Reflecting on the year gone by…

And what a year it has been! I know that the 27th of October (New Zealand Time) is an odd date to choose…
But I do have a very good reason…

This photo is reminiscent of the one taken by Trey Ratcliff when he visited our ‘farm’ at Gibbston Valley in Queenstown. It has been exactly one year since that eventful evening. We wined and dined, before heading outside to shoot a couple of HDRs side by side. I also filmed one of his first proper behind the scenes videos. Trey posted his result on the 10th of November, and the feedback was fantastic!

For those who never saw it, here is the video, in full from Trey’s YouTube channel:

Trey & his wonderful family were here in Queenstown for the remainder of the week, and we managed to meet up for an early breakfast before he headed back home. The reason I wanted to reflect on this is down to the immense difference that meeting made and how it has affected me over this past year;

I’ve made more friends in these last 12 months than I have done my entire life. I’ve learned a huge amount and gained so many new skills. 18 months ago, I had never used a DSLR before, and had no clue that photography would become such a huge component of my life. These days, I’m basically defined by it. I’ve always had a creative streak, but never properly applied myself and found results so rewarding. I’ve been lucky enough to find support from friends and close family in pursuing this as a full-time passion.

This year has also been one of trials and tribulations, and I’ve had many difficult changes to come to terms with. However, for everything bad that has happened I’ve had equal if not greater amounts of fun and joy to balance things out. I’ve had the pleasure of re-connecting with old friends like Ciaran and Matt (you guys rock!), both of which have taken on photography in their own way — and we have shared some simply epic times behind the lens. Of special note is my amazing friend Will, who completely rocked the pillars of my foundation with his approach to life!

This photo isn’t amazing in my view, but few that I take are. I guess the fact that I see this view almost every day diminishes my appreciation for it!

If you like this photo, please let me know in the comments section below!

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Thanks for visiting!