Back in my film days - NZ

[Mad Aussie]

I was just looking through some of my old film shots. I wanted to see what my composition skills were like back then in the days where I had no idea about the Rule of Thirds, leading lines etc, no internet to speak of to help, and I had 1 photography book to my name I think?

I found some shots from a holiday in New Zealand back in May 1996 that we had scanned a few years ago to try to save them from the degradation they were suffering.

It was interesting to me to see the photos and compare them to my work today ... and wish I could go back right now and re-take so many of them with my current equipment and process them with my skills I have now.

Anyhow, I thought maybe some of you might find these interesting as well. I remember that I took 28 rolls of 36 film while on this holiday in NZ in the month we were there. I wish I could remember the camera exactly but I'm not certain. I think it would have been my old Canon T70 http://www.photography.ca/Forums/newthread.php?do=newthread&f=11

So ... here's a few to get started with (I'll probably dig deeper when I get time and find more) in all their glory ... no processing, no cropping, just good old film shots ...

Queenstown church with the Remarkables in the background
http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u104/Mad-Aussie/10%20photographyca/Jan-Jun/F100004.jpg

My Girls on top of Mt Maunganui
http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u104/Mad-Aussie/10%20photographyca/Jan-Jun/F1000003.jpg

Somewhere in the South Is. I liked the mist rising from the sheeps backs.
http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u104/Mad-Aussie/10%20photographyca/Jan-Jun/F1000043.jpg

These two are from the Milford area of the country
http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u104/Mad-Aussie/10%20photographyca/Jan-Jun/F1000074.jpg

http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u104/Mad-Aussie/10%20photographyca/Jan-Jun/F1000076.jpg

more in sec ...

[Mad Aussie]

Blue & Green Lakes, North Is, NZ
http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u104/Mad-Aussie/10%20photographyca/Jan-Jun/F1000085.jpg

The girls having fun in the snow on the Remarkables. I drove us up there (had to drive around the road closed barriers) before the season kicked off and we played in a bit of snow we found up there.
http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u104/Mad-Aussie/10%20photographyca/Jan-Jun/F1000124.jpg

http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u104/Mad-Aussie/10%20photographyca/Jan-Jun/F1000125.jpg

http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u104/Mad-Aussie/10%20photographyca/Jan-Jun/F1000126.jpg

I shot this one out of a plane window as we left Queenstown headed for Christchurch. That's Skippers Canyon Rd I believe ... a notorious road in NZ.
http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u104/Mad-Aussie/10%20photographyca/Jan-Jun/F1000132.jpg

more in sec ...

[Mad Aussie]

A moss covered section of forest near Mt Egmont (Taranaki)
http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u104/Mad-Aussie/10%20photographyca/Jan-Jun/F1000142.jpg

The girls throw pumice into Lake Taupo. You can see Mt Ruapehu and Mt Tongariro in the background. Lake Taupo is the site of the worlds largest ever eruption.
http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u104/Mad-Aussie/10%20photographyca/Jan-Jun/F1000147.jpg

The NZ Tui
http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u104/Mad-Aussie/10%20photographyca/Jan-Jun/F1000194.jpg

A Manuka Palm at Sunrise
http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u104/Mad-Aussie/10%20photographyca/Jan-Jun/F1000204.jpg

Blown out but this is a cool spot. That's the Tarawera River which comes out of Lake Tarawera and then dives into a big hole in the ground, emerging, kilometres later, right here!
http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u104/Mad-Aussie/10%20photographyca/Jan-Jun/F1000230.jpg

more in sec ...

[Mad Aussie]

Last lot for now ...

A little stream I used to float down on car tubes with my cousin in Kawerau.
http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u104/Mad-Aussie/10%20photographyca/Jan-Jun/F1000246.jpg

Tarawera River
http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u104/Mad-Aussie/10%20photographyca/Jan-Jun/F1000256.jpg

Autumn in NZ.
http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u104/Mad-Aussie/10%20photographyca/Jan-Jun/F1000274.jpg

Setting up the previous shot :)
http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u104/Mad-Aussie/10%20photographyca/Jan-Jun/F1000275.jpg

I liked this tree.
http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u104/Mad-Aussie/10%20photographyca/Jan-Jun/F1000280.jpg

And that's it for now. :shrug:

[JAS_Photo]

Cool stuff M.A. Those smiley little girls sure are cute!

[jjeling]

Terrible, terrible, and more terrible. HA! Good stuff MA. I particularly like the one with the sheep in the middle of the road. This is the stuff that makes me want to head to your side of the world.

[EJC]

I’d say your innate photography skills were apparent even then and the girls in your life are naturally photogenic. Thanks for sharing MA!

[Michaelaw]

Wait a minute here...Doesn't this set include the only known face shot of the mad Australian? :D Nice nostalgic shots MA going way back to 1996.... Man, I seem to feel somehow...Older!

[Bambi]

these are great shots MA. My favs are the sunset and the girls in the leaves.
thanks for sharing!

[Mad Aussie]

Cool stuff M.A. Those smiley little girls sure are cute!
Thanks JAS


Terrible, terrible, and more terrible. HA! Good stuff MA. I particularly like the one with the sheep in the middle of the road. This is the stuff that makes me want to head to your side of the world.
Thanks JJ.
You'd travel halfway around the globe to see hot sheep huh? :confused:


I’d say your innate photography skills were apparent even then and the girls in your life are naturally photogenic. Thanks for sharing MA!
Thanks EJC. It is comforting to see I had some grasp of composition back then :)


Wait a minute here...Doesn't this set include the only known face shot of the mad Australian? :D Nice nostalgic shots MA going way back to 1996.... Man, I seem to feel somehow...Older!
Actually ... no. I put up another shot from this very trip many moons ago showing me with the girls in their first play in snow. It's here somewhere at ph.ca ;)


these are great shots MA. My favs are the sunset and the girls in the leaves.
thanks for sharing!
Thanks Bambi. That's a sunRISE in that shot with the Manuka Palm and it's one of my favs from back then too. As is the girls in the leaves.


I'm hoping I can find some of the stuff I took from well before 1996 too. I had an old Fujika SLR then from memory and hopefully have some shots from closer to 1990 or earlier. I'll bet they are crap :laughing:

[Michaelaw]

You're probably right and I may have seen it as you looked oddly familiar:) I somehow like seeing images of those I have respect for so It's a pleasure to get a glimpse. ( of course you know I'm trying to egg you in to a full on portrait session :laughing:)

[Mad Aussie]

You're probably right and I may have seen it as you looked oddly familiar:) I somehow like seeing images of those I have respect for so It's a pleasure to get a glimpse. ( of course you know I'm trying to egg you in to a full on portrait session :laughing:)
Yeh ... good luck with that! :laughing:

[Mad Aussie]

Here it is M from this thread http://www.photography.ca/Forums/f21/us-1996-a-4949.html ... my wife took it ...

http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u104/Mad-Aussie/09%20photographyca/july-dec09/1996-may-F1000023.jpg

[Michaelaw]

I remember that yes, thanks for digging it up. that's actually a nice shot.

[Mad Aussie]

I still have that ski jacket ... and probably still will if I ever get to Canada :)

[Pantheonofoak]

I am loving the scenery in some of those photos, i have always wanted to visit NZ. Hopefully i get the privilege some day.

[Mad Aussie]

I am loving the scenery in some of those photos, i have always wanted to visit NZ. Hopefully i get the privilege some day.
It's a beautiful place indeed. Well worth visiting.
Where are you from?

[casil403]

These are just great MA...I can see you knew what you were doing well before you knew what you were doing! :laughing:
Thanks for sharing...:)

[Wicked Dark]

isn't going through old film great? I like several of them.

[Bambi]

Thanks Bambi. That's a sunRISE in that shot with the Manuka Palm and it's one of my favs from back then too. As is the girls in the leaves.

oops. :headslap: I really should read but I was all distracted by the beauty of the shots. That's my story and I'm sticking to it!! :cool:

[Mad Aussie]

Thanks Casil, WD and Bambi.

I like your description Casil :) Although I have to admit there's plenty of photos that do not look like someone knew what they are doing!

Although this IS film remember! There's no chimping here. There's no looking for mistakes and re-taking a few seconds later to get a better shot or see if the settings suited the light. It was all look .... guage the scene ... set the settings by guesstimation and shoot. And hope.

I haven't found many others that we got scanned back then. Some family shots etc that I won't bother with here. There are a few more I will show though later in the day hopefully. :)