Six years ago today I was slaving away over my laptop trying to put the finishing touches on the very first edition of Box of Light. Back then we were called Dunedin Light, the 2011 Rugby World Cup was about to kick-off in New Zealand, Christchurch was rebuilding after its M6.3 quake in February and Japan was picking up the pieces after suffering its own M8.9 quake (just a few weeks later) that triggered its devastating tsunami.
It was a year of chaos. Somehow our little photo blog survived and we slowly grew from a modest audience. Six years later and today's report will be read by more than 7000 readers. I'm pretty stoked about that. We are here because we love our readers. We love the New Zealand lifestyle. We are passionate about photography. And we love to surf. We love our oceans and our mountains. And we're fortunate to be able to work in these environments, because our advertisers and sponsoring partners support us to keep inspiring you all. We owe a lot to them. They believed in a dream and backed it. Then there's you. We sell a heap of prints from our smallest mounted prints right through to some beautifully big artworks for prime locations in your homes. That always feels like the ultimate honour and it helps to inspire us to do even more.
Since we started there has been a ritual that takes place on Tuesdays – I do my best to answer every email you send and sometimes that's a lot! So, I've learnt not to book my Tuesday out. Sometimes you just say hello, other times you tell me a story that one of the images reminded you of, or even just ask a question about the pictures or content. I love all that feedback. It doesn't pay any bills, but it keeps me grounded and connected with you all. And each week I take that motivation and wander around with my camera and try to find something to inspire you. Hopefully something fresh.
So, thanks for coming along on this journey with me.
See you at the beach ... Derek
PS When I was younger I didn't see the point in voting in what felt like pre-determined elections every three years. But I was wrong. As soon as you are eligible to vote you should. The elections are about your future and sitting back and not getting involved in them is the ultimate complacency. This is your chance to help shape your future – shape New Zealand the way you'd like it to be. Your vote does make a difference. And this time it's an easy thing to research: red or blue. Learn enough to make your own decision and back yourself ...
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