Friday Feathered Friend

Nicholas Boyack Reporter from Community News

Simon Woolf visited the South Island over Christmas and he took this beautiful picture of a kotuku.

"Back in the 1970's I got to know National Forest Service Photographer John Johns. John was a phenomenal photographer, who was both technically and creatively brilliant. John was a true gentleman. He shared his knowledge freely too.
One of his many amazing photos was a Kotuku in flight, however his photo was very different to other Kotuku photos I had seen. It was the white bird against a white sky, and in Black and White. It was a beautiful piece of art and showed The Kotuku, our White Herons features so precisely.
John Johns along with Geoff Moon would be our greatest ever wildlife bird photographers. They largely worked with film, creating images in a darkroom, and shooting with manual lenses, They respected their environment immensely.
This Kotuku photo, taken yesterday, is a tribute to John, and what he taught me all those years ago. I was very fortunate to have John and Geoff, who both passed away some years ago now, as friends and mentors".