I was playing in the backyard with my kids today, when I heard an unusual buzzing. Initially I thought it was just a bee or fly doing its thing, but after a few minutes, I was sufficiently intrigued to investigate.
Well, to my surprise I found this Praying Mantis on a rose bush nearby, gripping a fly as hard as it could, while chomping into its abdomen. The poor fly was in no state to escape the grip of the Mantis, but nevertheless doing its hardest to fly away.
It was one of those little glimpses of nature that you don’t often witness.
You can see in the second picture how much the Praying Mantis had eaten. For once I felt for a fly!
I’ve just picked up the latest Woman’s Day. Recently, I photographed Cameron Luxton down in Mid Canterbury for them. Cameron is currently a contestant on the TV series, X Factor. What a great guy. I wish him really well, as for a young fella, he’s certainly got it together. Thanks for having me along Cameron (the venison was also a hit!).
Recorded by TEDTalks, as part of a presentation in Maui, American photographer Lisa Kristine presents a moving account of modern day slavery. The extent of the modern slave trade is very sobering, and sadly, one I was not particularly aware of.
I can’t even start to imagine the misery that affects those caught in this cycle. I guess with global awareness, these issues can start to be addressed. Good on Lisa, and others, for raising awareness, and doing their part to make the world a better place. I admire that deeply.
Last Friday was my last summer wedding. Boy, what a way to finish.
The rain held off, just! As a result the lighting was beautiful. Add to that a great bridal party, a stunning bride, and a perfect venue. I think all my planets just aligned!
See Lydia and Liam’s great day at Trents Estate Vineyard here.
At risk of sounding like a blatant sponsor’s endorsement, I have to admit to being very impressed by the new Samsung Galaxy S4.
I was shooting last night at the NZ launch, so have had a sneak preview ahead of their massive media campaign in the coming days. Now, I have little time for Ford v Holden, Mac v PC type discussion (though have been a happy Mac user for many, many years!). Similarly, iPhone vs all others doesn’t really interest me either.
What I did find fascinating with the new Galaxy is just the complexity of what can be stuffed into such a small piece of electronics. We have reached the age where a phone truly is a lifestyle device in every aspect – from diet control, music player, daily organiser, fully functional camera, family album collater, translater…. oh, of couse and phone! The power of the technology blew me away. Everything from how its scans a business card and converts printed text directly into your address book, the multiple speaker capacity used when syncing several devices, touchless control, verbal language converter.
It really is a PC in your palm. Ummm, what is left to invent?
Samsung launch party
A tough night I know, hanging with the promo girls!
Part of Easter was spent in Wanaka, photographing for Richard and Claire. What a great wedding to be part of, with such lovely friends and family. A big group attended the wedding, which also included a very large bridal party. The synergy of having such a neat group of mates made for a really fun (albeit chaotic!) day. It is also such a stunning part of NZ which just completes an already amazing picture. Mix in a summer just keeps on giving….!
These are a couple of incidental shots I took ‘out wandering’.
Wanaka shoreline at night.
Lake Wanaka, looking towards Aspiring National Park.
At over 345m long, and 148,000 tonnes, the Queen Mary II is the largest Ocean Liner ever built.
Queen Mary 2′s facilities include fifteen restaurants and bars, five swimming pools, a casino, a ballroom, a theatre, and the first planetarium at sea. There are also kennels on board, as well as a nursery.
Last week it came to visit Akaroa harbour, during a stunning early autumn day. Boy, you couldn’t have asked for better if you had a berth on board.
If I am being 100% honest, I have to confess to being sick of most things ‘earthquake’. Two years on since the Feb 22 Quake, and the adrenaline has truly worn off. The reality now is tiresome security questions calling EQC, and traffic disruption from endless roadworks. Though this is nothing new really – that all started some time ago!
If I am being equally honest, there is also some allure in photographing a once familiar landscape, that now bears more resemblance to an alien wasteland. The photos seen here, I took yesterday in between appointments, along Manchester and Tuam St’s (except one shot earlier, taken in Aranui).
Now, it is perhaps misleading showing this alone, as to an outsider you can get a distorted picture of what is happening in the Central City. As we enter a rebuild phase, there is certainly a lot of new work happening, and I have neglected to depict that. But again being honest, it doesn’t have the same raw appeal. Besides, there are health and safety tutorials, site reg’s, PPE rules,… it just isn’t as simple!
I find it intriguing, that the following on from the carnage caused by the earthquakes, the city has yielded a degree of ‘revelation’. Old painted signage is exposed for the first time in decades. Picture theatres once majestic and glorious, now lie bare to the elements, vunerable and broken. Surreptitious entrances are now belied by gigantic signage and arrows. Modern and old architecture are equally rendered redundant, void of purpose and life blood.
I suspect much of it won’t be round for too much longer. Whether I am sick of it or not, I think we owe it to the history of this city, to retain some record. (Goodness knows, the National Library can’t be relied to do it all!).
I am a big believer in Murphy’s Law. That was pretty much the case this last week.
Last weekend was the first full weekend off without a wedding or other job. Having neglected the garden for some months, I figured it couldn’t be left any longer. What I thought might just be a couple of hours trimming, turned into two full days of toil. The result is a tidy property and a neat back yard. Yet rather than sit back and enjoy the fruits of our labour, I have had the total discomfort of an infected hand. Despite wearing gloves, I must have been pierced by some nasty little barb hiding in the depths of our flora, right on the knuckle of my ‘trigger’ finger!
So what should have been a relaxing break, has turned into a painful and swollen experience, a double course of antibiotics, and two doctors visits. Just goes to show, if it can go wrong, it often will. Healing in time I bet, just before my next wedding!
Just in case viewers may not have connected with my Facebook page, I’d love to share that with you again here.
I do post much more wedding based content there, if you would like to see regular posts from my wedding shoots.
