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Rach Stewart Gallery

The Great Ocean Road Australia .. 243km of incredible coastline and a place where I was lucky enough to see one of the best sunrises I've ever experienced by the sea.

This was one of those mornings where the memory is as clear as yesterday .. I close my eyes and I am transported right back to that very moment.

It had been raining and stormy the night before, and with dampened spirits we had very much ruled out seeing a stunning sunrise along this stretch of the coast. The Gibson Steps, with two towering limestone sea stacks named Gog and Magog, are a famous part of the Great Ocean Road experience and getting an image from here was a bucketlist shot for me.

Not wanting to miss an opportunity, we set off in the dark even though it might not mean getting an image for the portfolio. We were so wrong .... as we started our drive along the coast, the sky started turning a shade of pink and sea fog started rolling over the banks that lead down to the shore. I quickly grabbed my camera and ran for life to the location I had scouted the day before, set up my tripod and enjoyed the light show that unfolded right before my eyes.

It just goes to show, that nature pulls all sorts of tricks out of her bag and it's always worth making the effort to see what she might do.

Once in a lifetime

1/1 NFT

Signed physical print included

This long exposure image was taken as the sun rose at my local beach in New Zealand.

I have been a surfer for the majority of my life, so my heart belongs with the ocean. No matter where I am in the world, if I can't get to the ocean within a few days, my soul craves the smell of the sea and the sound of the waves.

There is nothing better to me, than closing my eyes and being at one in the water. Without this connection, I just wouldn't be me.

On this particular morning I joined two friends, took photos, watched them surf, and then put my camera away and surfed until I could surf no more.

Long exposure is a technique I love to use especially with waves. The creative element of slowing down the shutter speed means you just never know what you're going to get.

Rachel Stewart, Landscape Photographer

Sunrise Silk

1/1 NFT

Signed physical print included

A magical winter morning at Moraine Lake, Canada, where a lone canoer paddles through the glacial waters surrounded by incredible mountains and crisp cool air.

This image was taken after a snow storm had hit the region. As the clouds slowly lifted they revealed snow capped mountains and a wonderland scene I will never forget.

Rachel Stewart, Landscape Photographer

Winter Dreams at Moraine Lake

A time to reflect on the change in season and the onset of winter, the Winter Solstice is often celebrated with symbolism of fire and light, along with life, death, the rising sun, and the moon

As a landscape photographer the winter solstice brings to me the excitement of snowy mountains, exploring glaciers, skiing, mulled wine and lots of photos

I felt this image embodied the winter solstice with the rising sun gently hitting the face of Mount Aspiring in New Zealand, the earths shadow providing a pastel colour palette, and the setting crescent moon

Winter Solstice

1/1 NFT

Signed physical print included

One of my most signature images, this capture of the Ben Ohau range in the South Island of New Zealand is a 30 second long exposure taken just after sunrise during a very rare hoar frost.

For a hoar frost to occur temperatures need to be below zero consecutively for at least 3 days and usually under a thick blanket of fog. New Zealand only experiences this phenomenon once or twice a year.

On this particular morning, we arrived with zero visibility and it was proper cold! Just as the sun came up, the fog lifted and revealed this incredible scene.

The conditions in this photography (no wind, hoar frost, light and snowy mountains) really were a once in a lifetime opportunity and I was so very lucky to be there to capture it.

Rachel Stewart, New Zealand Landscape Photographer

The Frost

Clouds above Mount Aspiring National Park, New Zealand

The Mountains Are Calling #25

Because they stand proud and tall along the shore ...

This was the name given to the 12 Apostles along the Great Ocean Road in Victoria Australia. 

Although there are only 8 left, these iconic sea stacks have been standing for thousands of years .. battered by the ocean, carved by the wind, slowly eroding but showing their strength to hang on.

This was my first visit to the 12 Apostles and to see them among the fog at sunrise was an absolute dream.

Apostles

1/1 NFT

Signed physical print included

A sunrise with Taranaki Maunga, North Island, New Zealand.

The wind was fierce the night before this image was taken. A group of friends and I had hiked up to the hikers hut from the ground in the dark. We had been well protected most of the way but as soon as we hit the ridgeline the wind got us with full force. We struggled our way across the open plateau until we reached our destination - the Pouakai Hut.

First in first served, there were no beds left, so we slept on the cold wooden floor until the 4.30am alarm went off for sunrise. The wind was howling again .. some of the team decided to stay behind, but I knew I wanted to hike the extra 30 mins up to the plateau just to see if conditions were any better.

This is what was waiting for me .. a sea of clouds and the peak of Mount Taranaki sitting so perfectly above in harmony .. watching the world go by. The wind died down, and I was able to take in the view with pure amazement.

Into the Clouds

When nature creates a painting right in front of your eyes.

The hike where this spot belongs takes 3 days in total to complete and lies in the deep forest and mountains of Fiordland New Zealand. One of the last places in New Zealand where native trees flourish, native birds live in abundance and where Gondwanaland seems to still exist. It's as if nothing has changed from millions of years of evolution before humans walked this earth.

I spent 3 days in torrential rain doing this hike ... and only came out with a handful of pictures, this being one of them. There was a break in the rain and the skies revealed swirling clouds and glistening mountains. What a moment to be alive. Not long after this moment the clouds came back in and I never saw the mountains again for the rest of the walk.

Sometimes we get lucky even when we feel we are hard done by. I'm so happy to have been granted this beautiful moment with nature. I hope you enjoy it too :)

Brush Strokes

A winter sunrise I could only dream of with one of my favourite mountains in New Zealand's Milford Sound - Rahotu, or as it's more famously known, Mitre Peak.

It was bitterly cold on this particular morning with fresh snow having fallen the day before and the sun hidden in the clouds for what seemed like an eternity.

I had never had the privilege of shooting this incredible scene during the winter, so no matter what the weather or the conditions, I was going to venture out of the comforts of the inside warmth and see what mother nature threw my way. 

That morning I walked down to the shore to see fresh snow glistening at the top of Mitre Peak whilst a beautiful mist danced around the edges of the mountain and reflected in the water below. The sky was clear, it was magic. Four years of countless trips and excursions trying to capture Rahotu in winter conditions had finally paid off.

When editing this image I decided to bring in a sunrise sky I had shot on the same trip to give it even more of an ethereal feeling. It is a brand new photo for my portfolio and this its first time being released into the world.

Eminence

Aoraki Mount Cook, often referred to as the Cloud Piercer, is New Zealand's highest mountain standing at 12,218 feet and has long been adored by many across the world for its incredible glaciers and hugely intimidating peaks. Its distinct summit can often be seen rising from the valley floor piercing above the clouds.

Aoraki was given its name by Maori and represents the most sacred of ancestors. The mountain is the physical manifestation of Aoraki the ancestor, being the link between the supernatural and the natural world. 

I have photographed this mountain many times, but on this occasion the weather had been unkind for days on end and then on the morning we were leaving this magnificent place, Aoraki presented himself in the most beautiful form. Piercing a cloud and being true to the name, the peacefulness and calm of this moment couldn't have been more perfect and was an incredible reminder from nature to always have hope and to persevere through the hard times.

Cloud Piercer

I have always loved the promise that a rainbow brings. Through the storms, the darkness, and the trying times, the sign of the rainbow ensures that things are going to be ok. That through the unrest, there will be peace.

Even if you're not a religious person, the sentiment that the rainbow was a sign from God to every living creature that he would never flood the world again, is beautiful and another promise that we will all be ok in the end.

I created this image from one of the most peaceful locations I know of in New Zealand, one that is still very much unknown and off the tourist trail. I have spent many sunrises here, watching the alpen glow, smiling at the birds having their early morning swim, and taking in the incredible peaks that form the Southern Alps of New Zealand. 

On this day I arrived just after a snow storm had hit the area the day before, and the mountains had a fresh coat of frosting. As the sun rose it painted the peaks pastel pink and the water reflected them in perfect unison. To me this image is the symbolism of what the rainbow represents, the calm after the storm and a brighter future.

Refracted Dreams

1/1 NFT

The magical world of Narnia under the stars.

Famous for its role in the Chronicles of Narnia movie, Cathedral Cove in the Coromandel New Zealand was formed from pumice and ash that erupted over 8 million years ago. 

The magic of the naturally carved cave, the sea stacks that stand here, and the perfect white sand beaches is something so much better than any movie could ever depict. It is like stepping into a dream although everything is very real. 

I remind myself every day how incredibly lucky I am to experience places like this. 

Some of the darkest skies in New Zealand can be found in the Coromandel, with the milkyway being seen clearly with the naked eye, and making astrophotography conditions near perfect.

I combined a night and day image together to create this dreamy night sky scene entering the paradise of Narnia.

Hope you enjoy getting lost here like I do.

Rachel Stewart, Landscape Photographer

Enter Narnia

1/1 NFT

Signed physical print included

What a sight .. the famous Rifugio Locatelli - Tre Cime di Lavaredo, a hut located in the Sesto Dolomites at the foot of the Three Peaks in Italy.

I had seen pictures of this place long before I got to hike to it myself. Travelling to the Dolomites had been a dream of mine for what felt like an eternity, and in 2018 I travelled solo to treck and experience the wonder of this beautiful part of Italy myself.

I met some friends along the way and found myself amongst some of the biggest mountains I'd ever seen and in absolute awe of my surroundings. 

Seeing sights from where World War II battles were held, most likely where my grand father had fought, mountain memorials, ancient rock and wild mountain flowers, I was living in some of dream during the moment I captured this image.

Right after this image was taken I'm happy to say I ordered the best pasta of my life at the hut restaurant and left the Dolomites feeling so grateful to be alive.

Rifugio Locatelli

If there was ever a mountain that was going to be called Mount Aspiring .. this was the one.

The New Zealand Maori actually named this mountain Tititea - meaning Glistening Peak. At sunrise the peak glistens in the sun and can be seen for miles nestled amongst the Southern Alps.

Tititea/Mount Aspiring has also been called the Matterhorn of the South.

I shot this photo on a sunrise flight over Mount Aspiring National Park during one winter in New Zealand. It is one of the best scenic flights I have ever experienced and this photo has been featured on the cover New Zealand's Mountaineering magazine.

Aspiring

1/1 photograph

Signed physical print included

A dreamy night under Mount Taranaki New Zealand.

This composite image comes from a dreamy starry night under the milkyway galaxy at one of my favourite places, Lake Mangamahoe, Mount Taranaki New Zealand.

Mount Taranaki is a sacred stratovolcano on New Zealand's north island steeped in Maori mythology and is one of our most recognizable and loved mountains.

Dream works

As we go through life we will no doubt come across stormy moments. But with each storm comes the promise that it will soon be over .. the sun will shine again …

I have always looked at a rainbow and thought .. this is the natural world telling me that things are going to be ok .. the good times are coming.

I captured this photo after a friend and I ran through the rain laughing and screaming at the sight that was unfolding in front of us.

One of my favourite memories, the good times rolled.

Assurance

I chose this image to start my NFT journey as it resonates with everything I want to be as an artist. Creating images with balance .. capturing the natural world as it presents itself to me .. striving to be different. The symmetry that was created entirely by nature in this image is similar to the Ethereum symbol and I just knew it had to my Genesis.

From the 7 years of exploring Aotearoa New Zealand with my camera, this day resulted in one of the most incredible scenes I've witnessed in my lifetime. 

Rahotu (Mitre Peak), the mountain featured here in Piopiotahi Milford Sound, rises to 5,560ft and was carved by ancient glaciers during the last ice age over 10,000 years ago. The sun slipped behind the sheer granite faces that drop to the sea floor, creating light beams and a sunstar reflected in perfect harmony below. 

To be standing in front of such a masterpiece was a privilege I will never forget.

Winner receives a signed 40x60 metal print

Equilibrium

1/1 NFT

There are some moments in nature when time stands still and the incredible scenes in front of your eyes just don't make sense and are hard to comprehend as reality. This was one of those moments.

Milford Sound in New Zealand, an ancient fiord carved by glaciers during the ice age,  was dubbed ''the eighth wonder of the world" by Rudyard Kipling and there is no questioning why. If you wanted to get a glimpse of what life was like before humans in New Zealand, this is the place to come.

We had been standing in the rain for about an hour, with not a lot of hope of seeing a sunset, but just taking in the astounding towering mountains of granite that seemed to rise from the sea floor was enough. 

Just as I turned to walk away, this incredible burn of light from the sun came shooting down the sound and out in front of us to create what is one of the most perfect light beams I've ever seen. 

Nature just never ceases to amaze me.

Rachel Stewart, Landscape Photographer