Sunset scene with kayak in Okarito Lagoon, Westland National Park, West Coast, World Heritage Area, South Westland, New Zealand

When we, photographers, set our minds on one image it’s all too easy to forget about what’s happening around us. We have this magical scene in front of us, the light is changing fast, the heart is pumping with excitement so no wonder it can slip from our minds that there may be another magic happening behind our backs. In my case, I can get too concentrated on my photograph in front of me, that I don’t pay enough attention to what’s happening behind me…but I’ve learned this lesson number of times and am now much more careful not to miss an opportunity for some other photograph then to what I set my mind on.

Saying that though, I still do think that concentration on making a photograph you came for should be priority, as I’ve also experienced this in a hard way, that if we want too much, we often end up with average, missing on the best moment on the intended image.

This photograph of kayak perfectly reflecting in sheets of gold light on a still Okarito Lagoon on the West Coast in New Zealand is a perfect example of an opportunity when you got your main frame in a bag and are hungry for more!

Kayak reflecting in Okarito Lagoon at sunset, Westland National Park, West Coast, World Heritage Area, New Zealand

Photograph ©Petr Hlavacek – nzicescapes.com

Sunset at Lake Wahapo near Whataroa with kahikatea grove and Mt. Adams in background, Westland National Park, West Coast, New Zealand

In my opinion, one of the most scenic lakes on the West Coast is Lake Wahapo.

Yes, I might be a little bit biased since the lake is only a stone throw away from my house near Whataroa and I feel extremely privileged and humbled to be able to live in such extraordinarily picturesque place.

Due to the silty rivers and wetlands around, the lake has coloured murky water but sustains a great numbers of fish. From brown trouts, eels to even salmons.

It is however it’s settings which make this lake a hot spot to photograph.
Surrounded by rare kahikatea grove and with Mt. Adams, most westerly mountain of the Southern Alps in the background, there is no chance to pass the lake without taking a photo.

This photograph was taken in this years winter only few minutes after sunset, which is my favourite time to photograph.
The air starts to be filled with those magical hues of purplish colours, often hues only camera’s sensor can reveal during longer exposure times. You have to be quick though, as those colours usually disappear quickly.

Dusk over Lake Wahapo with Mt. Adams in background, Westland National Park, West Coast, New Zealand

Taken with Nikon D800E and Nikkor 70-200 f2.8 lens

For more images of beautiful lakes in New Zealand, please visit our site and gallery
Stock images of scenic lakes in New Zealand

Photo: ©Petr Hlavacek – www.nzicescapes.com

Thank you and Enjoy!

Beautiful limestone pools at sunset in Punakaiki, Paparoa National Park, West Coast, New Zealand

As I’ve been processing new images for our next upload, which happened last week, I just can’t go by and not to share with you one more frame from Punakaiki coast.

It is also from the area of limestone pools I photographed after the sun went down.
On my first visit, I pre-visualized all these pools playing with colours as the sun goes down so you can easily imagine how excited I was now when I saw all those coloured reflections around me when shooting time came.

With my camera solid on the tripod and mirror locked up, I decided to leave polarizing filter on as I wanted to get both versions – with colourful skies reflecting in water and without reflections, showing the shapes and forms hidden under the water.
Here I’m posting image without polarizer working. Image gained interesting contrast of nice colder blue hues from the sky reflecting in the pool to the warm tones of twilight colours.

You can see polarized version of the same frame on our site by visiting STOCK gallery “NEW IMAGES”.

Thank you and Enjoy!

Beautiful pastel colours of the sunset above Franz Josef Glacier photographed from Centennial Hut toward the Tasman Sea visible on a horizon. Tusk Rocks in a foreground, Chamberlin Snowfield right, Agassiz Glacier left - Westland National Park, West Coast, New Zealand

The most destructive and powerful hand of Mother Nature lies, arguably, in the cryosphere. We may not see it doing much immediate damage, but by observing the landscape we can see enormous changes in our environment caused by glaciers. One of the very typical and most visible footprints glaciers leave behind are our, often ice free, valleys. Entire mountainsides were remodeled by

glacial action leaving only steep valley walls behind. In the upper reaches of the Franz Josef Glacier there is massive pressure from the build up of up to 300m of ice and snow. Associated erosional forces combine to create a bowl shaped depression in the underlying rock called a Cirque, with the snow and ice field contained in the cirque being called the Neve. As gravity encourages ice down the valley the weight of the ice presses downwards and outwards scouring the valleys into a distinctive glaciated U-shape. These are much broader and flatter floored than the V-shaped valleys carved by rivers.