One of the best things about living near to a large body of water, is that things seem to change more readily. A little wind here, a spot of rain in the distance or a rather large storm all make differences to the light and the environment. Being at the beach gives a wide open expansive view to be able to enjoy the changes. Some people

All my earlier talk about getting to the beach and taking time out, usually with my dog and I realised that I haven't actually posted a picture of him at all. Well here he is, standing proud at our beautiful beach this morning. The summer weather keeps on coming and we are trying to make the most of it. 
The surf has been crazy in the last few days due to a

Really, I should get up before the sun more often! This is the view from the bedroom door of the place I am staying when the sun rises in the morning.There may not be a beach and ocean to escape to here, but I do love how the clouds are different every dawn, the colours never seem to be exactly the same either and of course the cows in the field move around too. All I have to do is really look, and opportunities abound for great uplifting shots. 
Now that I have moved to the D700, there are a few things..

I am spending some time at a friends place while they are away. They have a bountiful orchard plus paddocks with creatures and a great outlook with water views. A great place for reviving the soul. this shot is my favourite for the day. I am testing out the combination of the 70-200 on the D700 where it 'better belongs'. I am really loving the..

I had a bit of time on my hands today. It is so good to be able to wake up and go and be refreshed by doing what I love. Then to return home and use the right side of my brain for an extended period. This is what full time artists must feel like all the time! The beach was stunning this morning. I rode..

As I was driving home last night, I watched the full yellow moon creeping up from the ocean over Waihi Beach. It was one of those times when I wished I was down at the beach capturing it. However, I try to live fully present in each moment so I fought those thoughts. Besides, when I did get down, it was still amazing. I tried different techniques last night including..

After the last beautifully serene night shot, we have been preparing to welcome Cyclone Lusi to our shores. Nowadays there seems to be so much hype over incoming weather of all varieties. In part I guess, due to such great technology, able to inform us of every inch of movement the storm takes. It dominated the news and there seems little time to think of anything else. Even if one does not watch the news, there is no escape, thanks to technology. Plenty of good can come of this, we can all be prepared and usually it seems to turn out that it isn't as bad as it may have been- which is a good, positive outlook. 
This shot is taken ..

Well I finally did it! I had a birthday and turned 40! Well actually, I haven't had my actual birthday yet at all. It sure felt like it this morning when my lovely husband presented me with a D700 as an early birthday present. Well, I have been dying to try it out all day, but being the usual busy day, I waited until this evening and decided that that was actually most appropriate seeing as...