Red stag

Both stags are roaring now, yet, surprisingly, they seem to have a gentleman's agreement over the hinds: I haven't seen them fighting, at least not seriously. Nevertheless, at this time of year, when they're suffering from acute testosterone poisoning, they can be very dangerous, even if they'll eat out of your hand during the rest of the year. Needless to say, I photographed this one through the fence.

[27 March 2011, Panasonic Lumix GH1, 100–300 mm at 300 mm, ISO 400, 1/500 at f5.6] 

All content © 2011 Pete McGregor

Squall and prayer flags

Torrential downpours yesterday, with thunder prowling in the hills. Such a contrast with the previous evening.

[27 March 2011, Panasonic Lumix GH1, 14–45 mm at 45 mm, ISO 400, 1/40 at f11] 

All content © 2011 Pete McGregor

Not a bad evening

Both stags have begun to roar, a sure sign we're into autumn. Drenching rain this morning eventually cleared and turned into one of those wonderful evenings so typical of this time of year in the valley. I stood on the new verandah and watched the sun inch towards the western hills. Life could be worse.


[26 March 2011, Panasonic Lumix GH1, 14–45 mm at 14 mm, ISO 400, 1/60 at f8]

All content © 2011 Pete McGregor

Independence Day, Mt Abu

At Mt Abu in Rajasthan, near the border with Gujarat, the Independence Day celebrations were exuberant and colourful. Typical India. I can't imagine anything quite as colourful as this here in Aotearoa... although perhaps if the Indian community were doing the celebrating...

The powder was part of a performance. One of the dancers sprang through the ranks, tossing fingerfuls of powder into the air.

Something of a contrast to the previous photo?


[26 January 2007, Canon 20D, 300 mm f4 L IS, ISO 200, 1/320 at f5.6]

All content © 2011 Pete McGregor

Silk spinner, near Bhuj

At the place where silk patolas were made, the grandfather still worked.

[9 February 2007, Canon 20D, 24–105 mm f4 L IS at 70 mm, ISO 800, 1/30 at f4]

All content © 2011 Pete McGregor

Bouldering by the sea — Baring Head

Baring Head can get interesting when the tide's high and a southerly's blowing in from Cook Strait. This is the aptly named Seaward Boulder, and for reasons probably obvious, this was the only climber I saw attempting any of the problems on it during the competition.



[26 February 2011; Canon 20D, 10–22 mm f4 at 10 mm, ISO 200, 1/1250 at f8]


All content © 2011 Pete McGregor

Baring Head — the 2011 bouldering competition

Seems hard to believe it's over three weeks since I drove to Baring Head to photograph the annual bouldering competition. A cold, blustery southerly wasn't ideal, but cloud for the first couple of hours made the photographing a little easier. Later the cloud dispersed (to a degree) and the hard, contrasty, early afternoon light tested the limits of the camera — and photographer.

Here, Dan Pringle makes a high, scary problem look like a stroll along the beach.



[26 February 2011; Canon 20D, 10–22 mm f4 at 21 mm, ISO 200, 1/640 at f8]


All content © 2011 Pete McGregor

Zac in action

Zac Orme won the men's expert section of the National Bouldering Series event at Baring Head a couple of weekends ago. I think the intense concentration apparent here explains why.


[26 February 2011, Canon 20D, 10–22 mm F4 at 15 mm, ISO 200, 1/200s at f8] 

All content © 2011 Pete McGregor

Autumn, and the apples ripen

Already the signs of autumn become more obvious. The stags have stripped the velvet from their antlers, the southerly that blew through dropped the temperature in my room to 10°C, the evenings grow shorter, the first leaves begin to yellow, colour spreads over the fruit on the old apple trees. This autumn as I look ahead to the future I retrieve a lens I haven't used for a decade and call up a way of photographing from my past. I feel unusually melancholy.


[8 March 2011, Canon 20D, 20 mm F2.8, ISO 200, 1/250s at f5.6]

All content © 2011 Pete McGregor

Ivan in action, bouldering at Baring Head

Ace climber Ivan Vostinar in action on one of the harder climbs at the Baring Head Rock Hop. This particular wall is called the Only the Good Die Young wall — a tribute to young New Zealand climber Phil Herron who died many years ago in Patagonia. Perhaps the southerly wind howling along the wall on the day of this year's competition added an additional reminder of Patagonia.


[26 February 2011, Canon 20D, 10–22 mm F4 at 10 mm, ISO 200, 1/30s at f8]


All content © 2011 Pete McGregor

Low traverse at Baring Head

This low traverse proved popular, partly because it was more sheltered from the cold southerly than many other climbs, but also, I suspect, because falling off never hurt ;^)


[26 February 2011, Canon 20D, 10–22 mm F4 at 22 mm, ISO 200, 1/500s at f8] 


All content © 2011 Pete McGregor

Baring Head: approaches to gravity

Baring Head on Saturday. Dan Pringle sends a high and scary problem on the wall in the Split Apple area. Although the cloud dispersed a little as the day wore on, the cold southerly meant the most popular climbs were those with a least a little shelter.

(The gull was NOT photoshopped in.)


[26 February 2011, Canon 20D, 10–22 mm F4 at 22 mm, ISO 200, 1/640s at f8] 

All content © 2011 Pete McGregor