Flying Into Wellington

I counted my photos today and all together I took over 27,000! I agree with you, that is was too many! However, that number includes multiple images of the same subject as well as experiments with exposure settings. In truth, most of the images I took will only be viewed by my eyes because I took them to remember the moment: instead of writing everything down, I take photos of it all... perhaps too many, but I'd rather have more than less photographs.

Light In Our Darkess

With only two hours left in the day, I was finally able to reach my computer to post an image. However, it has been a hectic day, so let me explain just a bit. Photography is not something I consider myself to be overly passionate about, but it is something I care a great deal about. I always took photos of everything growing up, but they weren't good (although, like any kid, I thought I was a genius at the time). However, a community service trip to Tanzania the summer after my sophomore year of high school changed things. I began to concentrate on photography as a serious hobby, going to every website I could to get tips on aperture, shutter speed, photoshoot ideas, and photoshop shortcuts. However, I also began to concentrate heavily on film, it was what really got me excited (and still does), so I underestimated my love for photography for a while and got bored.

Senior year came around and I became good friends with a guy who loved music, film, and photography, as did I.... his amazingly artistic interest in photography re-sparked my interest. No matter how much I knew, he always challenged my knowledge and knew 10 times more than me. He encouraged me to see photography as I saw film: a lens through which to view the world outside of normality. I began to use photography to cope with my emotions surrounding common high school occurrences: issues with friends, feeling different, "the great college search", etc. Little did I know that the photography my friend got me re-interested in would be one of the devices I used (then and now) to cope with my despair after his death in May 2007. He had challenged me to challenge myself when I got bored of what I loved. His birthday also happened to be on December 10th. Instead of celebration, it's been a day of tears, yet I have confidence his artistic talents, rare and pure kindness, as well as his bare hugs live on in the lives he touched.

He is continually missed and loved.

"Goodnight Sweet Prince"

Clear Day At Cape Farewell

I decided to be on time with the photo for today... check back later for more about this beautiful day at the South Island's northern-most point.

Paikea's View

I did say regular updating, didn't I? Oops. The past two days have been full of sleeping, organizing, catching up on the discovery and history channels, figuring out the next step in my life, and shrieking every time I ride in a car and think I'm on the wrong side of the road. I know you wanted to know all of that. I plan on putting together a book of my photos, but it has been slower going than I thought the process would be because of the high volume of photographs that I now have to conquer. For the post today, I asked my mom to name a place and/or activity of which to post a photo because it would have taken me another two days to go through and finally pick a photo to show y'all (and we wouldn't want that, would we?). I took this while on a whale watching tour in Kaikoura. What you see is the view from our boat, Paikea (name may sound familiar if you have seen Whale Rider), as a sperm whale is about to dive deep into the ocean.

You First... retake

Wow, it has been awhile since my last post, 23 days to be exact. My bad. Since then, I explored the Auckland CBD many times while searching for souvenirs and saying goodbye to my favorite spots, my American friends headed off to travel or to go back to the states, I traveled all the way to Cape Reinga and back to Auckland, my parents came and I packed up and moved out of my apartment, I hung out with my kiwi friends for the last time (not really though, we'll see each other again), then I traveled around New Zealand with my parents for two weeks, and I arrived back in the states (last night). Many more things went down, but I'll share more details with you as I search through my photographs post them.

If you cannot tell, this photograph was taken at the same spot my last posted photograph was taken... just a few months after and with a tad bit different weather. I insisted my parents take the drive from Queenstown up the west coast (eventually ending in Hokitika) because it is absolutely spectacular. Yet, the weather wasn't quite as good this time around. However, even with clouds smothering the area with their chilling grasp, it was still a gorgeous winding ride full of the famous ferns that cover New Zealand and many dramatic waterfalls that one's eye could follow all the way from the snow on top to the forest below.

I apologize for the extended break in posting, but traveling in New Zealand means lack of internet. On the good side though, I added many more photographs to my collection, so even though I'm back in the states, you will still get photos from New Zealand. Expect regular updating from now on.

You First...

This is another image from my spring break trip to the South Island (seems like only yesterday... or 2 months ago...what?). I took this somewhere between Franz Joseph and Makarora. Though it's beautiful, the West Coast is barely populated because of its ruggedness (yea, I want to see you trying to make it down to that beach...). I was reminded of this photo because my parents are coming to visit on the 21st, but only have two weeks to hit the best spots in New Zealand. You see, I haven't planned a trip since I've been here, I've just pointed at a map and headed in the correct direction (thank goodness for isites!). However, now I have to be a giver of advice and it have become more complicated than I anticipated. Apparently my subjective opinion is acting as an invisibility cloak over reality. Where is my enthusiasm from my arrival back in Auckland after an amazing two weeks in the South Island? I wanted to show my parents everything then, yet now I find myself being overly critical and selective. Yikes! (did studying change me that much!?!) I think my issue is that I want to be outdoors, tramping, taking photos, and letting the earth calm my soul before I just back into the excessive culture that is the states. Yet my parents are more keen on seeing everything possible (who can blame them though, this country is amazing).

My solution: come back to New Zealand after graduation with a friend who wants to live out of a campervan for a bit and do some real tramping and camping... any takers? please?

PS: I'm free! Exams are over! Time to let off the steam built up from cabin fever! However, I had a "poetic" moment (as Ben C. put it) yesterday when I took my last exam (for my favourite class, Politics and Media) in the same lecture hall that we had International Student Orientation in... I began and ended my sweet as semester at Auckland Uni in the same room... choice, bro.

Also, I'm very much looking forward to this documentary (and I don't say that often): Anne Perry - Interiors

No Worries

Continuing with the animal theme... these are some pretty chill seals outside of Kaikoura. If I had a wall of water coming at me I don't think I'd be scratching me ear (maybe that's just me). At any rate, I was delightfully and gently woken up today by the WSA fire alarm (sarcasm heavily intended). Note to whoever: when a fire alarm goes off, "fire alarm activated, stand by for further assistance," is probably not the best automated advice to give over the intercom. Something along the lines of, "fire alarm activated, get your butt outside," might do the trick.

Oh well, these made me feel better for having to wake up so early: Graphs of Favourite Songs