This cover image was taken on the Ward family farm in Upper Moutere where they saved a small stand of podocarp with magnificent Totara, Kahikatea, Rimu and Matai.

The inside cover is Tim Le Gros holding seedlings at Titoki Nursery in Brightwater…

‘This book is a tribute to all those who have undertaken restoration work. It is also intended to inspire and support those who are considering a restoration project’. It focuses on the Tasman District because local flora and fauna are so unique to this area. As Philip Simpson says in the book, ‘A Nelson totara is genetically different from a Northland or Southland one – It even looks different. The pattern of the landscape has a genetic basis to its ecology.’

Well done to the Tasman District Council for funding this initiative. To support this effort and learn more about native bush restoration in this area, you can buy the book online from the TDC website, or at selected local bookstores.

Please leave a comment if you’ve found the book useful.

This image was taken for their rack card…

The next one shows the fun atmosphere inside…

Here’s a little about what needs to happen behind-the-scenes in order to take pictures of public buildings like this:
Obviously permission and access are critical. Coordinating access to a facility like this isn’t straight forward. I make sure I have access to every room in the building so that I can turn the lights on. I make sure I have a key to the main gate of the facility, which is important when it comes time to leave after dark. It took us about 35 minutes to unlock all the doors and turn on the lights for this shoot.

Once I have permission, I notify the right people so we don’t get hassled while we’re there. That includes security guards and grounds keepers. I make sure all alarms are disarmed and sprinklers are turned off.

Hopefully we’ve picked a day with good weather. Picking a date when the facility isn’t being used or worked on – and the weather is cooperating, is easier said than done. We were rained out and blocked out for almost two months before we could get in to take these pictures.

Other important details include making sure cars aren’t parked close to the building, equipment isn’t left out, tables and chairs are put away, the facility is clean, etc.. I usually bring cleaning supplies – and use them.

Using models introduces another layer of complexity.

This little girl handed this large horse amazingly well…

Beck’s favorite part was riding the bumper cars.

Here’s the family in one of the park motels…

We also used other models…

We took a break from shooting at the park and hopped in a helicopter to get some aerial views of the park, which looks fantastic from both directions…

The Top 10 Holiday Parks are always a pleasurable place to stay. The staff are helpful and friendly and the amenities are always clean and in good working order. Here’s the kitchen for instance…

They always seem to have a fantastic playground for the kids…

and pool…

Like the kids, Amy gets to relax and have fun while working also…

Getting the pictures wasn’t that easy because of the weather. It was raining while I was driving to the shoot. The rain was only half the problem though. The wind was very gusty. I discussed postponing the shoot with Peter, the owner of Lazerbike. Peter was keen to give it a go despite the weather.

We setup a white seamless backdrop and lights in his garage. The garage was full of bikes, so we didn’t have much room to setup. The wind was being a nuisance, but the rain held off while we took the product shots.

They have a men’s…

a women’s…

and a fold-up version…

We had a few minutes to get some close-up shots before the clouds broke loose. We took a tea break and talked about when to get some pictures of people riding the bikes. Next thing we noticed sunshine coming in through the window. Peter’s wife came home for lunch, so we grabbed her and took a few shots of them riding around their neighborhood.

Checkout their website to see how it looks. While you’re there, order one for getting around town. You’ll save on petrol, get some exercise, have fun – and save the planet at the same time.

I love taking pictures for businesses I’m passionate about. Yes, that’s Amy (my wife) and Beck (my son) in the banner picture…

I probably didn’t need to setup this shot. She would probably be there shopping anyway.

It’s great to see a family business taking on the supermarkets with local fresh produce – and winning.

The resort was magnificent…

It was peak season with plenty of Australians and New Zealanders around, but it didn’t feel crowded.

The resort caters to both families and couples really well with plenty of activities for all ages. We spent our fair share of time relaxing and sipping fru-fru drinks by the pool…

A highlight was a bike trip to the local village where we were shown how to pound kava…

what breadfruit is…

and shown around. I’m not sure if we were seeing the village, or if they were seeing us…

Another highlight was watching a polynesian dance performance. From hula…

to fire dancing…

something that’s good to learn early…

It was an incredible 10-year anniversary!

The next picture is a stitch of two pictures to show the kitchen and living room in context…

This kitchen was designed by ITM.