Photographing an Active Volcano in New Zealand 🌋 | White Island at Sunset & Blue Hour
Photographing an Active Volcano in New Zealand 🌋 | White Island at Sunset & Blue Hour
I set off on a 10-hour road trip to photograph one of New Zealand’s most powerful and unpredictable natural features—White Island (Whakaari), an active offshore volcano.
Located around 48km off the east coast, this volcano has been continuously venting steam and gases in recent weeks. After the tragic 2019 eruption, access to the island is restricted—but from the mainland, you can still witness its raw power.
In this video, I spend two days capturing the volcano in changing light conditions—from harsh midday light to dramatic sunset, blue hour, and sunrise.
📷 Gear used:
Canon 1DX
Canon 500mm f/4 (super-telephoto for distance compression)
Canon 70–200mm (for wider context shots)
From battling poor midday light to finding the perfect elevated viewpoint, this shoot is all about patience, timing, and letting the light do the work.
🌅 Watch how the scene transforms:
Midday haze and flat light
Golden hour definition in the steam plume
Stunning Belt of Venus colours
Blue hour atmosphere
Sunrise textures and movement
With massive steam plumes rising into the sky and ever-changing conditions, this was one of the most rewarding landscape shoots I’ve done.
Shooting my FIRST active VOLCANO Whakaari / White Island which sits in the ocean 48 km off the East Coast of New Zealand. This week I'm on a ten hour road trip to shoot New Zealand's current most active volcano.
Was it worth the journey.....Oh aye it was.
Camera Canon 1DX
Lenses Canon 70-200 f/2.8 and 500 f/4
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www.paultaylorphotography.com