Captivating Photography Journal

31/03/2026

Issue 18 of Captivating Photography Journal is here, and it marks three years of sharing inspiring photography and perspectives!

https://photographyjournal.org

This special issue features a curated selection of our favourite quotes from the past 18 issues, paired with powerful images you can revisit anytime.

We take you into the rugged terrain of Mt Alexander with Peter Laurenson, and explore the world of New Zealand’s geckos with wildlife photographer Tara Swan.

You will also find highlights from our weekly challenges, showing how one theme can lead to completely different ways of seeing.

Plenty here to inspire you to pick up your camera and look a little closer.

Happy reading and photographing! 📷☺️

Captivating Photography Journal is the only New Zealand bi-monthly publication featuring stunning photographs, in-depth interviews, and engaging articles.

01/12/2025

✨ Issue 16 of Captivating Photography Journal is out now ✨

Our latest issue is ready to read, and it is full of inspiring stories and fresh perspectives!

https://photographyjournal.org/issue-16-of-captivating-photography-journal-is-here

Here’s a peek at what’s inside:

📸 Peter Laurenson takes us up into the alpine world of Rotomaninitua/Lake Angelus with stunning views and quiet high-country moments.

🌍 Ilona Korneva shares her travel stories from more than 30 countries and shows how powerful simple phone photography can be.

⛈️ Kaitlin Groom brings wild weather, glowing bioluminescence and rare cloud formations to life through her nature photography.

🚶‍♀️ We feature a beautiful mix of street images from our Wellington photo walks that prove how differently we all see the same city.

Grab a cuppa, dive in, and enjoy Issue 16. 🙌

01/10/2025

✨ Issue 15 of Captivating Photography Journal is out now!
https://photographyjournal.org/issue-15-captivating-photography-journal

This issue brings together four incredible photographers, each with a unique perspective:

- Rebecca Bijl on floral photography, mindfulness, and storytelling through blooms
- Alex on the hidden worlds of macro photography, from insects to mushrooms
- Richard Hume on his journeys across New Zealand and turning landscapes into art
- Tara Swan with practical tips for mastering natural light in wildlife photography (useful far beyond wildlife too!)

We also feature a special showcase of Wellington’s City to Sea bridge, capturing one of the last photographic memories of this iconic landmark.

The web version will be available later today, 1 October — keep an eye out and enjoy this visual feast!

17/08/2025

Here are some of the most captivating, honest and thoughtful images from this year’s entries. Let them inspire you to find stillness in your own surroundings.

Which one is your favourite?

You can see all photos featured in the August issue of our Journal on the website (https://photographyjournal.org) or in the pdf version if you are a subscriber.

🗓 Although the mindfulness challenge happens in July, we invite you to join our weekly challenges happening now in the Community Hub (hub.excio.io). Keep creating, exploring and connecting.

Photographs by:

Cynthia Stoks
Sandy McCleary
Rudolph Kotze
Lorraine Neill
Mike Milsom
Mathias Ellis
Gavin Murphy

13/08/2025

Have you ever wanted to photograph wild horses? 🐎

In this article Karen Miller takes us into the remote home of the Kaimanawa horses - a place few people get to see.

She shares what it’s like to photograph them in the wild, the deep respect she holds for their world, and the quiet moments that stay with her long after the shutter clicks.

This story captures more than animals. It captures freedom.

📖 Read the full story at https://photographyjournal.org

11/08/2025

What does mindfulness look like through a lens?

For the fourth year running, our Mindfulness Photography Challenge brought together photographers from all walks of life to pause and reflect each day in July.

With a new theme daily, this challenge isn’t just about taking better photos. It’s about seeing differently.

Here are some of the most captivating, moody, and thoughtful images from this year’s entries. Let them inspire you to find stillness in your own surroundings.

🗓 Although the mindfulness challenge happens in July, we invite you to join our weekly challenges happening now in the Community Hub (hub.excio.io). Keep creating, exploring and connecting.

Photographs by:
Murray Lowe
Heather Mickelson
Sandy McCleary
Mark Chivers
Lorraine Neill
Stephen Garner

10/08/2025

Have you read Erin’s story in our latest Captivating Photography Journal?

Based in Palmerston North, Erin’s journey started with her dad’s old SLR and grew into a deep love for capturing everything from tūī in the garden to family portraits and planes in flight.

She taught herself through endless trial and error, hours of flicking through photography magazines at the library, and simply following what caught her eye.

In her interview, Erin shares how photography has shaped her life, why community matters, and the quiet joy of seeing the world through a lens.

📖 Read the full story in Issue 14 – available now at photographyjournal.org

07/08/2025

What if Earth wasn’t the planet you thought you knew?

Step into the surreal and emotional worlds of Jan Erik Waider, a fine art landscape photographer whose images blur the line between reality and imagination.

In Issue 12 of the Captivating Photography Journal, Jan shares how his background in design evolved into a love for abstract, remote, and atmospheric landscapes. From Mars-like surfaces to eerie Antarctic textures, his work captures not just places, but feelings — stillness, isolation, awe.

Jan’s process is slow and intentional, built on patience, curiosity, and a deep connection with the wild places he explores.

📖 Discover his journey and the making of his otherworldly images in the full article at https://photographyjournal.org

06/08/2025

In this interview Christopher Lamming shares how photography fits into his life with ADHD. From creative indoor experiments to wildlife missions, Christopher’s approach is full of energy, curiosity, and clever problem-solving.

He opens up about how photography helps him focus, express ideas, and turn restlessness into something beautiful. This interview is an honest look at how creativity and neurodiversity can thrive together.

📖 Read his full story at https://photographyjournal.org

06/08/2025

There’s an art to bird photography and it goes far beyond pressing the shutter at the right time.

In this inspiring article by Tara Swan from the June issue of our Captivating Photography Journal, we dive into what it really takes to photograph birds beautifully and respectfully.

From catching that perfect glint in the eye to understanding light, posture, and movement, Tara shares how patience and technique work together to create images full of connection and life.

Whether you’re just getting started or looking to take your bird photography further, this article is packed with tips to help you go beyond documenting and truly see the birds you’re photographing.

📰 Read it in Issue 13 at photographyjournal.org

04/08/2025

How often do you practise mindfulness and photography?

In our latest issue of the Captivating Photography Journal, we’ve featured some of the most moving and mindful images from this year’s Mindfulness Photography Challenge.

For the entire month of July, our community explored daily prompts designed to help slow down, notice the little things, and reconnect with the world around us.

These photos are more than beautiful. They carry quiet moments of reflection, emotion, and presence. Take a breath, and take a look.

📸 While the mindfulness challenge runs in July, our weekly photo challenges continue all year in the Community Hub. Come join us and keep the creative flow going.

Photographs by: Lorraine Neill, Sandy McCleary, Cynthia Stoks, Ruth Boere, Bill Rosenberg