The best few months of my life were those I spent studying abroad in New Zealand in 2009.  The day I left, I typed out a list of everything I had yet to do—so many reasons to come back.  Something I’d add to that list now?  Take better pictures.

There’s a huge difference between taking photographs to chronicle an entire experience or journey and taking photographs to capture a subject in as aesthetically-pleasing a fashion as possible.  My NZ photography fell into the former category, and combined with the fact that for the majority of my time abroad, my only camera was a tiny point-and-shoot in the 4-megapixel range, I wouldn’t rate my photo collection as particularly high-quality.  Nor did I initially spend much time editing my photos—with a grand total numbering in the thousands and a student/traveler life to lead, I simply didn’t have enough time to devote to making sure individual shots were perfect.

But when it comes down to it, New Zealand deserves more than I gave it.  In an attempt to do my favorite country justice, I’ve begun the process of selecting my very best shots out of thousands and retouching them to more accurately represent the beauty I observed—not the watered-down, lifeless originals my camera captured.  With so many photos, this is merely the first in a series, so stay tuned for more!

Lake Wanaka close after dawn, as viewed from Mount Iron

So it begins - the flight from Auckland to Dunedin, passing over the Banks Peninsula just outside Christchurch

Left: The Citizens’ War Memorial at Cathedral Square in Christchurch, dedicated to those who served in WWI – Right: The University of Otago’s campus clocktower in Dunedin – my home for the duration of my stay

A boat ride through Milford Sound---one of New Zealand's most famous tourist destinations--to the Tasman Sea

"Temporary" waterfalls at Milford's less famous cousin, Doubtful Sound - temporary being a misleading term, considering the area has an average rainfall close to 25 feet per year

Stormy seas sweep right to the feet of the Southern Alps in beautiful Kaikoura

Typical NZ countryside in the Otago region

The Kawarau River, just outside of Queenstown and just upstream from the world's first commercial bungy-jump

Walking a section of the Abel Tasman Coast Track, one of New Zealand's Great Walks

Look for more New Zealand entries soon (including a Lord of the Rings-locations-themed post)!  Also keep an eye out for more springtime photos and some all-new portrait sessions.