Ken Wright: Nature won't wait

After 30 years in graphic design, working long hours as creative director of successful design studios in the UK and later Wellington, Ken Wright encountered a life-changing brush with cancer. He had to slow down, took time to reflect, and started Lightwave Photography.
"I've always had a passion for photography, so when I had to find a less stressful lifestyle, the answer was simple. I've been taking photos for more than 35 years for pleasure, and have art-directed countless professional photographers," says Ken.
"My passion lies in landscape photography, and seascapes in particular. Living in New Zealand, I am lucky enough to be surrounded by such a diverse array of landscapes. Most of my images are taken around the coast, with special projects around Kaikoura and now Mount Maunganui."
Ken is not afraid to go out of his way to get the perfect composition. "I often get thigh-deep into the water or climb in between the rocks to get the picture I'm after. I don't like doing what everyone else does, even though that means taking the risk of damaging my outrageously expensive camera gear," he laughs.
"I never take an image from its most obvious viewpoint. I'm always looking for a different angle. I want the viewers to feel as though they're going to get their feet wet simply by looking at my photographs."
Consequently, getting wet has become the norm for Ken. He believes that if you're not wet, you're not close enough.
"Different seasons bring a variety of opportunities.
"On summer days, there can be amazing reds in the sky, while winter brings more drama.
"Spring tides are unpredictable and wild.
"Some days are better for wet sand reflections, and others really show the torment of the sea.
"Nature gives me a free piece of art every day. All I have to do is go out and catch it."
While the sea is obviously Ken's favourite subject, he also creates canvasses around people's memories. And because he is multi-skilled in design and can draw amazingly well, Ken became one of NZ Post's preferred coin designers.
"In 1998, I was the principal designer on the team that produced the New Zealand $10 millennium bank note, and over past couple of years I've been invited to design silver collectors' coins for NZ Post."
Ken's coin designs include the recent Webb Ellis Trophy and All Blacks coins to celebrate the 2011 Rugby World Cup. But photography and painting with light is what he enjoys most and he specialises in slow shutter speed, low light water-in-motion images.
"I love creating images that make you want to be there."
His favourites are vertical seascapes - the deliberate exploitation of a wide-angle lens in a portrait format creating an image virtually from your feet to the horizon.
"I love the colours of the sky just before dawn, or just before night falls. That perfect picture in the sky only takes a few seconds and, if you're not quick enough, you miss it. Nature waits for no one. Miss the moment, and it's gone forever."
He often just sits by the water and waits for it to happen.
"Something will collide. The clouds will move, and an amazing pattern forms in the sky. When I capture it with my camera at exactly the right time, I'll come away fizzing," he says.
Ken and his wife Karen are leaving the big city behind this month. They are moving to Papamoa to enjoy a quieter, more relaxing lifestyle. His photography can be seen and purchased at The Cargo Shed, Dive Crescent, Tauranga.
You can also find Ken and his work online at www.redbubble.com/people/kenwright