We are excited to have just added a new series of creative images for sale. Showcasing our beautiful circular format, this series is shot around Queenstown and the Southern Lakes of New Zealand. It talks about our physical and emotional relationship with nature. A progression from Martin's “Wizards of the Wakatipu”, umbrellas are the unifying element in a series of images that speak of a visceral connection between man and nature. They show a primal figure alone in an environment defined and shaped by water. The umbrella adds the element of story, evoking notions of man’s intrusion into and control (or not) of nature, of industrial and consumer culture, but also of shelter and home.
ABOVE: The Umbrella Series, human figures immersed in the elements. The umbrellas allude to the illusion and distraction human comforts give us from the reality of our fragile existence on this planet.
Shooting these images meant get getting cold, wet and physically experiencing the elements of nature to which these images allude. In some cases they required a physical rearranging of the scene; others are a digital combination of elements from a single shoot digitally composited to create a finished work.
With no overseas guests and most of the population of New Zealand locked down, we've spent little time lately touring and sharing the beauty of the south around Queenstown with visitors. So instead, we've been revisiting and selecting some of our favourite images to share as beautiful wall art. These photographs can be purchased as prints or ready-mounted and framed.
ABOVE: The piece titled “Flood” was shot after a real flood, when a huge quantity of wood washed down forest streams and into Lake Wakatipu. Northerly winds drove the logjam down the Lake to Kingston where it piled up along the shore. I saw a creative opportunity, got into the shallows and over the course of an hour rearranged a section of the logjam into a circle. With my camera set on a tripod, taking a shot every few seconds I climbed back in holding my trusty red and white umbrella.
