tomvanstraaten.nl/co.nz

Beachtour 2012

Tom van Straaten — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 20:51:04 +0000

Since December 2011 I am involved in the organisation of the Beachtour. Teams of 4-5 players can sign up to play New Zealand’s favourite beach sports at Auckland’s best beaches.

Sport marketing company Differenz. has asked me to help with the promotion of this event by managing the Facebook event page, liaising with press and handing out flyers.

South Island 2010

Tom van Straaten — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 20:04:43 +0000

Lake Matheson, West Coast, December 2010

Better late than never… In December 2010 we went to the South Island by campervan for three weeks . The main focus of the trip was a visit to Fiordland and Southland. A three day drive brought us to our first goal, Wanaka. Via Queenstown we continued to Te Anau, to walk the Kepler Track, a 3-day Great Walk. The last stop of the trip was Stewart Island, where we also celebrated New Year’s Eve. I’ve posted a small selection of photos of this trip.

Pōhutukawas in Mission Bay

Tom van Straaten — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 06:07:55 +0000

Pōhutukawa in bloom, Mission Bay, Auckland, December 2011

At the start of the New Zealand summer the Pōhutukawas are taking over the coastal areas of the North Island with their beautiful red flowers. These trees are always in bloom around Christmas time, and therefore also nicknamed New Zealand Christmas Tree. Last month I took some photos in Mission Bay, with the iconic Rangitoto Island as a backdrop.

Adidas Auckland Marathon 2011

Tom van Straaten — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 21:15:32 +0000

On 30 October 2011 the adidas Auckland Marathon took place. A record number of over 15.000 participants completed the sport event this year. As photographer I took photos of the set up and crowd flows at three different locations.

Job’s done

Tom van Straaten — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 21:40:38 +0000

Rugby World Cup 2011 is over, the All Blacks won, and my job is finished. As Uniform Logistics Coordinator I was responsible for the national distribution of all uniforms for staff and volunteers of the Tournament. I managed to coordinate the distribution of over 70.000 items.

Now it’s time to relax and start looking for the next challenge.

Samoa’s underwater world

Tom van Straaten — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 09:10:27 +0000

Clown Fish, Samoa, July 2011

Last week we went to Samoa for a ten day holiday. We explored both of the islands of Samoa by car. Every day we moved to a new beautiful white sand beach, stayed in a beach fale and snorkeled in the clear turquoise sea. Of course I took my new underwater compact camera with me during the snorkeling trips.

Fujifilm FinePix XP30

Tom van Straaten — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 07:50:41 +0000

With photography it’s not always about flash big cameras. In some situations a small smart camera can do the job as well, or even better. With an upcoming holiday to Samoa in mind, I bought the Fujifilm FinePix XP30. This 14 mega pixel compact camera is water-, shock-, freeze- and dustproof. I choose this camera because it can go 5 meters under water; ideal for snorkeling at Samoa! Photos will follow soon.

Uniforms Logistics Coordinator

Tom van Straaten — Tue, 03 May 2011 05:56:34 +0000

From May 2011 until the end of the tournament in October 2011 I will be working for the organizing committee of the Rugby World Cup 2011. As Uniforms Logistics Coordinator I will be responsible for the distribution of all uniforms for staff and volunteers of Rugby World Cup 2011, throughout New Zeeland. This includes overseeing the distribution of the various uniform items, liaising with the uniform supplier and regional coordinators, and managing uniforms database

Photos online - Orange Party

Tom van Straaten — Sat, 30 Apr 2011 00:02:53 +0000

Last night I took photos during the Koninginnenacht - Orange Party at Club Se7en. This great party was organised by Outrageous Night to celebrate the Dutch Queen’s Birthday. Please have a look at all photos; digital copies can be ordered through the form below the photos and will be send to you by email.

PhD thesis layout

Tom van Straaten — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 07:00:23 +0000

One of my best friends asked me to design the layout for his PhD thesis. During the months February and March 2011 I’ve been busy getting back into Adobe InDesign, creating a layout template and importing and polishing all texts and figures. The end result was a pile of 250 copies of a 120 thick pages booklet, which has been distributed all over the world.

Australian Wildlife

Tom van Straaten — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 10:41:22 +0000

Tawny Frogmouth, Rainforest Habitat Wildlife Sanctuary, Port Douglas, Australia, March 2011

The last week of March 2011 I went on a trip to Queensland, Australia. I met up with my parents, who were travelling there. The trip started in Cairns, from where we went up North to Port Douglas and the Daintree National Park. After staying in the hot and humid climate for 4 days, we went to the slightly cooler Undara, a place in the outback that is famous for its Lava Tubes. The last days of our holiday we visited the Crater Lakes National Park, to enjoy the waterfalls and rainforest. After a final snorkeling trip at Green Island, near Cairns, we headed back home.

During the trip I took some photos of the wildlife (in a reserve and in the wild).

Location and night photography course

Tom van Straaten — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 10:25:46 +0000

Spaghetti Junction, Auckland, March 2011

The last four weeks I attended a photography course at Selwyn College, focussing on location and night photography. With a group of seven amateur photographers we went to several locations within Auckland just before sunset and took lots of photos, under supervision of our teacher. The end result was presented during the last course meeting. These are the photos that I selected to present there.

Mission Bay Jazz & Blues Streetfest 2011

Tom van Straaten — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 00:37:31 +0000

Last weekend the Mission Bay Jazz & Blues Streetfest took place in our street. With more than 20 bands performing on the street, beach and stage, the waterfront was transformed into a musical streetfest. I was asked to help out with this event. As vendor manager I liaised between vendors and other relevant parties to ensure a smooth set up and delivery of the festival.

Mount Ruapehu

Tom van Straaten — Sun, 21 Nov 2010 09:02:15 +0000

Mount Ruapehu, Tongariro National Park, November 2010

Last weekend we went to the Tongariro National Park to climb Mount Ngauruhoe. An hour after the start of the walk, the summit of the mountain was completely covered in clouds, so unfortunately we had to cancel the climb. Luckily, we at least got this great view on the nearby Mount Ruapehu, before also this one disappeared in the clouds.

Spiegeltent back in New Zealand

Tom van Straaten — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 08:51:43 +0000

For the show Cabaret, the Auckland Theatre Company wanted a special setting, and chose to use a Spiegeltent as venue for the show. In order of the event support company High Profile I participated in the construction of the Salon Perdu. The impressive classic Spiegeltent, imported from The Netherlands, accommodates up to 450 people. Its setting in the Viaduct Harbour, the heart of Auckland, further adds to the atmosphere of the show.

Whale & Dolphin Safari

Tom van Straaten — Mon, 04 Oct 2010 08:11:18 +0000

Common Dolphin, Whale & Dolphin Safari, Hauraki Gulf, October 2010

Last weekend I went on the Auckland Whale & Dolphin Safari with a group of friends. After a one and half hour trip we saw hundreds of Common Dolphins swimming, diving and jumping around our boat. And as a bonus we came quite close to a Brydes Whale. Unfortunately no diving and jumping, but it was still very impressive to see this enormous animal.

Nikon D300s

Tom van Straaten — Sun, 03 Oct 2010 09:17:22 +0000

After months of consideration, I decided to buy a new Nikon D300s SLR camera. This 12 megapixel camera has a lot of improved and new features, compared to my last camera, like a bigger LCD screen, expanded ISO settings, higher speed shooting and the possibility of recording HD movie clips.

A Campingflight To Lowlands Paradise 2010

Tom van Straaten — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 09:35:07 +0000

Last month I went back to The Netherlands to visit family and friends. Within this trip, I worked for two weeks for former employer LOC7000 during A Campingflight To Lowlands Paradise Festival 2010, which took place at Biddinghuizen on 20, 21 and 22 August 2010.

As member of the site production team I had to provide general assistance to the site production manager and I was responsible for the management of the campervan campsite.

It was great to be back at such an amazing festival!

See Production page / See Photo page

‘Time Machine’ premiere

Tom van Straaten — Sun, 01 Aug 2010 10:29:51 +0000

In July 2009 I worked as location manager for the production of the short film called Time Machine. Now, it is finally completed and will hopefully be screened soon.

Check the director’s website for more details.

Submission Herald’s Scenic NZ photo competition

Tom van Straaten — Sun, 18 Jul 2010 10:06:31 +0000

Yellow-Eyed Penguin, Moeraki, January 2009

I submitted these seven photos to the NZ Herald’s competition for scenic pictures of New Zealand. The best images will be displayed in the departure area of the international terminal at Auckland Airport and will be a showcase to all visitors to New Zealand. The winners will be announced during the first week of August…

Update: one of the photos is published on the NZ Herald website!

Port Waikato

Tom van Straaten — Sun, 02 May 2010 10:23:41 +0000

Port Waikato, May 2010

As the Indian summer is still going on, I stayed at Port Waikato last weekend. This beautiful spot, where the Waikato River flows into the Tasman Sea, offers a quiet black sand beach with long and rough waves.

Comedy Gala, NZ International Comedy Festival 2010

Tom van Straaten — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 10:05:26 +0000

Last Friday I have been part of the Cadbury Crunchie Comedy Gala, which is the official launch of the 2010 New Zealand International Comedy Festival. Over 20 local and international comedians performed in a three hour television show. As assistant stage manager I was responsible for instructing the comedians on the practical aspects of their performance on stage and changing over audio equipment and props.

Click here to watch the television show

The DUAL

Tom van Straaten — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 09:24:26 +0000

Last Saturday I worked for The DUAL, organised by event production company total sport. This event offers a ‘once a year opportunity’ to mountain bike, run or walk on the dual gulf islands of Motutapu and Rangitoto. I was responsible for assisting the construction of the site, setting up the course and managing an aid station/marshall point.

Auckland Lantern Festival

Tom van Straaten — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 06:08:50 +0000

Insect Lantern, Auckland Lantern Festival, Albert Park, February 2010

The last weekend of February 2010 the 11th Auckland Lantern Festival took place in Albert Park in the city centre of Auckland. This three day festival brings Chinese New Year celebrations to a glowing finale with hundreds of beautiful lanterns. Some take the form of animals, insects, flowers, or people, and others depict scenes from popular stories teaching traditional values.

Mission Bay Jazz & Blues Streetfest

Tom van Straaten — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 08:50:16 +0000

Event Coordinator

Tom van Straaten — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 00:23:52 +0000

This month I started working on a full-time basis at the TelstraClear Pacific Events Centre, located in Manukau, Auckland. As Event Coordinator I will be responsible for creating a seamless and consistent service for the client. This includes the management of bookings, requirements, planning & logistics, contracts, and coordination of events.

Taranaki & Tongariro

Tom van Straaten — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 20:49:25 +0000

Sunrise at Mt Taranaki, December 2009

At the end of December 2009 we went on a trip to Mt Egmont National Park and Tongariro National Park. Climbing to the summit of Mt Taranaki and walking the Tongariro Crossing was an amazing experience. Unfortunately during these walks the weather wasn’t good enough to take very good photos, but I managed to take some nice landscape photos of the mountains.

Rehearsal dinners

Tom van Straaten — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 07:54:17 +0000

Rehearsal dinners, Austin’s Food Design Events,
Auckland, October-November 2009

The last two months I’ve been taking photos of rehearsal dinners at Austin’s Food Design Events. These dinners are held to present menus to clients. After the chefs prepared the dish in the kitchen, it has to be presented to the client as quickly as possible. This only gives me a maximum time of one minute to the take photos. With this short amount of time and a kitchen full of fluorescent lights it is a challenge to make tasteful photos.

White Island

Tom van Straaten — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 04:51:38 +0000

White Island, November 2009

Now the summer started our friends and family from the Northern hemisphere come over to visit us and New Zealand. Last weekend we went with friends to the Bay Of Plenty to visit White Island. This is an active volcano, located 50 km from the coast of Whakatane. With mudpools, vents and yellow sulphur colours this landscape is spectacular and well worth visiting!

Major Events Coordinator

Tom van Straaten — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 05:08:12 +0000

At the beginning of this month I started working on a full-time basis at Austin’s Food Design Events, a leading catering company in Auckland. As Major Events Coordinator I will be responsible for planning, building and delivering catering services at complex and major events, like the tennis tournaments ASB Classic & Heineken Open and events at the brand new race circuit Hampton Downs.

East Cape & Rotorua

Tom van Straaten — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 05:59:49 +0000

Sunrise Anaura Bay, East Cape, September 2009

From 20 to 27 September we planned a week off, a good opportunity to discover more of New Zealand. By campervan we travelled around the East Cape. This deserted part of New Zealand has beautiful bays, with fabulous beaches. We also visited smelly Rotorua before driving back home.

Formula One

Tom van Straaten — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 09:20:02 +0000

Williams FW14B, Wellington, September 2009

Last weekend I visited the exhibition ‘Formula One‘ at the Te Papa Museum in Wellington, which traces the development of the Formula One racing car from the 1950s to the 2000s. These cars are constantly pushing the boundaries of design and technological innovation.

Matiu/Somes Island

Tom van Straaten — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 09:18:53 +0000

View from Matiu/Somes Island, September 2009

During a visit to friends in Wellington last weekend, we went on a day trip to Matiu/Somes Island. This 25 ha island is located in Wellington Harbour. Maori have occupied the island for generations. In more recent times, Matiu/Somes Island has served as a human and animal quarantine station, an internment camp, and a military defence position. Nowadays the island is under the full control of the Department of Conservation as a scientific and historic reserve.

Nothing beats Wellington, and especially this island, on a good day!

Duty Manager

Tom van Straaten — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 09:25:56 +0000

Since August 2009 I work on a casual basis at the TelstraClear Pacific Events Centre, located in Manukau, Auckland. In the position of Duty Manager I am responsible for managing event set up, and act as the general contact person during events.

The events centre facilitates events like concerts, corporate events, conferences, exhibitions, meetings and weddings. The two main venues are an arena with a capacity of 3000 people and a theatre with a capacity of 800 people. Furthermore, there are several foyers and function rooms which can be used for smaller events.

www.connectie.biz

Tom van Straaten — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 09:23:51 +0000

The last two months I developed the new website for the company Connectie. This is a young and upcoming company specialised in process improvement, based in The Netherlands. I used a Wordpress theme as starting point and developed and designed the website further in line with the style and ideas of the company.

Check the website: www.connectie.biz

Web Content Manager

Tom van Straaten — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 21:09:41 +0000

Since last week I work on a freelance base (5-10 hours/week) for the company Hands Up Limited, which is the owner of the online shopping website 6 Shooter. This site offers six different products every 24 hours for very low prices. As web content manager I am responsible for the production and uploading of the images and product descriptions. This involves online product research and if necessary taking pictures of the products.

The construction of the Spiegeltent ‘Salon Perdu’

Tom van Straaten — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 09:39:58 +0000

The interior of the Spiegeltent ‘Salon Perdu’, New Plymouth, July 2009

As eye catcher of the Taranaki International Festival of the Arts a mirror marquee, also known as ‘Spiegeltent’, has erupted in the city centre of New Plymouth. The impressive classic ‘Salon Perdu’ which has been imported from The Netherlands accommodates up to 450 people. In order of the event support company High Profile I participated in the construction of this tent. They also asked me to take pictures during the construction and of the end result.

See Productions and Photos for more details.

Shakespear

Tom van Straaten — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 00:55:26 +0000

Pukeko, Shakespear Regional Park, July 2009

Last Friday I paid a visit to the beautiful Shakespear Regional Park, located on a peninsula close to Auckland. The lovely weather, many Pukekos, and great views of Auckland and the islands in the Hauraki Gulf, made it a great trip.

Film shoot ‘Time Machine’

Tom van Straaten — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 04:20:18 +0000

Last weekend I worked as a member of a film production team. We shot a film called ‘Time Machine’, which is a short film about a man, a woman and a time machine. The film was shot at three locations. As location manager I was responsible for one of these locations, a junk store. I prepared the location before the load in of the production and had to liaise with the producer, crew and owner of the store. Furthermore I assisted the producer and set up filming equipment.

Highlights of New Zealand

Tom van Straaten — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 23:14:27 +0000

In the beginning of December 2008 we arrived in New Zealand, with the plan to stay there for a couple of years. The first three months we travelled around this beautiful county by campervan. We started in Auckland and went all the way South via Wellington, Arthur’s Pass, the West Coast and the Milford Sound. Next we went up North again via the East Coast with an inland trip to Mount Cook and we finished at the Abel Tasman National Park. Back on the North Island we drove towards Auckland via Taranaki and the Tongariro National Park. These photos form a small selection of the pictures I made during this amazing trip.

Tawharanui

Tom van Straaten — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 11:23:28 +0000

Tawharanui Regional Park, June 2009

Although it were the first official winter days, the weather was too good to stay inside. We stayed for the weekend at the Tawharanui Regional Park, located on a peninsula, with fabulous beaches, cliffs, bush and farmland.

Xterra Auckland trail run series

Tom van Straaten — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 05:08:50 +0000

Last Sunday I worked for the Xterra Auckland trail run series organised by event production company total sport. This run series consists of six races at stunning locations in and around Auckland, taking place within three months time. This was the second trail run, held at the Hunua Ranges Regional Park. I was responsible for assisting the construction of the site, parking and managing an aid station.

Wai-O-Tapu Mud pools

Tom van Straaten — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 11:19:53 +0000

Mud pools at Wai-O-Tapu, Rotorua, June 2009

Imaging steam coming out of the ground, the sound of bubbling water & mud and the continuous smell of rotten eggs… welcome to the thermal area of Wai-O-Tapu! We visited this area during another short trip to Taupo, Turangi and Rotorua. These two photos are made at the mud pools of Wai-O-Tapu.

Film shoot ‘Pixie Angel’

Tom van Straaten — Thu, 21 May 2009 05:14:59 +0000

In May and June I am working on the production of the film ‘Pixie Angel’. This film is a short dark comedy about a busker’s strange and eventful night in Auckland. The producer of the film is Auckwood Productions, a film and documentary production collective based in Auckland. In my role as production assistant I am assisting the producer, sound engineering, setting up filming equipment, arranging catering & transport and performing any other task that comes along. We have already been shooting two evenings, and in June we will have our final shooting day.

Welcome to my new website

Tom van Straaten — Fri, 15 May 2009 01:13:09 +0000

Today I ‘officially’ launch my new website www.tomvanstraaten.nl/co.nz. On this website I will frequently write posts about myself, my productions and my photography. So please check my website often or subscribe to receive automatic email-alerts. If you have any comment on this website or want to contact me, please fill in the contact form.

Thank you for visiting my website.

Cape Reinga

Tom van Straaten — Thu, 14 May 2009 03:33:36 +0000

The Cape Reinga Lighthouse by sunset, Cape Reinga, May 2009

Last weekend we went by campervan to the most Northern point of New Zealand, Cape Reinga. A six hour drive brought us to this great part of the country. The scenery with rough coasts, wild waves and sky-high dunes was magnificent.

Auckland CBD by sunset

Tom van Straaten — Thu, 07 May 2009 02:05:10 +0000

Auckland CBD, taken from Devonport, February 2009

A couple of photos of the skyline of the Auckland Central Business District, taken by sunset from Mount Eden (a volcano), Devonport (a harbourside suburb) and Westhaven (a yacht marina).

Submission photo contest

Tom van Straaten — Tue, 05 May 2009 06:43:46 +0000

Category Nature: a butterfly at the Artis Zoo, Amsterdam

I submitted nine photos to a Dutch amateur photo contest on the occasion of the World Press Photo. There were five categories. I submitted only for the categories: Nature, Culture, Daily Life and Portrait.

Unfortunately I didn’t win…

Assistant stage manager at the Comedy Gala

Tom van Straaten — Sat, 02 May 2009 03:18:57 +0000

My first job in New Zealand is a fact! On 1 May 2009 I have been part of The Cadbury Crunchie Comedy Gala, which is the official launch of the 2009 New Zealand International Comedy Festival. Over 20 local and international comedians performed in a three hour television show. As assistant stage manager I was responsible for instructing the comedians on the practical aspects of their performance on stage and changing over audio equipment and props.

See more details about the show and my share in it, at Productions.