Photographing Lupins in the south island of New Zealand

Lupin season is one of the most busiest and loved times of the year in the south island of New Zealand.  Especially among visitors.  The bright and vibrant plants make the most beautiful photos and are pretty easy to spot. They are by many lakes and rivers, on the side of the roads and in paddocks.

About Lupins in the south island

Although Lupins are a thing to see when visiting, these beautiful plants are a bit controversial.  They are actually considered a weed with both positive and negative effects on the environment.

They are invasive in the likes of river systems and on unwanted land.  They grow strong root systems and put nitrogen back into the soil encouraging other nitrogen seeking weeds but end up chocking out native species.  They can cause sand and gravel build up and also prevent birds from nesting exposing them to predators.

On the other hand, besides their beauty, since lupins are perennial plants they have the ability to put nitrogen back into the soil and can keep other invasive plants out like wilding pines.  They can also withstand soil that lucerne can’t making it a good alternative for a low input forage crop.

Its one of those, six on one hand, half a dozen on the other scenarios.  There’s no doubt though, they make for amazing photos and are just a wonderful site to see.

Where to see lupins in the south island?

For the most part it’s not very hard to spot lupins in the south island.  Many times you’ll see them lining the road or on the rocky shores of lakes and rivers.  Here are some places to check out to see Lupins.

• Lake Tekapo (Mackenzie district)
• Ahuriri River (Omarama)
• Lindis Pass (on the side of the road)
• Crown Range area (between Wanaka and Queenstown)
• Lake Hawea
• Lake Wakatipu (Queenstown)
• Glenorchy

When is the best time of year to see Lupins?

Lupins generally start to flower during mid to late November and end mid to late January.  If it’s been really warm it is possible you’ll see them at the beginning of November and may even stick around until mid February.   I would say if you for sure want to see them, December and January would be your best bet.

When are the best times to photograph Lupins?

Lupin flowering is right in the middle of peak tourist season which also means all of the spots to see Lupins are very, very, VERY busy.  If you want to get some great shots the very best time in the day would be sunrise (around 6 am) or sunset (around 8 pm).  The only other people you will generally see are other photographers.

Tips for photographing Lupins

I would say move around a lot and get different angles and perspectives of the flowers. Crouch down, get close to the flowers, try wide shots. Experiment with different depths of field and go to the spots where everyone is not.  You can also try changing the colour in your camera from standard to vibrant to really capture those brilliant colours in the flowers!

Be careful!

Like mentioned before Lupins often line the side of roads and it is very easy to get distracted by them.  It’s also not always easy to pull over or there is no space to.  Make sure you’re mindful of how quickly you stop to pull over and if there is actually room to do so.  It’s so tempting to stop but Lake Tekapo for example has a lot more plants on the shores of the lake (where you can park your car safely) than along the sides of the road coming into town.  It’s worth waiting and much safer!

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