news

Eight new images have been added to the New Zealand gallery this week. These include : a beautiful autumn scene at Lake Benmore, some spectacular magic hour lighting in "Swept Away" and a 47 minute exposure showing startrail photography at the Church of the Good Shepherd. Also added is "Painted Wave", the feature image in a blog article about abstract photography called "Deconstruction Zone". It is also our first blog article to be syndicated to Photo Travel Review, a great resource for travel photography run by three very talented photographers : Bill Lockhart, Claire Carter and Melanie M. 

More than a dozen new images from New Zealand has been added to the gallery. These include a few intimate landscapes, the subject of our latest blog article "Think small, print big".

My latest Singh-Ray article has been published on the Singh-Ray blog. It features some of the landscape images that I made while in New Zealand this year. To make the most of all the spectacular opportunities on the trip, I had to apply the full range of my filtering experience and skills.

I’m pleased to announce that “Starfish Swirl” has been selected as photo.net’s “Photo of the Week”. This website should be the first port of call for people with any sort of general interest in photography. It gets a huge amount of web traffic and the selected images often generate a lot of healthy debate. Join in the discussion here.

MHT are recently returned from New York City. We spent a rushed week in the Big Apple but managed to come back with a wide selection of imagery. A first collection of photos has been uploaded to the NYC gallery, with many more to come. Check out our new blog for a story about this trip. The blog will be completely designed in the next month or two to fit in with our website theme. Shortly after our return from NYC, we ran a photography workshop in the Blue Mountains. Like our previous workshops this was sold out within a week. A full report and participant gallery follow soon.

MHT attended the ICP (International Conservation Photography) Awards last night at the Burke Museum in Seattle. We had the honour of meeting Art Wolfe who founded the competition. It was also a real thrill to see all the prize winning and commended images from around the world. The best part was getting to meet numerous photographers I have corresponded with through the web. Kah Kit's "Moody Moeraki" was awarded 2nd prize in the landscape section, while "Into the Light" was a honourable mention in the wildlife category. The exhibition runs from June 19 - September 6, 2010.
Read the full report our new blog.

MHT are pleased to announce Magic Hour Unplugged, a blog about travel, photography and the stories behind our images. This will soon replace our "News" and "Photo of the Week" sections of the website. In the meantime we're about to embark on our first trip to the USA. Kah Kit is also very much looking forward to leading the Blue Mountains workshop next month which is now full.

I'm pleased to announce a workshop based in the Blue Mountains next month. The focus will be on photo critique, discussion about in-the-field technique and post-capture workflow. I'll be taking participants through my workflow using images they take from the beautiful landscapes of the Blue Mountains. I have 1 or 2 spaces left subject to confirmation from people who have contacted me privately.
For more information or to reserve your place please contact me
kahkityoong@magichourtravelscapes.com

Larger version of the announcement here

MHT has just wrapped the New Zealand trip and a small selection of images have been uploaded to the gallery. Keep in mind that there will be many more, and the best is yet to come. Many fantastic locations were photographed which are planned to be part of the itinerary for the MHT workshop in New Zealand next year. We're still getting the details organised but the workshop will take place in late April 2011 to make the most of the peak autumn colours. Length will likely be 10-14 days. Expressions of interest are most welcome as some spots have already been reserved.

In the meantime, MHT will run a processing workshop similar to the recent Great Ocean Road trip running July 2-4. Details will be out early next week but once again, I'll be contacted about this now.

We're also pleased to announce that once again Kah Kit has been shortlisted in a couple of competitions. These include one image in Australia's biggest nature competition ANZANG (where Kah Kit has been successful the last three years). He also has two photos in the most prestigious nature competition in the world, the BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year. This month, keep an eye out for the results for the 2010 International Conservation Photography Awards, founded by Art Wolfe. 

Over the past month, MHT has had some amazing adventures on the South Island of New Zealand. I believe the landscapes of the "Land of the Long White Cloud" has inspired our best nature portfolio yet. And the road trip is not over yet. In the meantime, check out Kah Kit's latest article for the Singh-Ray blog which discusses many of the locations he photographed in 2009, which covered no less than five continents. 

MHT has hit the ground running on the South Island of New Zealand. The peak of autumn colour is still about a week away but as you can see from this teaser, there is some gorgeous yellow foliage around already. It's only day 2 of the trip but a very sizeable gallery of landscapes is building up.

Judging has been finalised for the ICP Awards and Kah Kit has been successful in two categories. The International Conservation Photography Awards (ICP Awards), founded by Art Wolfe is a premier worldwide photography event focused on conservation and the environment. The biennial juried photo competition will include an online exhibit, a 3-month museum gallery exhibit (June 19 - September 6) at the prestigious Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture in Seattle, Washington, and publication in PhotoMedia magazine. Winning images will be announced on opening night (18 June 2010).

Most of the particpant images from the Great Ocean Road workshop are now up on the gallery. Expect an announcement soon regarding the next workshop which will be in the Blue Mountains.

MHT have recently returned from a weekend workshop at the Great Ocean Road. The feedback that we have received has indicated that participants learnt a great deal about in-camera and post-capture work. They all came away with some great shots which we hope to soon display on a new gallery which Kah Kit has kicked off with a few of his own photos. Expect to see at least another two workshops announced in 2010. Here is a testimonial from Yan, one of the workshop participants.

"It was my great experience to have this workshop with you, I have learned much more than what I expected. I not only gained important knowledge and techniques from you, more importantly, I learned your general principles and the way to look at landscape photography, which I think are more crucial than technique itself. I believe this first landscape photography workshop will influence my landscape photography journey."

MHT will be presenting a workshop on travel and landscape photography at the University of Melbourne on Tuesday 23rd of March. The event will be hosted Fotoholics - Melbourne University Photography Club. 

TIME: 12:15pm - 1:45pm
DATE: Tuesday 23rd March, 2010
LOCATION: Theatrette 2 (room 109), Level 1, Alan Gilbert Building Ground Floor (Across Grattan Street opposite Medical Building) University Map Reference: M13, Building 104 (see map link below)
COST: FREE
Non Fotoholics Members can sign up at the venue on the day from 12:10pm ($12 yearly membership, $6 for Student Union members)

Naturescapes.net has announced their images of the year. Kah Kit once again featured on the list with his interpretation of the historical heart of Paris in sepia, Île de la Cité. His image received an honorable mention in the Travel & Culture category.  All the winning images can be found here

Kah Kit going to be running a small group private workshop the weekend of March 19th to 21st 2010 based at Port Campbell. The focus will be image review and post-processing as requested the the participants who have requested the workshop. Message or email for an information sheet.

This workshop is now full. I can put you on a waiting list, in case of any cancellations.

We are pleased to report that Kah Kit's image of Binalong Bay titled "Summer Rush" has been published in the Spanish edition of National Geographic Traveller. It is in the current issue, number 118, and it appears in an article about Tasmania.

We are still in the process of updating the latest galleries, Cuba, London and the Great Ocean Road. Our portfolio from Cuba has been so large we've added two more galleries to cover portraits and monochrome images.

MHT wraps up a tour of Cuba on a Charlie Waite workshop. Expect to see a brand new portfolio that expands our travel photography in the directions of street and portraits.

MHT are currently in London, preparing for a trip to a mystery destination. We will not be able to process any print orders until our return in mid December. In the meantime please enjoy our new images from the Great Ocean Road this year. Expect further updates to this gallery each week.

This year's collection of winning and commended images are now available to purchase. From the CSIRO website :

Australasian Nature Photography : ANZANG Sixth Collection showcases over 150 of the finest photographs submitted to the 2009 competition. The book brings to light the very best photographs of animals, plants and landscapes taken in the region, accompanied by technical information as well as anecdotes about how the picture was taken, which will stimulate yet further interest in the flora and fauna and their conservation in the region.

The book features two of Kah Kit's images : "Autumn Pandani" and "Stormlight and Stardust." It may be purchased online from CSIRO Publishing.

Kah Kit's image "A Beautiful Storm" is printed in the current issue of Nature's Best Photography magazine (Summer 2009). It will be part of the Ocean Views presentation in which the photo was selected as a winner.

Last week Kah Kit had the pleasure of being interviewed by Younes Bounhar, one of the most talented and versatile up-and-coming Canadian photographers. His blog is already gathering a very good following and the interview can be found here. Last year Kah Kit was interviewed by Don Norris for Photo Review magazine. The article was published in the Summer 2009 issue. It can now be viewed on the Photo Review website. 

The ANZANG Nature and Landscape Photographer of the Year is focused on the bioregion of Australia, New Zealand, Antarctica and New Guinea. It is the largest and most prestigious nature photography competition in the region. Two of Kah Kit's images are to be included in the 2009 yearbook. The book will be complemented by an exhibition at the South Australian Museum in Adelaide. The prize winners will be selected from the exhibition and announced when it opens on 1 October 2009. This is the third year running that MHT has been represented in the ANZANG yearbook and exhibition.

Just a note that there are a few publications out this month that feature us. Firstly, Kah Kit's "Moody Moeraki" has been printed as a double page spread in Digital Camera's soft cover book Photographers of the Year 2008. His article "The 5 minute Workflow" for the Travel Photographers Network was also mentioned in the June edition of Photo Review Australia - "I was intrigued to find a terrific article by Kah Kit Yoong on his approach to the digital workflow. We featured Kah Kit's work in issue 38 and this article is such a model of clarity, that I've provided a shortened url directly to it. Highly recommended." Meanwhile, Winnie's "Dune Abstract" was awarded an editor's pick in the Earth, Sea, Sky category on the Nature's Photographers Online Magazine. It was also chosen as the photo of the month and is the cover shot for the July edition.

MHT prints will be undergoing a price restructure over the next couple of months. All orders will now be in US dollars although shipping is included in the marked price for Australian customers. The prices for open edition prints are  :
8" x 12"     $80.00
10" x 15"   $100.00
13" x 20"   $120.00
16" x 24"   $160.00
20" x 30"   $200.00  
Limited edition prints start from $300 for 16" x 24" and $500 for 20" x 30".  Some of the limited editions prices will be going up at the end of July. Please do not use the online carts to order prints in the meantime; contact us through the website email instead.

Check out the July issue of Australian Photography magazine which sports Winnie's image of Cradle Mountain at dawn on its cover.

MHT is currently researching the Australian outback as a possible workshop destination for 2010. The Red Centre looks like a great location and a portfolio of images is underway as. Meanwhile please continue to enjoy our images from Namibia. Expect updates every week to experience some of the planet's most impressive landscapes, the thrill of microlighting over the world's tallest sand dunes, a spooky ghost town slowly being reclaimed by the desert, the magic of the quivertree forest under a star-filled sky and the excitement of a safari adventure.

We are getting ready to wrap up our trip from Namibia and the gallery may well be our best work yet. Just a quick note that as we have been away print orders will not be able to be filled until the end of the June. Internet access has been sporadic and we'll catch up with emails as soon as possible when we arrive home in Melbourne. We apologize for any inconvenience.

MHT will be off to Namibia in May on a workshop with Marsel van Oosten. This will be our first time in Africa and taking on some wildlife photography is also something new for the team. Kah Kit recently had the pleasure of returning to the Blue Mountains so expect some updates in that gallery. We're also hoping his photos now in the final rounds of the Veolia Wildlife Photographer of the Year and the ANZANG competitions pick up some prizes.

We are pleased to announce that Kah Kit has joined the Time Catcher team. This website brings together a team of some of the best landscape photographers from around the world and is dedicated to celebrating the natural beauty of this planet. When we first started out, the Time Catcher team played a big part in inspiring us to take up nature photography. So it goes without saying that Kah Kit feels very honoured to join such a talented group.  Experience the beauty at Time Catcher.

Also check out our latest gallery featuring landscapes from the Blue Mountains.

Just a note for those interested in Kah Kit's online articles - the Singh-Ray blog has recently published a post about our adventures in New Zealand and the use of the reverse neutral density filter.

A new gallery has just been put up consisting of images from Tasmania's east coast taken this year. Speaking of seascapes, we have been informed that Kah Kit's image "A Beautiful Storm" is in the final round of judging in the Natures Best Oceans competition. Hopefully he can go one round better than last year, when "Cathedral Rock" also made the shortlist.

Finally, MHT managed to visit the Blue Mountains in New South Wales. We witnessed some pretty spectacular sights so expect a new gallery to be posted in the near future.

Last year, The Travel Photographers Network (TPN) collaborated to produce a book called "Around the World with TPN". The images in the book were selected by 6 judges and the book layout was by graphic designer and photographer Sarah Clarehart. It represents the most amazing work from the TPN community. Eight of Kah Kit's and five of Winnie's images were published in addition to about fifty other talented photographers. Each of the fine images are accompanied by stories behind the shot as well as technical information. To purchase the book follow click on the "Around the World With TPN" in the links page.

Kah Kit's image, "The Power of One" was chosen as the Naturescapes 2008 Landscape Gallery "Image of the Year." The photos of the year and honorable mentions are beautifully presented as a slideshow this month at Naturescapes.net. "View to San Gimignano" was also selected as an honorable mention in the Elements of Humankind category.

We are very excited to launch this new version of Magic Hour Travelscapes. Thanks to the team at WideRange Galleries, our vision for a truly unique way of web presentation has been realized. Jesse Speer's design for a sleek modern gallery is simply gorgeous and Jack Brauer's programming has created a slick scrolling website that works brilliantly. Not all the content has been uploaded to the website yet but it will be complete by the end of the month.