Photo School: Mountain Landscapes
Get onto the tops Photography in the mountains is often about capturing the grand landscape and sweeping vistas full of rugged peaks. The best place for this is from high...
Richard Young
How to photograph people in the outdoors
Get among the action to photograph compelling portraits Get in on the action Any outdoor adventure is as much about the journey as the destination – try to capture this....
Photo school: Forest photography
Get the light right and choose a subject to photography lush forest scenes Find a subject When photographing in the bush, it is often hard to know where to point...
Photo school: Forest birds
Focus on the eyes for sharp images of birds, writes Richard Young Find the light You need to find some nice light breaking through the canopy. This will help you...
Photo school: Silky-smooth waterfalls
Use a slow shutter speed to create silky-looking waterfalls Location: Tawhai Falls, Tongariro National Park Camera settings: 35mm lens, ISO100, f11, 1/2 second Special tools: Tripod Frame the waterfall Include...
How to take star trail photographs
Capture the night sky in a unique way with these star-trail tips from Richard Young Foreground The stars on their own will not provide a very interesting photograph, so...
Winter landscapes
How to capture those moody winter landscapes Capture some drama Interesting cloud surrounding the mountains can add much mood to the shot, giving it a sense of drama. Often, it’s...
Close-up and macro photography
Get impressive detail by photographing a subject up close Get close Photographing the subject from up high will often result in a flat photograph, so get close and at eye-level...
Coastal sunsets and sunrises
How to capture the drama and beauty of the coast during the golden hours Find a subject Coastal shots are often largely made up of sky and water, but they...
Backcountry huts
Find a hut with character With over 950 huts of all shapes, sizes and colours, there are plenty to choose from. Older huts have a lot more character and often...
Hut interiors
Bring those dark hut interiors to life with these simple tips. Get everything in In small huts it can be hard to get everything into your photograph, so use a...
Wilderness camping
Tips for capturing the experience of camping in a wild location Find a view Find a campsite with a great vista. Pick a place that is not only level and...
Lakes
How to take a classic lake shot that will wow your friends Find a view Find a view across the lake; this could be some distant peaks, amazing forest or...
Rivers
Capturing a river in all its glory may require getting your feet wet Find a subject Decide if you want to capture the whole river or isolate a part...
The full glory of your trip
Get your friends to try a fun pose next time you’re on top of a peak Find an epic view If you are trying to capture that lasting memory of your...
Alpine flowers
Isolate the subject to keep the viewer’s attention where it belongs Change your perspective One common mistake when capturing small plants and flowers is to simply shoot from a standing...
People tramping
Candid moments are best for photos of your tramping partners. Be ready The key to getting a good shot of someone tramping is being ready to capture those candid moments. This...
Black and white photography
Look for contrast when shooting in monochrome. See in black and white ‘Seeing’ in monochrome is difficult, but one benefit of digital cameras is the ability to set the...
Frozen landscape
Keep an eye on the weather and get up early to snap a frozen landscape. Watch the forecast While there is often snow on the high peaks for most of the winter,...
Phone photography
Hold it steady, set the focus and don’t use the zoom. Hold it steady A steady hand is crucial, particularly in low light situations when the phone will struggle. Hold...
The Milky Way
Find the darkest sky possible for those classic starry shots. Find a dark sky A dark sky without any light pollution is the most important requirement to see the...
Coastal wildlife
Tips for capturing our amazing coastal wildlife Find some wildlife Knowing where to find your subject always helps; whether it’s seals on a rocky shoreline, penguins walking up a sandy...
Capturing alpine light
Time your visit to the mountains to capture the best (or avoid the worst) light. Sunrise Witnessing high mountain peaks bathed in a pre-dawn, pink alpenglow can be a magical...