Out with some Scottish friends under a brilliant moon – the best since 1993 – we legged a good stretch of the Waiwhakaiho walkway, on the New Plymouth outskirts. Having noted this viewpoint along the way, it was surprising how long it took to re-locate it on our return. On the wild uplands of Tibet […]

You can boost minimal moonlight by using its reflection for a silhouette – another way to employ the wan light of a slender moon. “Moonlight photography” for me means not photographing the moon itself (another subject entirely), but rather making pictures by its light. The term is freely abused by amateur photographers. For a sharp […]

North Taranaki this week has been clear and mild for night photography by the  crescent moon. These slender new moons might give only the feeblest of light but if you can see your shadow by them then there is enough for moonlight photography! Nature also provides some magnifiers for moonlight, the best being its reflection […]

Twelve hours before the Christchurch earthquake I was somewhat wearily walking the quiet waterfront at Kaikoura, 150 km to the north on the east coast. I was happy after a perfect evening of night photography, and had the moon well up behind me when I spotted these trees high above. They fringe the cliffs which […]

Out for some night photography, you’d think that the simple equation of dark = dark at least ensured you had plenty of time to set up your masterpieces as you came upon them. That is, without finding the common daylight problem of something changing your scene. Alas, so often this is not the case! Of […]

Moonlight and urban glow at Waimanu; digital ergonomics vs film cameras

The vacated frame and its variables: ghosting by pure moonlight

Inshore study in gold and aqua under a full moon; ideal exposure and post-process rescue

Long exposure outdoor portraits: problems and solutions

A low angle on the plain and a karaka grove; company and constraint

Further along the road less travelled; sometimes your first shot is the best one, sometimes your only one.

Uncommon natural lighting with an extra touch

Golden fluff in moonlit motion; creative control and its inevitable decisions

Warm colours from a sinking moon, plus colour contrast – but where’s the beef?

Self-portrait in gumboots, in a daylight effect; multiple personas using layers

Palms, balm and moonlit calm; the issue of personal safety and the usefulness of a lighting assistant

Vertical grace and green against a starry sky; the search for critical focus

Moon and artist’s cloud over no. 2 shellfish processing factory; wide angle and mixed lighting

Dramatic study in amber, green and blue; composition using the foreground in a classic thirds

Full moon, full cloud; adding foreground highlights with Incandescent and an LED torch

Simplicity and multiplicity; vertical frame with a wide angle

40-minute exposure by muted moonlight, where film still has the upper hand

Simple imagery; it pays to look around the back

Graveyard in white and the mountain in grey; a harmony of moon rays and lingering daylight

A seasonal opportunity by the full moon; adjusting computer screens and camera playback viewers