Alpen glow of twilight over Southern Alps with Mt. Tasman and Aoraki, Mt. Cook from Three Mile beach near Okarito, Westland Tai Poutini National Park, West Coast, UNESCO Wolrd Heritage Area, New Zealand, NZ

Can’t help myself not to make another post on wetlands in New Zealand. Our wetlands, on the West Coast of the South Island in particular, are very special not only for their support of hugely diverse range of birds species, many other animals and plants but simply because they’re just incredibly photogenic.
This photograph demonstrates how important it is to know your location, to know what’s possible to occur.
One of those occurrences in the case of this lagoon is, that it can get blocked after some severe storms. It stops it’s usual cycle of draining and filling up in accordance with the tide, and forms wonderful lake creating an opportunity for some beautiful reflections of the surrounding environment and nearby Southern Alps.
Of course, one has to be patient or lucky to be at the spot on a calm evening like in this image and be aiming for the winter when the mountains put up its best display.
I’ve been at this lagoon so many times but can only remember being there twice or three times over the years, when the lagoon was full and blocked like this.
Remarkable fact is, that from lagoons in this area to the foothills of the Southern Alps, it can be as little as 10-15 km.

These lagoons are also part of Westland Tai Poutini National Park – UNESCO World Heritage, and you can find more images from this location under the following link Westland Tai Poutini National Park.

Thank you.

Alpine sunset viewed from Mt. Fox with Cook River and Tasman Sea in distance, Westland Tai Poutini National Park, West Coast, UNESCO World Heritage Area, New Zealand, NZ

Continuing with the theme of “my golden 20 minutes”, this image was made not too far from Fox Glacier, high up in the alpine environment, when the end of the day light was dressing up the scene with a wonderful golden glow.

This is one of my favourite locations where I love spending my time; exploring and amalgamating with the environment, looking and planning for new photographs.
What’s remarkable about this alpine place is that the Tasman Sea, visible on horizon, is barely 10km away and you’re already around 1600m asl.

I’ve been in this spot many times before, observing angles of the light, compositions, simply chasing photography opportunities. Among other images, I have always been attracted to the rock stacks scattered all around this alpine terrain, with these rocks in particular. They offer wonderful angle toward the sea on horizon, while incorporating the Cook River draining the Fox Glacier into the sea. All I needed was to be there in right time, when the setting sun was at the right angle and a suitable amount of clouds, or, rather lack of it, enabled the light to cast its wonderful warm hues across the landscape.

For more images with alpine theme, please visit ALPINE IMAGES.

Thank you.

Below, please enjoy few photographs and snaps of our clients on locations we visit.
Thank you and we look forward to welcoming some of you on one of our photography adventure.

Sunrise at Lake Matheson with reflections of Mt. Cook and Mt. Tasman, Westland National Park, West Coast, UNESCO World Heritage Area, New Zealand

Icebergs and ice debris on Hooker Lake with reflections of Aoraki Mount Cook sunrise, Aoraki Mtount Cook National Park, Mackenzie Country, World Heritage Area, New Zealand

Sun falling behind horizon of the Tasman Sea. Watched from overnight Milford Sound boat cruise in Milford Sound, Fiordland National Park, UNESCO World Heritage Area, New Zealand

Native rainforest and tree ferns on the West Coast in Oparara Valley near Karamea, Kahurangi National Park, New Zealand

Looking towards Humboldt Mountains and Mount Aspiring National Park near Glenorchy, UNESCO World Heritage Area, New Zealand

Deep green-blue colours of Hokitika River Gorge, South Westland, New Zealand

Kahikatea forest in fog at sunrise at Lake Wahapo, West Coast, Westland National Park, UNESCO World Heritage Area, South Westland, New Zealand

Thank you and Enjoy!

Dorothy Falls near Hokitika with golden light of sunset reflecting in water, West Coast, South Westland, New Zealand

When photographing a well known location or site, it’s always a challenge to come up with a new, fresh composition.
Dorothy Falls near Hokitika on the West Coast of the South Island in New Zealand is a great example.

I have numerous frames of this waterfall with classic compositions but this time I wanted something a little different.
I decided to use a long lens to make a horizontal panorama of this waterfall.
Knowing that there will be some limitations with the depth of field I used focus stacking technique for each of the vertical frame to maintain maximum sharpness from the front to the background.

I’m very pleased with my new take on this notoriously photographed waterfall and hope that you’ll enjoy it, as well.

Dorothy Falls with golden light of sunset reflecting in the water, South Westland, South Island, New Zealand

Thank you for reading and Enjoy!

Sample Images from Routeburn Track in New Zealand

Long days of summer have gone now but I’m really excited (as every year) about approaching winter’s short days and its brilliant photography light. Next to this marvellous light, white peaks around us, late mornings (for sleep in) and early evenings (to catch a dinner without a rush) these are some of few things photographers like about making photographs in winter.

I however do like getting around in summer too and this past summer hasn’t been different for me. After 11 years, I re-visited one of the best locations New Zealand has on offer – the Routeburn Track in Mount Aspiring and Fiordland National Park … and what a fantastic trip I had.

It was a photographic bonanza. The weather stayed on my side, giving me plenty of blue skies and suntan, as well as those magical low clouds around Lake Mackenzie . This was really great as it allowed me to photograph an amazing rainforest surrounding it. The only sad thing was that the bush was bone dry, thus lacking that extra juicy kick and the lake was at its lowest everyone I spoke to could have recalled.
Despite this, I’m very happy with few keepers and I got home with.

For those of you who haven’t made it to Routeburn yet, I hope that these sample photos will help you to make up your mind.

Thanks and Enjoy!

Stock Images from Catlins, Dunedin, Otago Peninsula and Moeraki Boulders in New Zealand

It’s been quite a long time since I’ve visited Southland of New Zealand.
After acquiring our new 36MPix camera, it wasn’t too hard to make a decision that now is a right time to go and re-visit this “on the southerly edge” part of South Island. And what a trip it was!

I spend one week in the area, catching up with places like Waipapa and Slope Points with its sea lions and lighthouse, Curio Bay and petrified forest, Nugget Point, through to Otago Peninsula and up to ever popular Moeraki Boulders. These were the main targets of my trip but there was a lot and lot of photography in between. Luckily, all main locations are not too far apart so I didn’t have to spend that much time on long distance transfers…but still, I clocked up a few kilometers.

This corner of New Zealand lies in a kinda shadow of other popular places but it certainly doesn’t deserve that. It’s absolutely beautiful and as always with New Zealand scenery – totally different…and how much I love that!!! Therefore, if you consider holidaying in South Island of New Zealand, make sure you pay visit to the southern most part of mainland, by the Antarctic weather lashed – The Southland. You won’t be disappointed.

You can see small samples right above but for more and larger previews, please visit coastal gallery on our site or use the following link –

Coastal photos from Catlins, Dunedin, Otago Peninsula, Moeraki Boulders and much more.

All photos: ©Petr Hlavacek – www.nzicescapes.com

Thank you and Enjoy!

Fossilized tree trunk at Curio Bay after sunset, Southland, New Zealand

It is quite hard to imagine that this place once used to be a thriving forest.
Until about 180 million years ago when New Zealand was still part of a super continent Gondwana. Massive event of sheet flooding caused by, at that time nearby live volcanoes, flooded the area and almost instantly turned the forest into stone. Stone turning must have happened relatively quickly, in matter of months, as the trees didn’t have time to decay. Thanks to silica minerals not only trees but also ferns were preserved for us to wonder over.

This is a significant coastal location not only for New Zealand but also internationally, as these types of fossilized forests are very rare.

I had this location in my mind for quite some time, as I wanted to get some new photographs of this interesting place so it was for sure that Curio Bay gets included into my Southland trip. I spend a couple of nights her, exploring around and managed to make a few images.

I have quite few interesting frames from here actually, but it was the mood and gloominess of this night photograph which I like and decided to make a post of it.

I hope you’ll like it as well!

Taken with Nikon D800E and Nikkor 16-35 f4 lens.

Photo: ©Petr Hlavacek – www.nzicescapes.com

This image is not online yet, but you can find more of other coastal imagery in our gallery Coastal photos of New Zealand

Thank you and Enjoy!

Sunrise over Ice Lake in the Southern Alps with Shackleton and Whataroa Glaciers in the background, alpine herbs in foreground - Westland National Park, West Coast, New Zealand

I’ve been planning this trip for many years but somehow didn’t manage to make it up there until last year…and what a place! I knew that it’s a quite a special location but reality exceeded my expectations.
Alpine garden of herbs and berries with fascinating rocks around a small lake tacked under massive, steep ranges of the Southern Alps with hanging glaciers truly reminds of Peter Jackson’s hobbit film location. It’s not easy to photograph there, however. All area the lake is in is very enclosed and the place doesn’t receive much sunlight, especially when days are shorter and sun lower.

I’m not HDR photographer I have to say, but in this instance I didn’t have many options (D800 wasn’t in my hands at that time). To be frank, I actually haven’t tried an HDR image before, so I was quite keen on trying it here.

For this image I merged 7 exposures to create this 1 frame using Photoshop CS5.

Taken on Nikon D300 with Nikkor 12-24 lens

Photo: ©Petr Hlavacek – www.nzicescapes.com

More images of Ice Lake in New Zealand are available from our gallery Alpine Lake Stock Images from West Coast of New Zealand

Thank you and Enjoy!

Sunset and limestone formation in Punakaiki, Paparoa National Park, West Coast, New Zealand

Last week I got back from my last trip, for a while at least, and what a trip that was.
I was able to reach some secret but dangerous spots but I wouldn’t recommend to follow this, especially if you don’t know the area and potential hazards… and this goes to this image in particular.
The constant danger of unpredictable waves and falling rocks kept me alerted at all times and my senses were all over me. I waited away from this place for the right moment to come and gave myself only a couple of minutes for the shot before I backed off to the safe side.

I’ve had this photograph on my mind for a long time. I kept coming back to see variety of light on this spot during last 12 months and it was so tantalizing that I couldn’t resist this evening. My waiting was over as all the elements I was after came spectacularly together – amazing light hitting right place, out of this world limestone formations and shapes with drama of incoming tide.

I couldn’t have been happier!

This image is not online yet but for more and similar coastal images from New Zealand, please visit our photo stock gallery Coastal Stock Images from West Coast of New Zealand

Pancake Rocks in Punakaiki, Paparoa National Park, West Coast, New Zealand

Nikon D800E with Nikkor 16-35 lens

Hiking track through juicy green, native rainforest towards Robert Point, Westland NP, West Coast, New Zealand

It’s well know that there is some decent rainfall on the West Coast. Must be, otherwise we wouldn’t have any rainforests, glaciers, wild rivers etc here.
With an annual rainfall of up to 16m at places, the West Coast of New Zealand belongs among the wettest places on Earth.
That sounds quite frightening but it’s actually is not too bad, as everyone thinks. Due to the predominant weather patterns, the South Island faces the weather coming in from the Tasman Sea and it’s the West Coast which receives all the water load. As the front passes through, the clear weather usually follows and we all here on the West Coast, bath in the sunshine…which very few people know …and we’re very happy to keep it that way!

This image has been taken on a track near Franz Josef Glacier in area where the precipitation can reach up to 7-8m annually. Hence lush, juicy green mosses, lichens and overall temperate rainforest vegetation.

More images from native forests of New Zealand are available in our photo stock galleryNATIVE FOREST of New Zealand

Enjoy!