NATURAL NEW ZEALAND

All three of these shots were taken in Rotorua, New Zealand which is much like a small Yellowstone. I've also just noticed that all three were taken into the sun, something most people try to avoid. New Zealand is a nice place to spend a summer, even if it is winter here. It has actually been pretty cold as of late which necessitated my buying a new winter hat. 

KAITUNA RIVER WHITEWATER RAFTING

These are shots of my raft going over the highest commercially rafted waterfall in the world. The rapid is considered a class V and the waterfall is twenty-one feet high. A sure sign I'm getting older is that I was pretty nervous before we headed down this thing. The air temperature was a chilly 40 degrees, and the water wasn't much warmer. About 1 in 20 rafts flip going over the falls. We made it over, but not without getting completely soaked. And this is one of the tamer activities we do here in New Zealand. 

THE COLORS OF NEW ZEALAND

A FEW OCEAN SHOTS FROM NEW ZEALAND

TWO WEEKS IN MOMI, FIJI

I was quite surprised upon arriving in Fiji a few weeks ago to find the island mostly devoid of tourist infrastructure. In fact, apart from a handful of high-end resorts, the island is very rustic. Many of the villages don't have plumbing or electricity. It is also super humid and full of malaria-free mosquitoes. It wasn't until my last day there that I went to the area where I took the bottom photo; what most people probably think of when they think of Fiji. I drank a fair amount of Kava while in country. Kava is a root that the locals have been grinding and making into a ceremonial beverage for centuries. It is known to have mild narcotic effects, though all it ever gave me was an upset stomach. Currently I'm in New Zealand enjoying their fairly mild winter. Pictures to come shortly.

SONY NEX-7 IMAGE SAMPLES

ME AND THE LITTLE LADY IN CODY, WYOMING

These are a few sample images taken with my new Sony NEX-7 camera, which by the way, is so much fun to shoot with. For those of you not familiar, Sony has put an SLR size sensor in a body not much bigger than a point and shoot camera. These are jpeg images taken in the "high contrast black and white" creative setting. They were captured at Old Trail Town in Cody, Wyoming, a pretty interesting site where they brought 26 old cabins and restored them to their former glory.