Photography , Ngawi and Chalkle

A long time ago, when I lived in Australia, pre-children, I used to do a lot of photography. I turned my bathroom into a darkroom and took arty shots of lightning over Sydney and long exposures of the city lights. Then I had kids and swapped my big camera with all the fancy lenses for something I could grab quickly when the kids were doing something cute. For the last 20 years I have been taking 'snapshots' and I have never really come to terms with the digital camera, or with Photoshop.

Recently I have discovered 'Meetup groups' and 'Chalkle'. If you click on the links you can go and see what they are. When a weekend photography course was advertised on Chalkle I decided to sign up. It was a weekend away in a wild spot called Ngawi which is on the East Coast of the North Island to the right of Featherston (Wairarapa) on the map. I had never been there or even heard of it before.

It was a great weekend with fabulous weather and I can highly recommend the  course. Glen Howey ,the tutor, also works at Whitireia Polytech and was in my class  last year where we were both upgrading from the Advanced diploma to the Degree in Applied Arts.

Here are some photos I took over the weekend. I have chosen my favourite shots but I took lots more!

Dawn - can you see the reflection of the lighthouse in the puddle?

Cape Palliser Lighthouse

30 second exposure at dusk

The next group of photos aren't my best shots but they give an idea of the number of baby seals. All the mummy seals lie around the rocks whilst the babies are in the pool playing  with sticks and seaweed, play fighting and leaping out of the water like dolphins. I have never seen so many seals in one place, it was incredible.

There at least 30 baby seals playing in the pool

Having a scratch

You can't see me!

Sometimes a mother seal would call her baby over for a feed

baby seal hangout spot

Seal playing with a stick

Look at me , Mum!

Smileyface bach

View from Kupe's sail