Anyone who knows me well, follows me online, or sits too
close to me at work will know how much I have complained about Wellington’s summer
this year. I have been hanging out to get out to take photos, and I have really
noticed how often the clouds are low or the winds are high and it’s been as
frustrating as anything! Thankfully it seems like this summer in
Wellington really was just amongst the worst of the worst.
The next night looked good and I got myself down to Petone
Foreshore and begged mother nature and any other super power I could imagine
not to let the clouds evaporate or the low clouds roll in. As the sun set, my excitement levels were
rising and I could tell it was going to do something pretty special.
By the time the colour in the sky deepened, I was quite
literally racing up and down the foreshore trying to get good angles to capture
the sky show. My aim whenever I go out to shoot is to try to capture as many
angles as possible. I generally know that only a few will be “wow” shots so
taking as many as possible is the way to go. One awesome thing about long
exposure photography is that, once you let the shutter go, you’re free to just
watch what’s happening in front of you for 30 or 60 seconds (sometimes more!)
until you have to get ready for the next click.
On this particular night the colour hung in the sky for
ages, and I was still shooting well after dark.
The next morning I decided to get up super early and catch
the first train of the morning into the city, with the hope of catching a
sunrise before work. As I headed past Wellington Harbour I could see the faint
twinkle of stars, and the lack of clouds that signalled a clear morning (which
is never great for photography). I power walked along the waterfront to my
chosen spot and quite literally watched some long streaky clouds materialise in
the west. These lit up an amazing pinky purple colour and I finally captured
the city shot I have been after for so long, with the beautiful “Solace of the
Wind” statue.
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Solace of the Wind - Wellington Sunrise |
Behind me there was some beautiful soft peach light which
made for a lovely image over the marina. It's really not often the sea is so still and reflective!
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Chaffers Marina, Wellington at Sunrise |
That evening, I was pretty sure that there was not going to
be a lot going on in the sky, but there was still no wind, so I decided to head
to Oriental Bay. Wow, was I wrong. Even moments before the colour appeared I
had text a friend saying it was going to be a giant dud…. But then the sky went
crazy. Was quite a strange, vibrant pink colour and not quite as amazing as the
night before, but still made for some good photos.
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City Sunset |
I buzzed for several days after those three shoots, and was
so happy to finally get a few pictures of my home city that I really loved. And
all of my photography friends took great pleasure in telling me that I could
now quit my moaning.
Hope you enjoyed the pictures!
If you would like to view more of my images please visit Laurie Winter Photography
If you would like to view more of my images please visit Laurie Winter Photography