful under here!

Posted on 9 July 2018 While Wellington was being pounded by 140kph northerly gales and lashings of horizontal rain yesterday afternoon, our visiting whale had shifted its base to the southern end of Evans Bay where traffic came to a standstill, later moving along to Burnham wharf. In this shot, it was coming straight towards me. © 2018 Ross Collins

Any dog could tell you

Posted on 8 July 2018 There was no point in looking for the visiting southern right whale at Queens Wharf yesterday. It was over near the reclamation causing traffic mayhem on the Wellington Urban Motorway. © 2018 Ross Collins

Moody morning

Posted on 7 July 2018 The overhead conditions at Petone and the Hutt Valley were looking a little ominous in this image captured from Oriental Bay just after sunrise yesterday. © 2018 Ross Collins