It was no ordinary morning

There's nothing like that happy-dance-inside feeling when a moment finally comes together and you capture a shot that's been elusive for a long time. And when the other shots you weren't even necessarily even expecting to get are equally as lovely - well that's just the icing on the cake!

While up in Taranaki for Waitangi weekend, I decided I'd make the most of the now-slightly-later sunrises - and since getting up at 5.30am feels normal to me anyway when I do it all week for exercise normally it was no great hardship to jump out of bed when the alarm went.

I headed straight down to Lake Rotomanu - I hadn't been down here since July last year despite two trips to Taranaki since then - instead I'd captured Lake Mangamahoe back in October and slept in at Christmas - come on a gal does need to have a sleep in sometimes!

lake rotomanu dawn photography

It was a very still and clear morning. So much so that the lake was incredibly smooth - helped a little by the long exposures I was taking. The shot below is quite possibly my favourite black and white shot I've captured yet.




black and white jetty lake image


Once the skies lightened enough to reduce the shutter exposure, I enjoyed taking some shots of a lone kayaker's ripples flowing towards me - he paddled around the lake at least half a dozen times while I was standing taking shots and every time he came past the jetty the ripples would follow along after him.


lake rotomanu sunrise dawn photography


With the skies lightening further I headed for Te Rewa Rewa bridge. I love the design of this bridge - I've never seen anything quite like it - it makes a bold statement on the surrounding landscape.
 

te rewa rewa bridge new plymouth photography


It's like walking through the belly of a whale or being inside a giant wave don't you think?!


te rewa rewa bridge sunrise


And when I crossed the bridge and turned around to look behind me there it was. The shot that I
had been waiting so many months to capture.

mt taranaki through te rewa rewa bridge


sunrise te rewa rewa bridge mt taranaki


That elusive mountain who is so often shrouded in thick cloud put on the most stellar performance for me on this morning. And the first light of the sun's rays caught on the bridge provided a golden curtain to the show.
 

And I'm firmly convinced that the architects who designed this bridge did so knowing exactly that on a day like today the mountain would be framed so wonderfully.
 



te rewa rewa bridge sunrise photo

It was with a very big spring in my step that I left this place, finally satisfied!