Ohau Falls

This image is the start of my New Zealand - Autumn 2010 campaign. I've just got back from a photographic expedition that saw me cover another 4,000 km of the South Island during what was reported as the most rain the island's seen for the last decade.

Ohau Falls are found approximately 30 km north of the beautiful seaside township of Kaikoura.

You might think, "another waterfall". But, that's just it -- this place isn't just a placeholder for another waterfall. What makes this place special is the presence of colonies of baby seals -- the pool that has formed under the falls is a nursery and playground for these little critters. They make their way up from the ocean to play away from any natural predators (there are whales off the coast of Kaikoura) whilst mum and dad are out fishing and capturing meals. These beautiful little creatures are inquisitive, curious and just don't sit still. They are happy to come right up to you and give you cute glances which make you want to reach out and touch them.

I made this image under some interesting lighting conditions -- the image was made about an hour and-a-half prior to sunset. The falls and pool are nestled in a rainforest area; once the sun gets on the west of the mountain it gets dark, very quickly. I waded out into the water making sure I wasn't getting in the seals' way or intruding too much, to get a little extra reach in order to frame the scene as I had anticipated. I kept having to dry my circular polarizer as the splashes from the little ones doing their thing kept getting spray on the camera.

RAW blend for water and shadowed regions.

Canon EOS 5D Mark II, Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM
2s f/11.0 at 40.0mm iso100