AperturePriorityNZ Archives – A collection of Photographs and Stories

Shooting JPEG only was never front of mind for me because I had bought into the “always shoot RAW” school of thinking from the first day I had a camera…

Sometimes it takes something really special to make you get off your butt and go and be a tourist in your own backyard. In my case that something special was…

In my first story for the year I told you that I don’t make New Year Resolutions, but that I had, however, made a creativity action list at the start…

Welcome to 2026, and a belated Happy New Year to you all! I don’t do New Year Resolutions mainly because I know from past experience I never keep them. However,…

This is my last story for 2025 – and it is totally different from any other story I have posted before.

In what way is it different?

Well, for want of a better description this is a very informal collaboration between myself and Brian Small of Alberta, Canada.

Do CCD sensors create film-look images? Or is it just an Internet myth?

My latest acquisition – a cheap and cheerful Nikon AF-S 18-55mm kit lens to mate with my new, old Nikon D3000 arrived a couple of days ago. On first glance it appeared to be “as new”, such was the quality of the cosmetics, but alas, the lens was wobbly inside the barrel.

Urban exploration – or any exploration – has been off the agenda for me for several months now due to my limited mobility. I haven’t talked about it much here…

I just bought a DSLR for under $100 – an old Nikon DSLR for under $100! And I couldn’t be happier with my purchase. Spoiler alert: : When I say…

Every now and then I come up with an idea for a story that makes sense, but once I start writing, and several tangential storylines later, it doesn’t seem to…

Has DxO Photolab 9 just got better than its predecessors? With the introduction of AI masking, and a raft of other new features, has DxO Photolab 9 just got better…

I’m going to talk about film simulation a little further on in this story, but I’d like to begin on something totally unrelated. I’m always on the lookout for New…

Whether consciously or subconsciously I have been in pursuit of my own photography style ever since I bought my first DSLR about 13 years ago. Eighty-thousand or so digital images…

A question I seem to ask myself quite a lot these days is – “where is my next photograph coming from?” It’s not that I am not motivated to go…

Learning to not ignore your holiday snapshots is something that I would recommend, and I’ll get to the why shortly. But first a wee recap on where I am currently…

Borders and watermarks – and taking myself too seriously. In the shower this morning, I began thinking about borders and watermarks, and whether I should use them on my photographs….

A while back, I wrote that I would adopt a commonsense approach to my photography by opting to use just one camera and one lens, the idea being that restricting…

When I first tried FilmPack 7 back in October 2023, I felt I didn’t need the full version for my own personal use. After all, if I wanted photographs with…

“You have a good eye for photography” the woman in the camera shop told me after she saw some of my early photos posted on line. It might sound rude…

It is often said that the best way to become a better photographer is to invest time in making images, rather than invest money in gear. I wholeheartedly agree, however,…

DxO PureRAW 5 Is Just Around The Corner This is a first for me in that this is the first time on my blog that I have talked about a…

One camera one lens is not my new philosophical, inspirational or creative approach to my photography. It is just my new common sense approach to my photography. Prior to swapping…

Yes – you read that right – I bought a Nikon D7500 – not a used model, but a brand new Nikon D7500. And I love it! Released in mid-2017,…

DxO PhotoLab 8 has officially been released today. But is it a game changer with its new, and improved features?

I’ve been semi-housebound lately as some damage I sustained to my right hip in a fall a year ago has flared up and has prevented me from getting out and about to take photographs.

So instead I have spent my time revisiting my love-hate relationship with On1 Photo RAW 2024, and in the process decided that with just On1 Effects, less is more.

What do AI and the Olympus Trip 35 have in common? Well – nothing really, but please bear with me and read on. Maybe it’s because I am part of…

Your Google Drive is almost full… My Google Photos/Drive account has been accumulating thousands and thousands of photos, all automatically uploaded, over the last few years. Most of the photos…

Do you often look at other photographers’ work- whether on the web or in magazines or books? AND…compare your own photos with theirs? When it comes to assessing our own…

Have you ever wondered when is it okay to shoot in auto mode – whether setting your camera P-mode, or Auto, or in the case of my Panasonic – iA…

DXO FILMPACK 7 – CLASSIC ANALOG PHOTOS IN THE DIGITAL AGE (Updated 1 November 2023) For those of you with a love of classic analog photos in this highly digital…

The wraps are off DxO Photolab 7. In my opinion, as an amateur photographer, this is the best version of Photolab yet! And it has only taken me a few…

There are hundreds, if not thousands, of websites and blogs offering tips and tutorials about shooting black and white.photography – what works, what doesn’t, how to see in black and…

One of the most famous examples of Japanese art is called The Great Wave Off Kanagawa. It is a woodblock print produced by Katsushika Hokusai in 1831. No – the…

Stuck in a photographic rut? So you’ve found yourself lacking motivation with your photography lately. It’s not uncommon. It’s happened to all photographers at some time I’m sure. So how…

Some time ago I was lucky enough to be gifted an elderly but still functional, Minolta Dynax 8000i fitted with a 35-80mm zoom lens. This camera brought back many fond…

They say good things take time In my case a long time. It was last year when I decided to start shooting with Ilford HP5 Plus 400. August in fact….

The last time I had hands-on experience with On1 Photo RAW 2023 I wasn’t convinced it would be a good upgrade for me. My goodness how things have changed in…

Film is on the comeback trail There is no doubt that, just like vinyl LP records, film photography is making a comeback – not that it ever really went away….

I guess there are two backstories to this story. The first is that I have developed a fondness for retro-style photos, which you’ll be aware of if you follow my…