As we readied our tripods, cameras, and filters in the predawn light, I wondered why Phillip, our photo guide and instructor, had chosen that particular location. After all it was only a viewing spot, a pull-out on the highway leading out of Queenstown, New Zealand.

     “Just make sure you have your filters on and get ready!” For 11 days, Phillip had found incredibly beautiful spots for us to capture the varied landscape of New Zealand’s South Island. But this time the view across a lakewith mountains on the horizon, was no more than any other viewing point.

     “Take a few shots to set up your composition and then wait,” Phillip repeated. Click, the blue tone-mountains appeared on my camera’s LCD. I changed position and clicked again, setting the horizon in the bottom third of the frame and adding a graduated neutral density filter to adjust for the sky. 

     All of a sudden, the clouds turned an iridescent pink. I took several shots. The whole sky then turned several shades of red, pink, and orange, as if there were glowing embers in the clouds. Several camera clicks later, the peaks of the mountains in the distance glowed red. The only sounds were those of our shutters clicking away. 

     And then it happened! How could Phillip have planned this? How could he have known exactly where to stop and set up the cameras? A bright rainbow formed from one mountain peak to the other, just as the sky flared it’s richest reds. The shutters clicked and clicked for about 3 minutes. 

     And, just as suddenly as it had appeared, all the red in the sky was gone and the scene looked like any other early morning mountain view. 

     Another car stopped at the viewing point. The passengers pulled out their cameras, looked at us and our equipment, wondering what we were photographing, took a few shots, and got back in their car and drove off. They had totally missed the extraordinary light show.

     Traveling with a photographer and guide who not only knows how to use a camera but also knows the landscape can make all the difference in a photographic adventure. Phillip Bartlett knows New Zealand, has scouted out locations for years, and understands photographic light. As we now look through our many extraordinary landscape images, we have already decided to plan another photo trip with Capture New Zealand.

     Check it out:

http://www.capturenewzealand.co.nz