Capture by A photoblog

Fab Feb, on the March.

Someone told me it was March, and I gave them 'the look'. This just isn't possible.

There is a strange sense of déjà vu with all this. Just as I was about to post an 'Indian Summer' thread, the weather happens, and our friends in Christchurch are under the cosh again. Wishing you all the best, and I can't really think of anything appropriate to say, other than FFS world, sort it out!

Looking back on February, it was a busy and eclectic month of activities. To reflect my jumbled state of mind, I'm lumping it all together, in the hope you'll all weigh in with your own liquorice allsorts.

I'll fill in the details in the captions.

Capture away.

Linkage.

Auckland Pride Festival

Pah Homestead

New Zealand Fashion Museum - Hello

The fifth Laneway... was this the fifth? Certainly the third, and likely the last at Silo Park, although it seems negotiations are 'ongoing'.

Let's get this bit out of the way early. The venue and organisation yesterday, from where I was standing, walking, lying on the grass, climbing the gantry courtesy of Visa View, was top notch. Hard to fault it, so I won't.

I also found having made my plans well in advance using the Laneway app, I was never at a loss what to do next. Although when Jagwar Ma did their ear-splitting aural assault, I did perhaps drift over to the Thunderdome for a little respite.

I'll let the photos tell the rest of the story.

Capture away.

Lorde

ETA: Last night Lorde did her make up show on the Laneway site at Silo Park. If we can move past the ridiculous headlines our nanna daily has put out there, the fans were thrilled. We should remember that Ella and her crew, 48 hours prior, were in LA getting two Grammys, and tomorrow embark on a month long tour of Europe. She didn't have to come back for her fans, but she did, and the performance was brilliant.

I added a couple of photos to the main post, and will put one or two more in the comments.

Finally, not sure this will be there for long, so while it is, grab Dan's (@Danbakes) recording of Lorde covering James Blake's Retrograde.

There are several places in Egypt you're not allowed to take cameras. They're not allowed inside the temples at Abu Simbel, for instance, or anywhere in the Valley of the Kings. There are other places, like most of the museums, where you can't use a flash, and the rooms are very dark.

In other places, like inside the temples that still have rooves, you get caught in a dilemma: a grainy no-flash image that catches what you're actually seeing, or a brighter one that changes the colours and washes out the details? In Egypt, photography could be difficult, and I have to assume that's the reason why, in winnowing these photos down for Capture, I've ended up with mostly photos of Jordan.

My travelling companion and I ended up taking complementary strategies. He took a waterproof travel camera, that could handle the dust and sand. I took a more temperamental beast with excellent optical zoom. I don't know that it made a lot of difference most of the time.

And still, the best shot I took of the Treasury at Petra, I took on my iPhone.

There was no shortage of hype for this year's Big Day Out, The Comeback Tour. Then when Blur pulled out, there was no shortage of gripe. I was certainly looking forward to seeing them.

Looking back on last Friday, after 40 minutes in the 'bladder control' queue, 40 minutes in the 'this grey beard is painted on' age verification queue, and giving up before the 'died of dehydration' queue, I could easily get drawn into the post mortem. Make an orderly line here.

However, it certainly wasn't their fault Vodafone's 3G service was down the whole time I was there, coming back just in time for me to post a photo of a letterbox on twitter as we left. It was a nice letterbox. I mean look.

Let's face it, there were some issues. They have been acknowledged, and next year the organisers have promised to do better. I'll give them the benefit of the doubt for now.

Overall I liked the venue. The trees, grass and readily available shade were a welcome change from the gravel pit Mt Smart had become.

My highlights of the day, in no particular order;

Naked and Famous - I was convinced.

Arcade Fire - I saw them at BDO 2008, and they just keep getting better.

Hives - If he would only SHUDDUP! Also, calling fans 'Hobbitses' doesn't necessarily endear them towards you. M'kay?

Ladi6 - She always wins the '100% into her performance' prize.

Possibly my favourite of all was Tom Lark with Lydia Cole in the MetroMag Cube. They were wonderful. I'd like a whole gig just with them.

It is possible that not being allowed my bag in the D has meant the main stage photos are a little 'distant'.

Feel free to add your own photos/memories in the comments.

Capture away.

Seasoned Greetings.

This will be our last post of 2013. I'd just like to thank everyone for their contributions throughout another great year on Capture, and continuing the wonderful visual cornucopia. Corny copia? I'll leave the puns to Ian.

Before we all run off to the beach with Lilith Grace, we need to announce the winner of our Travel Photography contest.

After narrowing it down to a list of 11, the judges unanimous decision was ChrisW, who posted a number of excellent photos, but the ones that clinched it were the photos of the ruins in Tokomaru Bay.

Chris, if you could drop me a line by clicking reply, it would be nice to get the prize to you for Christmas.

Capture away.

At the beach...

...you see the vast open space between the sky and sea, all the way to the horizon. Reflections mingle and confuse the shapes of coast and clouds. Wet sand and water amplify the colours of sun and sky. Waves beat hypnotically. Spray fills the air with brine.

At the interface of land and sea, change is constant. Shifting weather transforms the beach from serene to dramatic to frightening, and back again. Storms leave unpredictable flotsam at the tideline. Sand and sediment shift in the wind and water. The outgoing tide conjures a subtly different beach each time.

There are so many forms of life here: flying, walking, crawling, burrowing, growing, swimming, opening and closing.
Sandy, rocky and muddy beaches support different sets of living things. Differing exposures to air and wind and water create widely varying ecosystems. Every rockpool has slightly different inhabitants. The more you look, the more there is to see.

The pictures below are some of the things I saw on my coastal holiday in Otago recently. I've visited this area, south of Dunedin, since I was a child, and I'll be moving there next February.

New Zealand has a lot of coast, and most of us have beaches that we have special feelings for. I look forward to seeing your favourite bits of coast. And tell us what you do in your summer holidays, coastal or otherwise.

Keep safe, and happy holidays, everyone.

by Lilith Grace