Autumn again

The rain finally eased off and a bright sun turned the day into one to remember. But by late afternoon the cold had begun to creep out from the lengthening shadows as I wandered along the edge of the terrace, enjoying the sight of the low sun through the yellowing leaves of the wilding sycamores. I remembered a photograph from another autumn and wondered whether this would be too similar to post. Now you know. But had it really been two years ago? So much has changed, but the seasons still come around.


[29 April 2011, Panasonic Lumix GH1, 100–300 mm at 300 mm, ISO 400, 1/200 at f6.3]


All content © 2011 Pete McGregor

Lacebark fungus

The old lacebark (Hoheria sp.) on the edge of the terrace still hangs on. Its days must be numbered though, judging from this crop of fungi. Still, when I returned a couple of days later, it was the fungi that had shrivelled. (Of course, the fungus inside the tree will be going strong).


[21 April 2011, Panasonic Lumix GH1, 100–300 mm at 252 mm, ISO 400, 1/160 at f8]

All content © 2011 Pete McGregor

Dawn [pseudo infra-red]

Dawn yesterday. By the time I pressed the shutter the trace of a rainbow had vanished. I doubt the photo would have been anything out of the ordinary anyway, so I played around in Lightroom, starting with an infra-red preset and this is what I came up with.


[24 April 2011, Panasonic Lumix GH1, 14–45 mm at 14 mm, ISO 200, 1/100 at f8]

All content © 2011 Pete McGregor

Ti kouka (cabbage tree) textures

Same plant: branch and leaves. Despite its appearance, Cordyline australis is a monocot, more closely related to grasses than most other trees. It's characteristic of the New Zealand landscape: while it has been planted overseas, it grows naturally nowhere other than Aotearoa, and the sight of one of these tough, gnarly, spiky-headed trees evokes that peculiar kind of ache in the heart that says, "This is home."


[21 April 2011, Panasonic Lumix GH1, 100–300 mm at 127 mm, ISO 400, 1/250 at f8]

All content © 2011 Pete McGregor

Red stag roaring

Just a quick snap to let you know what's happening around here...


[20 April 2011, Panasonic Lumix GH1, 100–300 mm at 300 mm, ISO 400, 1/125 at f8]

All content © 2011 Pete McGregor

Rust, not sleeping

I read somewhere that humans have an astonishing ability to see faces in objects. Here's an example.

I love the colours of rust. I don't know whether it's the connotations — the reminder of impermanence, the recycling of things, the transition between states and so on — but I guess that doesn't matter. I just love the colours.

[9 April 2011, Panasonic Lumix GH1, 100–300 mm at 223 mm, ISO 200, 1/320 at f8]

All content © 2011 Pete McGregor

Saw and sack hook

In the little woolshed out the back, some of the carpentry hasn't been done by humans. I like the idea that things have multiple uses, often including the unintended.


[9 April 2011, Panasonic Lumix GH1, 100–300 mm at 100 mm, ISO 200, 1/13 at f8]

All content © 2011 Pete McGregor

Zac on the Lean-to Rock

Not the most flattering of expressions (apologies, Zac), but it conveys the intensity that saw Zac win the expert category at Baring Head last month. This is one of the harder problems, on the Lean-to Boulder. Although not obvious from the photo, this problem's significantly overhanging (most of us would find it extremely difficult even if it was straight up and down). The north end of the Long Wall rises up only a metre or two behind this face, so a fall can be nasty (note the spotter's hand, ready to guide Zac to a safe landing if necessary).



[26 February 2011, Canon 20D, 10–22 mm F4 at 22 mm, ISO 200, 1/1000s at f8] 

 All content © 2011 Pete McGregor

Crane fly

This little crane fly, with a body about as long as the width of my thumb nail, happened to be resting on the verandah when I had the Canon fitted with the macro setup. A missing leg (characteristic of Tipulidae) didn't help the composition, but adding one in photoshop wouldn't have helped the fly.


[9 April 2011, Canon 20D, 100 mm f2.8, ISO 400, 1/250s at f6.3, flash (strobe)]


All content © 2011 Pete McGregor

Cloudscape, southern Ruahine

In the afternoon I biked up No. 2 Line. Hard going, because the grader was still working and the freshly scraped gravel and dirt road was soft from the morning's rain. Still, I'm glad I took the opportunity — the rain returned even before I'd got back home.


[7 April 2011, Panasonic Lumix GH1, 100–300 mm at 100 mm, ISO 400, 1/640 at f5.6. Grain added in Lightroom.]

All content © 2011 Pete McGregor

Autumn evening

Although the reminder of winter's approach doesn't fill me with enthusiasm, I do appreciate some of autumn's special characteristics — evenings like this, for example. This is the view out the back of my place, looking east toward the southern Ruahine less than a quarter of an hour after this photograph, which looks west from the front of the house.


[26 March 2011, Panasonic Lumix GH1, 14–45 mm at 14 mm, ISO 400, 1/250 at f5.6]

All content © 2011 Pete McGregor

Spur-winged plover; portrait

Cropped to show the detail of the head of one of the birds I photographed recently in the Massey University gravel pit car park.

[31 March 2011, Panasonic Lumix GH1, 100–300 mm at 300 mm, ISO 200, 1/2500 at f5.6]

All content © 2011 Pete McGregor

Tauhou (silvereye)

If I were the guru of bird photography, Arthur (Artie) Morris, I'd have photoshopped those annoying leaves out of the way to expose the tip of the bird's beak and the end of its tail. Maybe a lot more. But I don't have Artie's skills and I'm less comfortable than he is with deliberate, extensive image manipulation, although I find it hard to defend my reluctance. (Please note this isn't a criticism of his approach).

Still, I like this photo even if it has flaws. This is how I so often see these little birds — poised in a moment, not entirely on show, almost not there.

Of course, if I'd been Artie, I'd have been starting with a far better photo.


[1 April 2011, Panasonic Lumix GH1, 100–300 mm at 300 mm, ISO 400, 1/250 at f5.6]


All content © 2011 Pete McGregor

Spur-winged plover

Spur-winged plovers (often known elsewhere as masked lapwings) are one of the most common birds in the rural New Zealand landscape, but getting close to them is usually exceedingly difficult. However, I'd seen several hanging out in one of the unsealed car parks at Massey University and had noticed how they seemed remarkably tolerant of cars driving past. Yesterday evening I set the camera up and cruised past slowly with the window down. Even when I stopped the car the three birds seemed unconcerned.


[31 March 2011, Panasonic Lumix GH1, 100–300 mm at 300 mm, ISO 200, 1/3200 at f5.6] 

All content © 2011 Pete McGregor