Creating With Light

kākaho - toetoe - Whakarewarewa - image by Harete

Light can change the energy and feel of an image.

How we approach a subject will determine whether we get an image that sings to us, or an image that merely shows what the subject is.

When an image does sing, it brings all the elements together. The subject is a part of the whole and I’m always looking through the lens to see what is surrounding it and how this has an effect on the feel of an image also.

I'm aware of where light is coming from and how it connects with the subject. My approach is intuitive first, technical second, always.

I want people to be emotionally drawn in to my images, to feel what I feel in an image and to experience the awe and wonder of te taiao. And that can only come from connection first.

Image of toetoe - kākaho - taken by Harete at Whakarewarewa forest where she grew up.