So here I am in Lockdown posting again. It looks like this first week of total lockdown will be extended as the case numbers with the Delta variant of Covid are increasing rapidly. This new variant is literally a killer.So here are some more images I have been going thru to stay active and inspired in this difficult time.
Anyway this post the theme is getting the mood in landscape images. These images I like because they convey a mood rather than just showing a place.
The Waitakere Ranges near Auckland.The stormy day deepens the colours and adds depth.The fern at the bottom catches your eye with it's lighter shade and the path takes you down towards the far beaches. Wild and beautiful in the distance.
Shooting into a sunrise can be hit and miss but through trial and error you can capture the mood .I wanted this image to look like a painting. The golden glow gives a warmth and flattens the depth while the toi toi plants are highlighted in silhouette to give a focal point. Happy and optimistic.
A new dawn on the Auckland harbour.The ocean is dead calm and the dawn is almost here.No-one around. The lights on the boat and building and from the sunrise add interest with their reflections. The start of a new day. The brooding clouds add a sombre tone.
A native flax bush at Muriwai beach west of Auckland. Again an overcast and rainy morning deepens the colours and softens the image. The overall tones are muted and the lack of people gives an air of solitary nature.
A gannet colony Muriwai beach. This huge colony is one of the biggest in the world. It sits on a rocky outcrop jutting out into the Tasman sea protected from people. I wanted to portray it's wild natural position and emphasise the vast ocean behind by using a wide angle to curve the horizon, making the ocean seem even bigger and adding height to the image.
A friend's back garden. He is a builder and has a definite sense of humour.These mannequins with no heads are one of his installations that he creates to make people think. I tried to add a sense of something strange to an image that by being out of place creates a weird juxtaposition. Mannequins with no heads on a viewing platform??
This solitary tree and the amazing clouds and blue sky with a narrow depth of field make a bold and bright image.Happy !
Again the stormy day over Piha beach west of Auckland and the height of the position on cliffs give a mood of brooding wild grandeur to this image with the beach stretching away to the stormy distance. The waves and the colour of the water make you cold just looking at them!
Lake Wainamu Waitakere Ranges west of Auckland. A still day with lovely rich tones on this deep and tranquil lake as the sun was behind thin clouds which is the best filter you can get. The wharf draws you into the image. It makes me want to dive straight in - which I did after taking the photo.It was Autumn and bloody cold!
Not much description needed here as to the mood. The wild west coast of Auckland on a stormy day.
Downtown Auckland on a foggy sunrise. I wanted to show the mixture of old and new to give a sense of the constant changes in the city skyline. The city wakes to a new day.
I wanted the deep shadows with the sun at this angle to highlight the sunlight on the waterfall, to emphasise it's beauty and grandeur. The use of shadow and light is what photography is all about.
Finally Lion Rock at Piha beach west of Auckland. The day is again overcast-my favourite time for photos of landscapes as it adds depth to colours,and creates brooding natural tones. The vast cliff side adds dimension and the stormy clouds add to the overall effect.
Well I hope you enjoyed some of these images and they worked for you in setting a mood. My mood is pretty sombre and brooding as we settle into our bubble for at least another week. For all of you in Lockdown my deepest sympathies, and for those of you in the "free world" make every day count and also count your blessings!