Valley of the Rings
(1/500, F8, ISO200, 17mm)
Of all the amazing and diverse landscapes I´ve seen in New Zealand the valleys surrounding Glenorchy was one of my favorites. I can totally understand why film director Peter Jackson thought he could make Lord of the Rings into a movie when his home country has all these epic locations.
These valleys were used in a couple of scenes from his trilogy (depicting Isengard), but before they became known as that, it was mainly an area for mining, first gold and later scheelite, but the last state mines were closed in the 1960´s!
The above photo was taken inside a miner´s cottage.
The next was taken just outside this cabin.
(1/400, F8, ISO100, 17mm)
We stayed in the small town of Glenorchy, which was at the end of the road of an amazing 45 minutes scenic drive from Queenstown which winds past mountains, rivers, forests, glaciers and Lake Wakatipu.
We spent a couple of days exploring the valleys, mountains and waterfalls further up and I tried to make use of some sunsets and sunrises to catch some of the scenery.
(1/400, F8, ISO400, 123m)
Above photo was taken on a piece of land for sale (I wish!) in early morning overlooking Lake Wakatipu. This last photo was shot on the road back to Queenstown, the only way in and out if you are not hiking or flying!
(1/400, F8, ISO400, 123m)
El Bueno, El Feo y El Malo 
I have always appreciated your landscape shots, but the first one of the shirt in the drawer is a wonderful piece. I am often struck how much your work reminds me of paintings. In the case of the shirt and drawer I am reminded of Wyeth paintings, only your photographic pallet is so much richer and darker than his.
Hi Noelle, personally I think mylandscape shot are ok, but there are so many good and better ones out there, very glad to hear you like the shirt, cuz that is more a personal style than the others and comparing it to Wyeth is very kind and totally see what you mean with his interior paintings with natural light coming in! Very flattering, thanks, have a great weekend, Ron.
WOW! Like a dreamy lake… so beautiful. You are great photographer. Thank you, Love, nia
Thanks a lot, Nia, one of the most beautiful valleys I´ve ever seen, allready picked out a piece of land for sale with 360 degree views, oooh, i wish….
Enjoy your weekend, Ron.
Four super shots! I love the atmosphere in the first one. And the landscape poanoramas in the following 3 are stunning!
Thanks very much, Truels, next few posts will be more informative than photographic, but still interesting enough in both ways i hope!
New Zealand was amazing, it was on my bucketlist, but actually still is, wouldnt mind going back to all that beauty 😉
Warm greetings from KL, Ron
Beautiful shots!
THank you, Michael, sorry for very late reply, but I am back now 😉
Hope all is well, greetings, Ron
Some beautiful captures of a magnificent landscape. Love how the light hits the mountains.
Thanks, was special to wake up before sunset and experience the changing of the light, magnificent scenes all around 😉
All great shots, but especially love the first. Vibrant and low-key,very nice combination.
Thanks, Stevie! I think the first represents my favourite work and style the best, so great to hear you love that one the best!
Greetz, Ron
Ron, these are simply stunning shots of a land I’ve long dreamt about. You’ve brought those dreams back to life once again ~ beautiful work.
Never take it of your bucket list, I went there but it’s still on there 😉
Thanks and safe travels, Ron.
Holy Cow, that first image had me exclaiming out loud (the shadows and light are lovely!), and that third image is just stunning
Hi Laurie, sorry for late reply, but that´s so cool to read, first was a great find, just had to scramble thru some bushes to get in, but the light in the valley was perfect! Have a great weekend, greetings, Ron
Fantastic landscape!
A very belated thank you, Noeline, hope all is going well on your side of the globe, seeing your photos it definitely looks like that 😉
Have a great weekend and sorry for the late reply!
Ron
Magische atmosfeer.
Dank je wel, Wilma, dat omschrijft veel van deze landschappen het beste 😉
Hoop dat de alle geweldige mensen daar ok zijn naar weer een aardbeving,
Groet, Ron
The first window shot has your signature all over it. I am very glad you got to visit this part of the world cause I can hardly imagine any other blogger here do it justice as you did. What lens did you use for this?
Hi Paula, bit late but that´s very kind of you, thanks. First two shots are with my wide lens 10-25 mm i think, favorite for interiors like the first, cuz you have the option to take as much in from the interior as possible! Have a good week,
Ron
What incredible views!
Thanks very much, Mofman, such a beuatiful country, very happy to have seen it and met the amazing people around the South Island too, another great asset of NZ 😉
Sorry for late reply, but back into blogosphere now, greetings from KL,
Ron
Spectacular!
Fantastic photos … Especially the last one … It look a little bit like the northern part of Sweden … // Maria 🙂
Hi Maria, sorry for being so late, but lot of New Zealand reminded me of Scandinavia, maybe oven more quiet around NZ, but so pretty!
Thanks, hope all is well, greetings, Ron
Fabulous photographs Ron!
Thank you very much, Adrian, amazing country to see and photograph, you would do it justice with your talent too!
Cheers, Ron
That’s very kind of you to say Ron. I would indeed love to visit! 🙂
Fantastic photos of an amazing country.
Wonderful light, wonderful pictures. And though these landscape shots are both beautiful and evocative, my favourite is the one in the miner’s cabin – so reminiscent of that one you took in a deserted dwelling in Spain once. I love the shadows and the way the dirty window (and coathanger!) adds to, rather than detracts from the atmosphere.
Take me with you!!! Fantastic captures. I think I can see Gandalf!
stunning images, Ron, totally surreal…
and I just love that first one, that warm light and that great mood there, beautiful story-telling…
Thank you so much, Alexandra, first one is my favorite too, cuz I think it has the most of my signature, rest is more landscape thats been done a thousand times 😉 Hope all is well, sorry for being so late, but appreciate as much, Ron.
Nice pictures of the place. The picture inside the cabin is awesome!
Wonderful shots, Ron! Absolutely love the colour and light you captured in the first one. Outstanding.
Thank you very much, Richard, sorry to be so late in replying, but hope to get back to bloggin ways again now!
The first is my favorite too, it has more of my touch to it then the others, I think!
Hope all is great, cheers, Ron.
Gosh, stunning, and reminds me of Scotland….where there is also a Glenorchy!! The light is gorgeous in these images💕lucky you😊
Wonderful use of light in different circumstances contributing to an excellent sense of place.
Thanks so much, Louise, it was so nice to spend some days in these places and look around for the light and views and try to capture them at their best!
Warm greetings, Ron.
Beautiful, stunning, breathtaking!
Thanks very much, Essi, very kind of you, sorry for late reply!
Warm greetings from KL (guess you need it in Finland by now?),
Ron
Would love to live amid that magnificent scenery—except for the inevitable earthquake experience. Which is why I left California far, far behind. I guess we each have our phobias, don’t we? LOL…
Hi Alli, sorry for being so late, just getting into the swing of bloggin again after some travels, but I can understand your phobia, Christchurch was 7 yearst after the last one and still was one big construction site and seeing some of the destruction there it was hard to have any idea what kind of experience that must have been…but being on a fault line does bring some dramatic landscape 😉
Hope all is good, greetings from Malaysia, Ron
Better late than never…LOL!
Thanks 😉 have a great day!
Very beautiful. Perfect place for a nice little cabin and a cup of coffee and a porch.
The last image is my favourite for landscape, also fond of the first with its beautiful lighting and indoor/outdoor exposures,though i would remove the hanger, as it is too distracting but that’s just my opinion)
Other-worldly indeed. Beautiful.
A belated thanks very much, John, such an amazing country, has it been so long, aarghhh 😉
Warm greetings from Malaysia, Ron.
Stunning landscape, beautifully captured!!!
Danke schon, Ulf 😉
Such an amazing country, not only the landscape, but the people are amazing too!
Great to see your photos from Africa, hope all is well, greetings, Ron.
Thank you very much! I wish you the best too! 😉
Incredible captures. Thank you for sharing. 🙂 ~Ana
Hi Ana, thanks so much and happy to share ofcourse, sorry for being so late in replying, hope all is well, saw you didnt post for a long time too?
Greetings from KL, Ron