Sometimes life demands a bit of perspective. Just to pull back from the grind and churn and to take a helicopter view to see just where you are and where you're travelling to. For me, that was quite literal last week when I jumped into Hoppy's Highland Helicopter and flew from Brighton to St Kilda on one of those magic days when it actually felt like summer was never going to end (and I'm sure it hasn't just yet, despite this last hiccup).
The super clear water and tiny swell made for some striking colours and turned Dunedin into a tropical oasis. I've been wanting to start shooting this series for years now – to capture something of the essence of our beautiful beaches from directly above. Drones are great for film work, but it's very costly to get a large high-resolution stills camera in the sky with a drone. That makes helicopters the best choice. And they're fun to hang out of. So here's the start of a new series for Box of Light. I hope you like it – if you get the chance, come into the gallery at 8 Castle Street, Dunedin, to check out some of the prints from this series in the next few weeks.
I did manage to chase that last storm all the way to Raglan (there are a few photographs below), but instead of shooting the best of that short-lived swell I got to surf with my brother, nephew and a handful of mates at my old stomping ground on the points. Not bad at all. And a fitting moment of clarity in an emotional journey home.
See you at the beach ... Derek
PS This aerial series is for you, mum. You taught me to take in the wider view, to laugh at myself and to learn from my mistakes. Thanks for the words, the imagination and the bravery to bring it all together. You're a star.
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