Whipped Up
Mt Cook National Park, New Zealand
Mt Cook National Park, New Zealand
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Sep, 2015Views
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Creative Winter Award
Curator's Selection
Top Shot Award 21
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Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken in the Mount Cook National Park, New Zealand. Aorangi/Mount Cook as it is known in New Zealand, is in the background. I was traveling with family back to our nearby holiday base at Twizel in the McKenzie Country, after having spent the day in Mount Cook township, which is at the foot of the mountain.Time
I took this around mid afternoon. It had been a spectacularly sunny, clear day in the district which is known for its changeable weather conditions. More than one mountaineer attempting to scale Mt Cook has been caught out by a sudden shift in the weather!Lighting
I would like to say that I used all the tools I had on my camera around setting up the shot and lighting but the truth is, I'd finally packed my camera gear away for the day after much eye rolling and suggestions from the family that I should get my head out from behind the lens. The reality of this picture is much simpler.Equipment
My Apple iPhone 4s phone camera. Taken in a hurry as the natives were getting restless and wanted to get back to our holiday rental. I knew I didn't have time to unpack all the camera gear I'd just put away. It remains one of the best photos I've ever taken using the iPhone and one of my favourite photos too.Inspiration
I'd never seen that type of cloud formation before, although I was told it is quite normal in that part of the country. Apparently it signals a storm coming. The whipped clouds almost meringue like against the stunning backdrop of the National Park and Aorangi Mount Cook was a shot I was unlikely to get again. It was a case of now or never. We don't see cloud formations like that where I live in New Zealand.Editing
I limited post processing on this one as much as possible, given it wasn't a large file to begin with or taken in RAW. There was a slight tweaking of the colour saturation and adding of a copyright watermark.In my camera bag
Quite a bit! Two camera bodies. A Canon 450D and Canon Rebel XT, 18-55mm lens, 75-300mm and 50mm fixed lenses. A lens hood, UV Filters, a Polarising Filter, lens cloth, lens blower for dust etc in camera, SD cards, lens caps, a plastic bag and rubber band for bad weather. Depending on the type of photos I'm trying to get I often carry my tripod and a reflector too.Feedback
Try to carry a camera with you at all times, or at the very least a reasonable mobile camera phone. Take the opportunity to go places you've never been before. If you have no option but to be closer to home, explore your neighbourhood and the wider area a lot. Visit the same places more than once. If my experience is anything to go on, you will find something new you hadn't seen before every time you go. Take everything in, stop and smell the roses, observe places, objects and people. Photographically you will start to see the possibilities in things. Head out at different times of the day and in varied weather conditions. Although going out at 5am or in torrential rain is not everyone's favourite thing to do, some of the most dramatic but simple pictures are likely to captured then.
