No doubt you’ve seen the coverage of the mosque shooting in Christchurch. It’s led to much soul searching here in New Zealand. For me it’s been a very emotional time and the country I grew up in has irrevocably changed.

That weekend I was on a photography workshop on the south coast of Wairarapa, an hour and a half outside Wellington. There were two of us and a tutor, and we spent the weekend on the coast between Lake Ferry and Cape Palliser, playing with our cameras, trying out techniques, filters and locations, and finally photographing the seals near the lighthouse at Cape Palliser. There is no way that seals can’t lift your spirits!

So here’s a sample of shots from that workshop. Being in nature is good for the soul.