Behind the Shot
“We were in New Zealand on assignment and had some time to get away and explore the west coast,” recalls Seth. More remote and less populated than other parts of the country, the west coast of the south island of New Zealand is home to massive mountain peaks, glaciers, limestone landscapes, rivers, lakes, rainforest, coastal blowholes and surreal coastal formations known as the Pancake Rocks.
The tiny settlement of Punakaiki is famous for the Pancake Rocks—limestone formations over 30 million years old, shaped by earthquakes and etched by wind, rain and the sea. Punakaiki is also a stop along the Coast Road, considered one of the most spectacular coastal drives in the world. It was along this road where Seth captured this gorgeous sunset photograph. “We had just arrived, and we were staying in a hut on the ocean side of this road. The sun had just started to set, and I knew I had to get this photo of this amazing sunset. Best of the trip.”
