NZPhotographer Issue 26, December 2019

Wellington Heritage Photo Quest
The architecture of any city is a reflection of its history
and in the case of Wellington we can look back
over the last 150 years. You can find examples
of almost every architectural style – from wooden
structures to ArtDeco with Chicago-influenced industrial
high-rise buildings in the CBD. From modern buildings
to historical remnants of what were once beautiful
facades, Wellington provides a great number of photo
opportunities for those who love to try their hand at
architectural and urban photography.
There are still many places around the city that have
survived from the early days of its settlement by the
Europeans. Many of the building may at first glance
seem ordinary but if you do some research and explore
a bit more you will soon see the layers of history revealing
themselves. In fact, some buildings may only be fully
appreciated when they are considered in the context
of the era they were built in. Think about some of the
buildings that we see every day on our way to/from
work, more than 600 times a year, that we never have
enough time to pay attention to, these very buildings
may have represented a revolutionary shift in design
and architecture 50 or 100 years ago. Changes in
architectural style always reflect the development of the
nation and with the help of photographs we take today,
our descendants 100 years into the future will be able to
see what ‘modern’ Wellington looked like back in the
21st century.
By capturing buildings and architecture we create history
– what stands there right now may not exist tomorrow. As
photographers who care about #PhotographyForGood
we need to make sure that the generations after us can
appreciate and enjoy what we see today even if it is no
longer standing in the future. Cities are always in a state
of continuous transition and transformation. Think of any
place you visited a few years ago, if you go back there
in 10 or 20 years you may not recognise the look of it.
The power of photography is that it not only freezes
the moment but it shows the ‘collective’ view of
photographers. Last month more than 50 photographers
took part in the Heritage Photo Quest organized by
the Excio photo community. Photographers were
encouraged to capture the most interesting buildings
and learn more about the history of Wellington city.
On the following pages, you will see many different
perspectives from some of the photographers who
took part. It is always amazing to be able to see after a
photo walk what other photographers have captured.
Photographers see things differently and that’s great –
see for yourself different reflections, long exposures, and
the perspectives and angles captured by creative and
talented Wellington photographers.
To find out more information or take a walk along our
heritage trail at your own pace visit www.excio.io/
heritagewalk
MICHAEL HARRIS
44 NZPhotographer