Mount Maunganui Rocks At Twilight

At the base of Mount Maunganui in New Zealand’s Bay Of Plenty are some pretty cool rock formations jutting out of the sea. They are pretty much the whole way around, which is a landscape photographer’s dream. It means I can find a great composition any time of day, no matter which direction the light’s coming from. This particular night was freezing, as the country was getting smashed by a nasty cold front.

I headed down about half an hour before sunset and walked around to the north side of The Mount. Once I found these rocks, I set up my gear and got a few shots off before the sun dropped below the horizon. Within 20-30 minutes the light was looking pretty sweet. Twilight is probably my favourite time of day to shoot. It’s also known as “blue hour” (as opposed to the “golden hour” of sunset). The remaining light in the sky paints the scenery with beautiful soft light and long exposures are required, which give silky smooth water and clouds. Â This particular night, the last light bathed the rocks with a beautiful golden glow, which contrasted nicely with the blue in the water and sky.