NZ Geographic Resene Colour Award 2019
For the second year running, one of David's colourful aerial images was chosen from 3000 images to win the Resene Colour Award at the NZ Geographic Photographer of the Year Competition, 2019. Waiotapu Thermal Reserve is a no-drone area, so this image was shot from a helicopter with the door removed, zooming in with a Canon 100-400mm lens, and with the camera bolted to a gyroscopic stabilizer. The helicopter had to circle in tight orbits, to enable David to shoot straight down, which itself added difficulties. Several kilograms of gyroscope, camera and lens, became even heavier with the extra g-forces.
