Early light...

With a busy weekend ahead, I was out of bed early to catch the sunrise this morning. I was determined to try out my new lens once I was finished with the sunrise and was hoping the birds would be co-operative. Turns out the sun didn't do exactly what I wanted of it but the birds did show themselves. They weren't that keen on my being anywhere near them but I did manage to capture a few shots. I need more practice with the new lens, it's like being a beginner all over again.

From the roof top...

I am currently working on a series of images for NAWIC (National Association of Women In Construction). They are having an exhibition soon and I am shooting the images for them. I have been to all sorts of sites so far, power substations, building sites, plumbing showrooms and today a roof top! Thankfully it was an easy access roof and I didn't have to climb any ladders or scaffolding like I have had to do recently. Once on the roof I was captivated by all the reflections in the surrounding buildings. I could have stayed there for hours photographing them! The following images are all I managed to get in while doing the job I was there for.

Before my new lens...

Photographing birds is something I really enjoy doing. It is also something that frustrates me endlessly! Birds have a habit of moving when you don't want them to which makes getting a sharp clear shot so much harder. I use a Canon 70-300 lens usually for my bird photography and while I have managed to get some awesome shots, there are times when it is too short and I just can't get close enough to the birds without spooking them.

Today was no exception, every time I got to a distance that I was comfortable with the darn birds flew away! So here are the fly away shots of the day :)  After we gave up on the birds (they all flew away) we headed into town and bought a new lens. I now have a Sigma 150-500mm lens and I can't wait to try it out. Maybe tomorrow :)

So these images are my before shots and hopefully soon I will be able to post some taken with the new lens. Watch this space!  Oh and another piece of good news... I placed 2nd in the Fauna section of the Tiritiri Matangi Island Photographic Competition with one of my Bellbird shots from my last trip there.

Arabella

Photographing young children is always a challenge but Arabella was the perfect model!

Tara's beautiful baby girl

Caylee

Burlesque

One of the things I would like to do more of is pin-up type photography. I love the vintage look of pin-up and I enjoy photographing burlesque beauties. I am lucky in that I have some gorgeous women willing to let me photograph them.

So I hired a hall for an all day shoot. The plan was set and everything came together beautifully - that was until we started shooting. The lights malfunctioned initially and I had some stressful moments trying to overcome the problem. I managed for do a macguyver fix while my husband headed off to the techie store for the real fix.

I had five beautiful models for the day and each had a couple of changes during the shoot. I now have about a thousand images to work through and process but I can tell you that it is almost as much fun doing the processing as it was doing the shooting. They were amazing to photograph and I loved every minute of it.

Toutouwai - North Island Robin

Easter Saturday and the sun was shining brightly, so we took advantage of the weather and headed to Zealandia once more. I have a yearly pass so it makes it affordable and they are running a special at the moment letting members take guests for half price! So the ever suffering hubby came along to carry the gear for me.

Toutouwai - North Island Robin

I went to all my usual haunts and today came up empty, so it was time to go further afield. We ventured along the "Round the Lake" track which funnily enough, goes around the top lake above the dam. I am not sure it was a smart move with the state of my back and joints but I was determined to walk it at least once, just to see what I have been missing when I don't go there.

Toutouwai - North Island Robin

I got a glimpse of some Hihi (Stitchbacks) but never managed to get a shot of them. I saw lots of Saddlebacks but again didn't manage to capture an image I was happy with. I did get some but they are not great. The Saddlebacks are very quick and flit from branch to branch before you get a chance to focus on them.

Toutouwai - North Island Robin

There were Tui everywhere! I don't think I have ever seen so many Tui at Zealandia, a definite population explosion! But the highlight of my day today was the Toutouwai (North Island Robin). They are so trusting that you can get up close and personal with them. At times they were too close for the lens that I had on my camera and that too was frustrating.

Toutouwai - North Island Robin

Toutouwai are small birds, not much bigger than a sparrow but with very spindley legs, and are found in native and exotic forrests. The ones I came across today were right little posers, turning from side to side as the camera clicked. I had to use the flash due to the bad lighting in the bush but it didn't seem to bother them one little bit.

Toutouwai - North Island Robin

After getting around the track I was going to spend some time with the Kaka but they were hiding too, so I just headed back to the cafe - as you do - for a late lunch. We spotted some Tuatara on the way back - I will post some images of them later. It was a fun day!

Toutouwai - North Island Robin

Toutouwai - North Island Robin