A little over three years ago (early 2023), I had the pleasure of undertaking an Artist in Residence placement on the Tasmanian Land Conversancy (TLC) properties of Daisy Dell and The Vale of Belvoir. Walking these landscapes embedded sensory memories that revive very strongly when I look at the images I made during that time.
Two other photographic artists participated in the Artist in Residence program, which resulted in a series of exhibitions under the title "A new eye on nature".  

Courtesy of Okains Bay Maori and Colonial Museum and Akaroa Stargazing, I got a front row seat to the dawn rising of the Matariki stars(Pleiades star cluster) and a great breakfast, with interesting people and family connections going back many generations.
Okains Bay is located on the Northeastern aspect of Banks Peninsula, my Maternal Grandfather grew up there, amongst family connections mostly derived from colonial immigrants from England. The family connections still abide in the small community. I stayed at the campground for a couple of nights and explored the bays and roads of the peninsular.

On a nearly fine day in early June, I spent 2.5hours walking a meandering loop around an area of the Denniston Plateau, near my current home in Buller, NZ. I have visited the area previously, its broken land forms and industrial remnants offer interesting material for the camera. I was specifically looking for a water fall I'd photographed from a distance, on a rainy afternoon. I decided not to take the most direct route, instead spend some time looking at other aspects of the land on my way there. The waterfall, once found was an anticlimax. It proved to be highly ephemeral, and the distant view, which suggested a decent drop was a trick of perspective in an unfamiliar landscape.
Despite the lack of spectacle offered by the waterfall, the walk was good, the quality of light was good, and the terrain interesting. The more distant areas of the plateau await more meadering.

Exploring the details of place, the strata, the biodiversity and the human constructions.

Walking local, exploring around the bend in the road and twist in the trail,  the boarders of familiar places extended.

I'm still walking with my camera and photographing frequently, but with other things taking higher priority in my life, photos are waiting in my camera longer between downloads than usual.
The upside is that there is a diverse range of images in each set; the downside is that each experience is diffused, and each set is less defined. And the memory of the walk is less focused. I've known for some time that the download and editing of a session of photos is part of my process, the consolidation of an experience of place. Walking the land engages the senses and opens the mind and body to the place, but editing and output of images is crucial to the longevity of the experience and visual memory cues.
While my current photography is not directed to a specific project or outcome, the process is important to consider going forward. Revisiting these places periodically will also allow me to absorb more.