Mid Week escape
Earlier in the year I had the opportunity to stay at The Hinterland retreat, a boutique accomodation joint nestled in the hills overlooking Wainui beach. My stay there lined up perfectly with the June full moon, building swell, strong winds and and clear skies. With virtual 360 degree views & two nights to capture the spectacle - I grabbed my long lens and parked up for a mid week getaway.
On the first night the moon emerged from the ocean around 30 minutes before sunset - straight out to the east. A touch early for a horizon level shot - I waited for it to rise high enough to become clear & defined. It all worked out pretty nicely in the end with a full spectrum of blues, greens & violets. I find when these events occur as close to sunset as possible they hit the sweet spot with enough light to capture the landscape combined with vibrant colours all round. Too early and the moon is milky and invisible - 40 minutes later and the landscape turns black. Having a crack at the same scene two nights in a row was a luxury.
Waking up with fresh swell having built throughout the night I shot a few lineups just a stones throw from where i’d slept - coffee in hand. All of these images were taken over a 48 hour period within a 30 metre radius of each other. Just another epic winters day in Gisborne.
Morning balcony views from Hinterland Retreat
The full moon always seems to bring in the swell.
The second evening rolled around and it was showtime. with a blazing full moon rising as the sheep just kept on grazing - This was probably my favourite image from the outing. it was captured in near darkness as the moon appeared a half hour after sunset, a bit on the late side depending on what you’re after. The image is a composite - 6 individual shots merged together with a double exposed moon . It seemed like the right way to capture it at the time - unplanned and in the moment. a completely different look and feel from the night before, it was pretty cool to get up there and experience.
Blues and greens - prints available here.