A Dialogue with Light

Words By

Tim Swallow

Photographer Tim Swallow reflects on ten days exploring New Zealand’s Waiheke Island — where light and weather move in constant dialogue, reminding us to see the world in new ways.

What began as a gear test quickly turned into a meditation on transition, impermanence, and beauty in flux. From dawn to dusk, Tim chased the shifting skies of Waiheke, discovering how light could shape not just images, but perspective. In his words and images, the island became both subject and muse.

The Shifting Light of Waiheke

She breathes in subtle shifts
light unfurls softly across the hills,
never fixed, always in dialogue
with the sky’s ephemeral moods.
Rain descends in varying cadences,
sometimes a delicate veil or a violent hail
sometimes a sudden cleansing rush,
altering the island’s colors as rainbows emerge
reminding us that everything eventually passes
The trees stand as quiet witnesses,
their leaves catching fragments of sky and storm,
reflecting a spectrum that
is never the same twice,
a living interplay of shadow and illumination.
Here, change is constant
from calm to chaos, refined unfolding
a slow revelation of nature’s palette
that invites the eye to linger,
to perceive the beauty in transition.

Tools of the Trade

The Dolomite Sling 8L was the perfect companion on Waiheke — with enough space for my Nikon Z8, a point-and-shoot, and the Urth Glass Cleaning Kit. Its slightly larger capacity made all the difference as I moved across the island.

— Tim Swallow

Clipped to my side was the Urth Lens Filter Pouch, fully stocked with my go-to magnetic filters: ND1000, ND8, and Circular Polariser. The quick-swap design was a game-changer — no more digging through pockets, just effortless access as the light shifted.

— Tim Swallow

Acknowledgements

I would like to thank the team at Urth
The Fisher and White Family
Sophia Purdon & Red11 Models
Coco The Border Collie
Phil Crossland aka 'Hairy Phil"
Flint Productions

Photography

26 Sep 2025