11 November 2008

Whanganui River—the famous view

Whanganui River valley
This must be one of the most photographed vistas in Aotearoa. Most photos will be framed (i.e. composed) almost identically because the lookout point is small. This is no exception; what's most likely to distinguish it from most others (not all) is the absence of colour.
(The "wh" in Whanganui is not pronounced as an "f". For more discussion, check the comments on this post.)

All content © 2008 Pete McGregor

7 comments:

Anne-Marie said...

I'm sitting here at work looking at that very same river sliding past the window. It looks a little more tame here :-)

Unusual to see this view in a black + white photo. When did you take this photo - was it back in February?

pohanginapete said...

Anne-Marie, yes, it was. 17 February 2008; 3:31 p.m. (aren't digital cameras wonderful?)

Ngaio said...

Wow, now that is a trip down memory lane - I grew up at the end of Te Maire valley, south of Taumarunui, we crossed over the beautiful Whanganui river using the only bridge for miles - this is a wonderful view Pete. When you speak of the Pohangina with your creative words and photos, I remember my loved Father-in-law who grew up in your valley, he always speaks fondly of his childhood and the surrounding valley. I really enjoy your blog..

pohanginapete said...

Thank you, Ngaio. The Whanganui River has such a particular feel, such a strong character — a personality, I suppose. The Pohangina also has a definite personality; similarly recognisable but different. I'm glad I don't have to choose between the two. :^)

Anonymous said...

Great photo, Pete!
The clouds make it look like a painting. Shooting in black&white emphasized the shadows from the clouds on the land below, which gives a certain mysterious look to the photo. And one more good thing is that the photograph is pretty sharp making every little detail clearly visible.

michael.offworld said...

A grand bit of paradise. And the clouds were your friends.

pohanginapete said...

Greg, yes, the shadows worked better in B&W than in colour. In this case, I felt colour added nothing important.

Michael, at that time of day, with the sun still fairly high and very bright, the clouds were definitely my friends.