Allan Henry rehearses Mark Twain And Me In Maoriland, 2010

Soundings Theatre, Wellington

Jacob Rajan rehearses The Dentist's Chair, 2008

Soundings Theatre, Te Papa

Stroma perform Velocities, 2004

Wellington Town Hall

Gilberto Gil, 2004

TSB Arena, Wellington

Lighting Designer At Work, 2008

Shed 6, Wellington

Toi Mana, 2004

Wellington Town Hall

Cookin', 2004

TSB Arena, Wellington

T.E.O.R.E.M.A.T., 2010

TSB Arena, Wellington

Aarero Stone, 2006

Soundings Theatre, Te Papa

Mia Blake rehearses The Holy Sinner, 2006

St James Theatre, Wellington

Robbie Magasiva rehearses Where We Once Belonged, 2010

Downstage Theatre, Wellington

Tan Dun conducts Tea: A Mirror Of Soul, 2006

Michael Fowler Centre, Wellington

Footnote Dance: MTYland, 2010

Soundings Theatre, Te Papa

The Sound of Silence, 2010

TSB Arena

Mahinarangi Tocker and Shona Laing, 2004

Pacific Crystal Palace, Frank Kitts Park, Wellington

Festival Club, 2004

Pacific Crystal Palace, Frank Kitts Park, Wellington

I’ve been photographing the New Zealand International Arts Festival since 2004 (and working on it since I arrived in NZ, in 1998), and it’s always a new and interesting challenge.  I approach it as a kind of endurance test – photographing multiple events each day for just over three weeks, and processing them at night to be on the website the next morning takes its toll!

It’s a nice event to challenge myself with every two years, to see whether I can still hack the pace, carry the camera bag, and survive the non-stop running from one venue to the next.  Coming from a theatre background like mine, it’s a natural fit with my photography work; and the consistently excellent quality of performers and designers it attracts from around the globe is part of what keeps me coming back every time.