Picture perfect

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[2] Chris Thompson captures a snow-blanketed Cardrona. Photos by Chris Thompson
Photographer and designer Christopher Thompson talks to Marjorie Cook about his career and his new life in Wanaka.

A compulsion to spend hours designing title pages for school projects was an early indicator that Christopher Thompson was destined for an creative career.

The Wanaka photography gallery owner enjoys laughing about the optimistic artistic attempts by his younger self and it appears not much has changed - except now he spends hours tramping or kayaking with his camera instead.

"I am a failed painter. I couldn't achieve what I can do with photographs ... I am a complete unknown in photographic circles, which I quite like," he says.

Mr Thompson's recent landscapes capture the crisp calmness of the Cardrona Valley during this season's snowfalls, a dramatic sunset from the top of Roy's Peak and a mist-obscured view of Lake Tekapo, which he has found has polarised people.

They share space with works by New Zealand's top photographic artists, including Mike Langford, Jackie Ranken, Gilbert van Reenen, Paul Gummer, Helmut Hirler, Craig Potton and Chris McLennan. More are coming in the next month.

After 18 months of planning, the recent Auckland escapee opened The Picture Lounge in Wanaka's Helwick St in September and he is relishing the chance to begin carving a niche for himself in Wanaka's arts and business community.

"I have been coming here for 15 to 20 years and absolutely love the place and tried to find a legitimate reason to move here. One thing I also love about Wanaka is so many people are here from somewhere else," he said.

Wanaka photographic artist Gilbert van Reenen has not known Mr Thompson for long but welcomes a gallery that treats photography as an accepted art form.

Mr van Reenen predicts a "good journey" for the new business, which he says is one of only a handful in the country solely devoted to photography.

"It has put a spring in my step ... When you see how much photography is accepted overseas, in Europe or New York - some of the New Zealand stuff is right up there. But it is not recognised,"

Mr van Reenen said, when contacted by the Otago Daily Times.

Mr Thompson already feels at home in a hub of neighbouring businesses touting mountain bikes, jewellery, high-street fashion and home design and was thrilled 400 people came through his door during his first week.

He believes "awesome times" are ahead for Wanaka's creative community, which is now considering proposals for a community gallery and an arts hub and has an established biennial arts festival, the Festival of Colour.

Mr Thompson was a latecomer to arts studies and spent three years studying psychology at Auckland University while pursuing jobs in advertising, fashion and hospitality.

He also studied acting for film at Auckland's Performing Arts School.

He spent a couple of years doing entrepreneurial things in the fashion industry but found he needed technical design skills to further his career.

He was gutted when the Auckland University of Technology turned down his application to study computer publishing but, after seeking advice from the head of school, he applied for and got into the highly sought-after bachelor of graphic design course instead.

"I got that in 1998 and it was a total turning point," he said.

Mr Thompson set up a boutique design studio, Hook, in 2000 and went on to work for L'Oreal Professionel, Burger King, Vodafone, Sovereign, The Warehouse, BJ Ball Papers, winemaker Brent Marris of Marisco Vineyards, and others.

"In 2005, I started doing product photography. That was the first time I'd picked up a camera and learned how to use it.

"I take it everywhere, on back-country tramps and kayaking. My work ended up in Flagstaff, a gallery in Devonport that specialises in fine arts. I was surprised at how well it went. I guess that's what started the indulgence," he said.

Mr Thompson spent several weeks designing the gallery to make the most of the natural light provided by a high glass entrance.

The walls have been painted white, the carpet removed and the concrete floor polished.

Mr Thompson designed and built simple dividers and furniture, using macrocarpa sleepers to provide a rustic but elegant touch, while couches create a homely feel.

Everything, including the desk and coffee table, is on wheels so display spaces can be easily changed.

Mr Thompson's hard work has transformed the space previously occupied by an internet cafe and many people are now noticing anew the internal schist wall, he said.

Although many individual photographers have their own galleries, Mr Thompson knows of few other dedicated photography galleries displaying a variety of artists.

"We do have some exceptional photographers. And I am amazed at the number of photographers in Wanaka, but I can understand why," he said.

"It is the landscape that draws people here." 

See it

Christopher Thompson's gallery, The Picture Lounge, is at 48 Helwick St, Wanaka.