Sunset at Princess Bay - jewel of the night {landscape photography}

The day I picked up my new D800 camera it had been exactly two weeks since my last excursion out and about in search of the golden hour of photo opportunities. I was so ready to be out in the great outdoors again, I’d been itching to get out of the house for days but with the busyness of everything else going on right now I just hadn’t found an opportunity to get away.  Although it would have been great to be able to take the new camera out on its virgin outing, the battery was still charging on the kitchen bench and I didn’t want to rush out willy nilly without all the right protective filters on the new lenses first. I’ll admit it was hard to leave it behind though!

After getting dinner organised for the troops at home, I literally dashed out the door the minute Mark arrived home just after 5pm, and headed straight for the South Coast. The sun was still casting its golden light on the island in Island Bay and there was an unbelievably big swell out in the Strait even though it wasn’t actually that windy. I put it down to the big full moon that would soon rise over the harbour.

I do love Island Bay as a location, having the island and rocks as a focal point in photos makes for a much more interesting horizon than ones with pure water alone. Having said that, more recently I’ve also fallen in love with Princess Bay. Here you can actually get right out amongst the rocks themselves quite easily, and on a clear day with stunning views looking back across Island Bay towards the Kaikoura ranges and in particular Mount Tapuae-o-uenuku it is an incredible setting.

Even though that morning in the city hadn’t promised much for the day with unusually hazy skies, this was going to be my one and only opportunity to get out this week, so I just ‘carpe diem’ed and went with it. And as the sun sunk behind the western coast, the mountains of the South Island literally rose up out of the salmon sky overpowering even the biggest waves that were crashing on shore. With the telephoto zoom on (at full stretch) I still felt I could only just do justice to the incredible vista.

I found a beautiful spot near some jagged rocks to set up camp, enjoying both the reflections of the rocks in the water as well as the opportunity to capture some silky wave action as the waves threw themselves with abandon at the face of the rocks.

When I moved further round the headland, I got distracted taking photos down low amongst the tussock, and then let out a squeal of delight when I turned around and saw the very big full moon rising from behind the eastern hills.

Capturing a very ‘in-focus’ moon shot rising is still an elusive goal for me – and one I am determined to knock off at some point, but being down near the water to get the moonlight reflections was still unique and something I can’t do from up in the hills at home.


Mark was due out at a meeting by 7.30pm, so with a rumbling stomach in need of dinner, a need to empty my bladder growing by the minute and the dark having almost fully enveloped me, I headed home, once again in awe at nature’s amazing entrée I’d lovingly savoured that evening.

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