No surprises, no excuses

‘The way is in training, training is the way"
Miyamoto Musashi, Japans greatest Samurai, 1584-1645

What?
A full member of the New Zealand Advertising and Illustrative Photographers Association (AIPA), I’m obsessed with capturing beauty on location, and shoot still photographs for the travel, publishing and advertising industries in many formats, under any conditions, anytime, anywhere. These are mainly shot on land but just as easily done on or in water, or from up in the air.

Where?
I’m based in Auckland, New Zealand and have worked extensively on location all around the world, but mainly throughout the Pacific Islands and increasingly, Asia.
Have on-location experience within Australia, China, Cook Islands, Fiji, France, Germany, Japan, Kenya, Malawi, New Zealand, Niue, Samoa, Tanzania, Thailand, Tonga, Zambia, Zanzibar, Zimbabwe.

Winning Images
Philosophically, I produce commercial photographs that give my clients a significant strategic advantage over their competitors. Deliberately designed photos that look better, say more, sing louder, and live longer. I’d like to think this is because married to my passion for capturing beauty is also a wealth of commercial, technical and legal experience gained from numerous other assignments and situations.
I try to blend style with substance; the images impact immediately but often won’t reveal all their detail instantly, which is my way of thanking people for choosing to spend more time with the shot by examining it more closely.
But enough of me, since here you can find out what some of my clients say.

Work comes first
I fully grasp the real-time demands, intense pressure and technical processes of the travel, publishing and advertising industries, and have never missed a deadline - or a flight.

Passionate about excellence
I have over 15 years on-location experience, work well with people, and am extensively equipped for all land, marine and aerial work. Client work benefits from industry leading lighting, lenses, digital (and film!) cameras along with massive computing power allowing in-house or on-location image processing.

I offer full in-house post-production facilities based around digital and printed media. My commitment to ensuring all work is safe includes triple archiving to multiple and offsite locations.

I constantly study to improve and conversant with the latest technologies and techniques.

Experience has also taught me to calmly overcome the technical hardships that locations always present!

Track record
Commercial clients include Airlines, a number of Pacific Island Government Tourist Offices, leading travel businesses within the Pacific; influential NZ architects & designers. I’ve also contributed infrequently over many years to up-market magazines like Pro-Design, Fashion-Quarterly, BMW, Inspire, onHoliday and the NZ Listener, and supply leading publishers Penguin, Raupo Publishing, ACP, John Sands and Hallmark.
Find out what my clients think of me here

Multi-lingual
I speak fluent English, French and German, and rudimentary but improving Chinese and Japanese.

Rates
In New Zealand
Photography Hourly : NZ$175
Photography Daily : NZ$1800
Plus all expenses as pre-agreed by written quote. Special or extended projects by negotiation. 50% payable upon approval to proceed, remaining 50% no more than two weeks after final delivery.

Off-Shore
Daily : NZ$1800
Plus agreed per diems & all travel, accommodation, excess luggage & other expenses as pre-agreed by written quote. Special or extended projects by negotiation. 100% travel and accommodation and 50% job fee payable upon approval to proceed, remaining 50% no more than two weeks after final delivery.

Post Production
Hourly : NZ$120 plus material costs as pre-agreed by written quote

Please Note: The New Zealand Government kindly insists on adding and keeping a 12.5% Goods and Services Tax on all work and materials provided within New Zealand.

Terms of Engagement
As a full member of the AIPA, I naturally operate under the standard New Zealand Advertising and Illustrative Photographers Association terms – please see .pdf here. These are very fair and designed to protect you and me.

Images available for lease
Many images on this site and thousands more are available for commercial lease. Extensive selections available by country or subject. Please enquire.

No! No! No!
I don’t shoot weddings or babies – those who do are tougher than me and have my deep respect and sympathy.
I’ve never worked for the cheap weekly women’s magazines, and never will. I’d rather starve.
Neither do I shoot empty celebrities, although I often wish someone would!

Yes! Yes! Yes!
Please feed the photographer! If you like what you see in the galleries, and have a brief that’s relevant, I’d be very happy to discuss it with you in full confidence. Please call me on +64 21 3888 28, or e-mail me charles.c@clear.net.nz and we can swap Skype addresses.