Signal Gallery Re-Opens

The Signal Gallery has re-opened out a Bethels Beach for the summer season. Check it out at:

160 Bethels Beach Road,
Te Henga,
Auckland.

Image: Nikon D2Xs, 12-24mm Nikkor, 4 image stitch in Autopano Pro.

ANZANG Sixth Collection

The finalist images of the 2009 ANZANG Landscape and Nature Photographer of the Year competition have been published in a great book. Awesome images of the natural world in the Australasian region. The book can be purchased direct from the publisher.

Two of my images which made the finals appear within the book.

Kumeu Art in The Garden (7th & 8th Nov)

Kumeu Art in the Garden is a festival over two days showing almost 100 artists and sculptors within the gallery of six of Kumeu’s award winning gardens. The event run on Sat 7th & Sun 8th November 2009 10 am to 3pm.

I will be at the Dragonfly Garden which is at 130 Muriwai Valley Road, Waimauku.

For tickets and more information visit the official website

The Conductor

This sequence of an Australasian Gannet at Muriwai reminds me of a conductor vigorously controlling an orchestra. Click image for a larger view.

Nikon D300, 300mm F2.8 VR.

NZ Dotterel (tūturiwhatu)

I spent a few hours photographing the endangered New Zealand dotterel at Wiawera last Friday. The Dotterel is inquisitive allowing you to get quite close without stressing the bird. Best approach is to just sit (or lie) on the sand and let them come to you. The dotterel was once widespread but has been subject to introduced predators and human impact and now only numbers 1500.

This bird was feeding on sand hoppers and would stand and perform a little stamp of the feet until hoppers jumped free. At this point a rapid chase ensued usually with the Dotterel getting a meal. Quite interesting behavior to observe.



Images shot with a Nikon D300, 300mm 2.8 VR lens and 1.7TC.

Kereru at Wenderholm

This time of year the bird life out at Wenderholm regional park starts to spark into life. There is plenty of food coming on stream through the flowering vegetation such as the Kowhia and Bottle Brush. I initially went up to Wenderholm with the intention of shooting Tui feeding on a large flowering Kowhia tree in the main carpark. The Tui’s were a no show, but I was fortunate enough to find a pair of native wood pigeons or Kereru feeding on the Kowhia flowers. The pair had a pretty big appetite for the flowers eating them whole in one gulp, without much pause before tearing another flower from the tree. Hopefully I’ll get the chance to catch Tui feeding on the Kowhia flower nectar over the next couple of weeks.

If You Don’t Go You Won’t Know

Thinking the weather was great for waterfall photography (bright overcast) I headed out to Piha to shoot Kitekite falls. The week had been pretty wet so I knew the waterfall would be charged with good flows compared to the trickle that it usually is in summer.

About half way out to Piha (a 60 minute drive from my place) the weather started to turn and it looked like rain. What to do? Well I kept on going. By the time I hit the carpark at the beginning of the track steady rain greeted me. After investing in the drive I thought I’d just take a chance and walk up to the falls outlook. Steady rain turned to a torrential downpour half way up the track. I was soaked and my camera bag was not faring much better. Pig headed I kept on going. At the outlook the torrent stopped, wind dropped and the clouds almost parted. The falls where charged up in spectacular form. Out with the damp camera and tripod for some satisfying shots. Serendipity. Sometimes you’ve just got to keep on going.

North Island Robin

I came across this little North Island Robin while walking through one of the tracks at the southern end of Wenderholm park. The Robin is a very friendly bird and this one was happy to pose for over an hour or so. Shooting birds like this in their natural environment can be challenging with the extreme low light and untidy backgrounds. On camera flash isn’t the most flattering of light, but that was all I had available to me. I’m reasonably happy with the images made.

LisaSarah Stainless Steel Art

I recently did some product photography for artist Lisa Turley who owns www.lisasarah.com. Her work is a fusion of nature imagery on a hi-tech stainless steel medium. You can buy direct from her website or through a selected retailers listed on her website.

Gannets at Muriwai

Went out to Muriwai to check out what was happening at the Gannet colony located at Muriwai Beach on Auckland’s west coast. The birds are back in from their winter break in Australia and are on both onshore nesting locations in good numbers. Still far from the peak numbers found in November. Good viewing of birds flying with building materials in tow can be seen right now. Look for a wind out of the west for great flying displays.

Australasian Gannet in fllight at Muriwai

2009 ANZANG Landscape and Wildlife Photography Awards

Just found out two of my images will be published in the 2009 ANZANG Landscape & Wildlife Photographer book. One of the images has made it though to the exhibition for final judging which will be held in October. The exhibition is on at the South Australian Museum in Adelaide from 2 Oct though to 22 Nov. For more details on the ANZANG awards check out the following link.

Flowering Rata, Karamea (selected for book and exhibition)

Silvereye (selected for book)

Opening Post

This is my opening post. I don’t know where this blog will lead but I’m hoping that it will supplement my portfolio of images on my main website www.paulkettel.com with more current and frequent examples of my work.

The image for this post is of a New Zealand native called a Fantail or Piwakawaka in Maori. These are delightfully playful birds, which seem to dance around you while walking through bush. This bird was photographed at Wenderholm park just north of Auckland. A recent storm had left the beach strewn with seaweed and driftwood, making for perfect feeding conditions for the fantail.