Autumn Landscapes Photography Workshop with Graham Dainty FPSNZ By Craig McKenzie. Photos by Graham Dainty.
Early on Friday afternoon, I found the venue for the Autumn Landscapes workshop with Graham Dainty, in a nearly new building at the edge of Alexandra, right beside the rail trail. At the other end of the building, there was a bustling cafe. A promising sign, as Industrial Lane Eatery provided our refreshments. The location of the seminar room was not obvious. Soon after, Graham arrived, and by the start time everyone else had found the room. This boded well for people being able to find their way to and from our photography locations. A relief, as I was determined not to lose anyone on this workshop! After introductions, our first classroom session introduced landscape photography, followed by an afternoon tea. The food didn’t disappoint. Our first location was the lookout above Clyde. The signpost was missing. Still, everyone managed to find the location and enjoy the marvellous light, changing cloud patterns and setting sun. Then it was off to Montieth’s Brewery Bar for our pre-selected meals. The dawn start on the following morning was at Butcher’s Dam, a few kilometres away. Great light again, then back to town for a warmup before meeting for more classroom tuition. More in-depth lessons this time. It was time to put our new knowledge into practice with an early afternoon trip to the top of the Manuherikia Valley, below the photographically famous Hawkdun Range.
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