New Zealand packs an extraordinary range of landscape into a small country: fiords and glaciers, volcanic plateaus, mirror lakes and wild coast, often within a few hours of each other. These are the places behind Stephen Milner's black and white photographs, and why each one earns a place on the wall.
Milford Sound and Mitre Peak, Fiordland
Milford Sound is New Zealand's most famous fiord, and Mitre Peak rises around 1,683 metres almost straight out of the water. On a still morning the peak mirrors perfectly in the dark water, which is exactly the moment captured in Mitre Peak, Milford Sound, a Bronze Award piece at the Epson International Pano Awards 2022. Nearby, Stirling Falls drops straight into the sound. Explore more in the Fiordland collection.
Aoraki Mount Cook and the Mackenzie
Aoraki Mount Cook is the highest mountain in New Zealand, standing above the wide, dry Mackenzie basin and the milky blue of Lake Pukaki. In black and white the scale and structure of the Southern Alps come forward, stripped of the postcard colour. See the mountains collection for the peaks of both islands.
Queenstown, The Remarkables and Moke Lake
The Remarkables are one of the few mountain ranges in the world to run almost exactly north to south, and their jagged wall frames Queenstown. A short drive away, quiet Moke Lake sits still at dawn. Both feature in awarded work, including The Remarkables, Queenstown and Sunrise Serenity at Moke Lake, and in the Queenstown and Central Otago collection.
Mount Taranaki
Mount Taranaki is a near perfect volcanic cone on the west of the North Island, ringed by farmland and reaching down to the coast. Its symmetry makes it one of the most photographed mountains in the country. Browse the Taranaki collection.
Tongariro, Ngauruhoe and Ruapehu
The Central Plateau holds three active volcanoes: Tongariro, the classic cone of Ngauruhoe, and Ruapehu, the highest peak in the North Island. In winter Ruapehu floats above the surrounding land, the scene behind Ruapehu, The Floating Volcano. This is also the landscape of Stephen's book, Volcanic Aotearoa.
The Waikato fog country
On still mornings the Waikato plains fill with low fog, and lone trees stand above it like islands. This quiet, minimal landscape produced the Top 10 series at Australasia's Top Emerging Photographers 2022. See the forest collection for these misty, tonal images.
Pouto Peninsula and the wild coast
The Pouto Peninsula on the far northern coast is a landscape of shifting sand dunes, the setting for Stephen's Third Prize series at the Fine Art Photography Awards 2024. From Karekare's black sand beaches to the Marlborough Sounds, the New Zealand coast is endlessly varied. Explore the coastal collection.
Where can you see all of it?
Every location above lives in the catalogue as black and white fine art. The easiest way to explore by place is the New Zealand wall art collection, and you can read how each piece is made on The Process.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most photographed place in New Zealand?
Milford Sound and Mitre Peak are among the most photographed, along with Aoraki Mount Cook and Mount Taranaki. Each appears in the collection as black and white fine art.
Where were Stephen Milner's award winning photographs taken?
Across New Zealand, including Milford Sound, Queenstown and Moke Lake, the Pouto Peninsula and the Waikato fog country. The awarded pieces are gathered on the Awards page.
Can I buy a print of a specific location?
Yes. You can browse by region and subject through the collections, or search a place name on the site to find the pieces from it.
Are all the photographs black and white?
Yes. The entire catalogue is black and white fine art, which brings out the form, light and structure of each landscape.
