A Moment of Light photography by Carl Street

Well that has been a varied month. A few trips back and forth to Christchurch to pick up the last of our gear which on one occasion included a very special cargo of our new speakers from Garth at Theophany Loudspeakers in Christchurch. I've had these amazing hand crafted speakers from Garth before and they were one of the hardest possessions to let go of in order to embark on our adventure.......so nice to be immersed in audiophile heaven again, must remember to get out more in November ;-)

The other visits to Christchurch included time with students on a variety of subjects and also being trusted to capture a family get together. I'm not one for overly formal portraits and this family wanted me to capture them being completely natural and having fun playing ten pin bowling. Not the easiest of venues but what a huge amount of fun and some terrific memories for the family to treasure for years to come.

As eluded to earlier, the month has been a little haphazard being primarily taken up with finding spaces for our stuff in our new pad and just generally enjoying being on solid foundations again. I've always enjoyed cooking and, if I'm being honest, the caravan cooker and limited work area wasn't the greatest for getting inspirational in the kitchen so it is amazing to have so much space and a cooker that actually heats up the way I need it to! My favourite bread, ciabatta, is baking beautifully which I have no doubt will be music to the ears of some our friends who will want a freshly baked batch when they come and visit.

So, we come to the end of October and it seems that as no-one has turned up demanding money for a holiday rental this new home really is ours :-). As you'll see from the photos it's been a varied month with plenty of different angles as I've played with my view of the world quite a bit. I do intend to explore the local area a little more through November so next months blog should be all about Roxburgh which has welcomed us with open arms, loving it.

Fresh blossom in one of the many orchards just walking distance of our place. It's going to be a good summer :-)

Lye Bow Lake is just outside Alexandra and I've visited there a number of occasions and just sat by the edge looking out to the schist covered hills beyond. Imagine my surprise when I took a short walk and suddenly realised it was man mad courtesy of this dam.

A trip to Queenstown via Wanaka meant a trip up and over the Crown Ranges. Very impressive view from the top to Lake Hayes

Light playing across the hills surrounding Lake Hayes on a stormy day.....yes, I did get wet!

Some fun playing with a new lens at the Fuji hands on event in Queenstown. Really enjoyed creating some interesting imagery with the 16mm f1.4 prime......oh dear, something else I need, oh ok, want ;-)

Loved this moment. He had the 'I definitely need' face, she has the, 'no, I don't think so' face......familiar scene to all photographers!

Still enjoying the playground at any age

Contrasty evening walking around Christchurch with another photographer. It had been a while since I'd last really looked at this city. Wow, it has changed so much and looks amazing. It's a good few years from completion but definitely has promise of something special.

I told this runner he'd be famous, well, he may never know it but he'll now be seen all over the world :-)

So many shapes and angles to play with in the re-emerging city of Christchurch. The following few images are some of my favourites from an evening in the city.

With free reign to capture images how I wanted to for this family photoshoot I was able to capture a whole range of less than standard imagery. Made for a great and varied book.

Racing from Roxburgh to Christchurch on another journey for the 'few remaining bits' I opted for the passenger seat for a while capturing the world as it raced by. A lot of duff images but some captured the journey nicely, here are some of my favourites.

I've loved these trees on a distant hill from our deck and on this evening the clouds were gently lit by the last light of the day.

We live in a little spot called Quail Haven........this fella sits just outside the bedroom on the post most days.

Another view from the house on another stormy day

A day trip out into the hills let me know I am going to have a lot of enjoyment over the coming years getting to know and photograph this landscape

Those clouds would soon join forces and unleash a torrent of rain......at this moment though, looked stunning

Yep, Central Otago.....that's my playground for photos.....wahoo :-D

The rain was definitely not far away!

This is Pinders Pond, Roxburgh and walking distance from the house. Should be nice for a picnic during the summer.

Speakers and a record player.........life is most definitely good