Orange Aotearoa (2002) Photograph by Gary Moger

Orange Aotearoa

South Island, New Zealand — 2002.

I was staying on a farm in the middle of the Southern Alps. I stepped outside just after first light, before the frost had lifted, and saw this.

A dirt road cut through the frozen tussock, with telegraph poles disappearing into the distance. The ground was still blue-grey with cold, but the mountains beyond were catching the first sunlight, turning an extraordinary shade of orange.

I remember the contrast more than anything. The cold underfoot, the stillness of the morning, and those enormous mountains glowing in the sun while the rest of the landscape was still waking up.

This is Aotearoa, the Māori name for New Zealand. I'd seen plenty of photographs of the Southern Alps, but there's nothing quite like standing in a place like this and watching the light arrive. You can't plan it. You just have to be there.

Photographed on my Leica M6 using Kodak Portra NC film. The image is presented full frame, exactly as I saw it.

The print

I produce each print in my own studio on Hahnemühle Photo Rag archival paper. Every print is carefully checked before packing, and I use plastic-free packaging.

Limited edition of 50, signed and numbered, with a certificate of authenticity.

Materials used:

Leica M6 camera, Kodak portrait NC film, Hahnemuhle Photorag Archival paper

Details:

• Photograph on Paper
• From a limited edition of 50
• Size: 66.04 x 45.72 x 0.25cm (unframed) / 60.96 x 39.88cm (actual image size)
• Signed and numbered certificate of authenticity
• Style: Photorealistic
• Subject: Landscapes, sea and sky