On the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz

Moments In Time

The saddest thing I have ever read, but it is something everyone should read.”

Never shall I forget that night, the first night in camp, which has turned my life into one long night, seven times cursed and seven times sealed. Never shall I forget that smoke. Never shall I forget the little faces of the children, whose bodies I saw turned into wreaths of smoke beneath a silent blue sky. Never shall I forget those flames which consumed my faith forever. Never shall I forget that nocturnal silence which deprived me, for all eternity, of the desire to live. Never shall I forget those moments which murdered my God and my soul and turned my dreams to dust. Never shall I forget these things, even if I am condemned to live as long as God Himself. Never.

Elie Wiesel,

From Elie Wiesel, Night (New York: Bantam, 1982), p. 32. This…

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Morning dash at Piha

Morning swimmer Piha med res

I love the early morning light at Piha, and it is one of my favourite times to take photographs as only a few walkers and surfers are around. Because of the hills behind, the sun only sneaks over about 30 minutes after sunrise, so until then there is this lovely ambient light. One of the things I’m learning about landscape photography is the inclusion of active elements like animals and humans to bring it to life, so I was really chuffed when an early morning swimmer dashed across. I quickly snapped an image and I think this is one of my favourite shots as it gives a great sense of proportion to Lion Rock and the hills behind. My camera is a Nikon D5200 and I have a 16 to 85 DX lens, which I am slowly mastering. It was just on the landscape setting.

Sunset over the Waitakeres

Sunset over Waitakeres med res
Sunset over the Waitakeres

When you live somewhere, it is easy to take the scenery for granted or simply never look at it. I was up One Tree Hill trying to do a full moon shot and snapped this one of the Waitakeres as a test shot. When I looked at it today, I was knocked out by what a beautiful city I live in – I am very blessed.