In 2021, seasoned press photographer Geoff Dale took on an assignment that was different to anything he’d done before. Using a 110-year-old Auto Graflex camera, Dale set out to photograph the breakneck America’s Cup action on the Waitematā Harbour.

The result of this technically ambitious project is Light on the Water, a temporary exhibition at the New Zealand Maritime Museum Hui Te Ananui a Tangaroa in Auckland’s Viaduct Harbour.

Jaqui Knowles, Exhibition Curator at the Maritime Museum, says visitors can expect to see the America’s Cup action in a new light.

“The photographs have a soft quality that is in contrast to the sleek and sharp characteristics usually associated with America’s Cup,” she says.

“Geoff gives viewers a sense of the bigger picture. He documents not only the competition on the Waitematā, but the lulls between races and spectator craft returning to the city at the end of the day.”

Dale says his inspiration for the assignment came from the work of Joshua Paul, who shot a series of Formula One images using a Graflex Camera.

“Planning this assignment was a lot of fun. The challenge was really in covering the latest technology in yacht racing on equipment that’s more than a century old.”

Unlike his peers who were shooting 20 frames per second, Dale had just one frame to tell the best story possible every time the boat came past.

“You’ve already chosen your exposure and cocked the camera and here comes the boat. You’re thinking, ‘Don’t shoot too soon, I’ve got to wait ‘til they’re about here,’ and then try and get that horizon straightened out. But it was charming, just thinking you’re using something so well designed.”

Free public talk with Geoff Dale and Peter Montgomery

On Wednesday, June 8th, Dale will join another New Zealand media stalwart, Peter Montgomery, to discuss his project and the wider world of yacht racing, as part of a public talk. This is a free event but spaces are limited and bookings are required. Visit https://www.maritimemuseum.co.nz/whats-on/events for full details.

Light on the Water opens Friday, 3 June and runs until Tuesday, 4 October. Admission is free with museum entry. https://www.maritimemuseum.co.nz/exhibitions/light-on-the-water

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