Give a lot of love

Here is something different for Christmas. Few years back we helped Ronald McDonald House in Wellington by branding their $9.5 million fundraising campaign "Give a lot of Love". The first floor of the new house is done, but they still need some money to reach the final target. Air New Zealand is running Kids at Christmas Charity Auction online at sella.co.nz and 100% of the money raised will go to two worthy charities – Kids Restore New Zealand and Ronald McDonald House in Wellington. New items will be added on all the time.

So with Christmas just around the corner, here's your chance to grab some truly original gifts and contribute back to these great organisations.

http://www.sella.co.nz/store/4mc6r1/kids-at-christmas-charity-auction-air-new-zealand/

Heavy, heavy rain!

Shooting in adverse weather conditions always presents a challenge but when the rain is so heavy that it is like looking through fog, then you know you have a bit on! And that is exactly what happened when shooting the Monsoon Cup yachting in Malaysia recently. They don't call it The Monsoon Cup for nothing! It was some of the heaviest rain I've ever experienced and with visibility down to few metres it was hard to know what I was photographing. In these conditions rain covers for the cameras are worth their weight in gold. With a few thousand dollars worth of camera and lens to protect, the rain covers need to be good so a big thumbs up to the Griffgear covers that somehow kept the kit dry. Here's a couple of shots - the first of the approaching rain and the second a few minutes later when it was really chucking it down.

Volvo Ocean Race

The Volvo Ocean Race got underway last week and although there are fewer entries than ever before it is still a compelling event where the elements can throw curveballs that even the best prepared can't play. Traditionally the problem for yachting has been how to show things that happen hundreds or thousands of miles from land to an audience. The VOR has got around this by implanting a media person on each boat who shoots and reports on everything that happens. Some of the video and photos from these guys so far has been outstanding and hopefully there will be lots more great action to view. Check it here 

Distraction?

Sometimes you sit down to do some work and then someone posts something like this for you to look at. And when it's as good as this video from Go-Pro it's really hard to ignore it. Now where was I?

Shameless plug for some good guys

Gareth recently took an aluminum hand rail to Marine Metal Fabrications on behalf of an elderly neighbour who had suffered a stroke. It needed to be modified to ensure safe passage up and down some stairs. Not only was it a mint job and completed on time, but they refused payment for it saying it was for a worthy cause. Nice to see even in these tough times there are still some businesses who are more than just about the bottom line. So if anyone needs some metal fabrication or welding jobs done - go and see Neil or Steve at Marine Metal Fabrications. 09 443 5764. Top guys!

Another year, another annual report

We've just completed another annual report for one our long-standing clients, Yachting New Zealand. The guys and gals at Yachting NZ do a great job looking after the sport of yachting not only at an elite level but also right down to the beginners who are literally just dipping their toes into the water for the first time. Yachting NZ put a lot of emphasis on looking after the grass roots level and making sure kids have fun on the water. Whatever their sport of choice, kids need to have fun doing it so a big thumbs up to Yachting NZ from Subzero Group. You can find out more about Yachting NZ here and here.

Rugby World Cup

Like all Kiwis we're stoked about the Rugby World Cup result. We can collectively breathe a sigh of relief now that we've won it for the first time since 1987. Big ups to the boys in black and is there a more popular figure in NZ right now than Richie McCaw. Unlikely, the only one close would be that All Black legend Stephen Donald.
Gareth spent finals weekend in the city shooting all the entertainment, crowds, fans, and parties. The atmosphere was naturally right up there after we won - but he did wonder how it might have been had we lost. He also shot the parade the day after the final where a massive crowd turned out to cheer on their heroes. It was a pointed reminder about how much the victory and the sport of rugby means to the country. Here's a few shots.