Decorative photo

Photographic artist Chris Pegman has claimed one of the most prestigious photography awards by winning a Gold Medal at the reFocus Awards.

Pegman’s stunning image (above) of a performance at the Isaac Theatre in Christchurch mesmerised the judges who included experts from the National Geographic Society, the BBC World Service, ABC News and other renowned global agencies.

Over the past decade, Pegman’s work has been recognised in New Zealand, Europe and the United States with multiple awards, for his landscape, architecture and night sky images, so he is particularly excited about winning this prestigious award with an image outside his usual genre.

“This award is a pretty big deal and I am really happy that the judges loved my image from the Isaac Theatre. It was a magical performance by Kiwi supergroup Come Together who always produce an incredible show, this one being no exception, as you can see from the guy I managed to spot and get in position to capture,” says Pegman, who used an ultrawide 10mm non-fisheye lens with a 135 degree coverage to capture the full scale of this scene.

The judges said that the entry Come Together in the Isaac Theatre had “embodied the true spirit of photography, representing the past, present and future, utilizing, both the latest technology and DSLR cameras and everything in between”.

The Selwyn photographer has collected multiple awards from the NZ Institute for Professional Photographers (NZIPP) IRIS Awards, the EPSON International Panoramic Awards, New York and London Photography Awards and the WPE International Photography over the past decade, displaying New Zealand’s natural and man-made beauty.

His work often involves strenuous hikes to reach remote mountaintops as well as meticulous planning to capture the best natural light or perfect night skies and avoid bad weather interfering.

“My work at times requires months of preparation, a large amount of patience, a fully charged night headlight and excellent winter thermals,” laughs Pegman.

He describes his work as photographic art, because he uses digital tools to enhance his images to create artworks that display landscapes and the night sky in their full glory.

“The amazing skies and landscapes we can see, especially in the high country, are often hard to capture in a single photo, so I combine multiple images to encapsulate the panorama and also use post processing to recreate how it felt on site. In this way I hope to produce works that stand out, maybe even make the artwork jump off the wall,” says the Selwyn photographer, who combines his artistic profession with running Selwyn Osteopathic in Rolleston.

“I was a photographer first, and became an osteopath later in life, so it’s hard to tell you what my main job is,” laughs Pegman, who started as an osteopath in the Britain before moving to New Zealand 30 years ago.

“I had a business in Kerikeri but returned to Canterbury where I had first landed in New Zealand to be close to the lakes and mountains.”

Pegman opted to set up shop in Rolleston as recognised the growth of the township, and his practice has since expanded to incorporate several practitioners.

“Rolleston itself is a great place to be. And I like that my practice is close to Tennyson Street and all those yummy eateries. There's a great community here and I'm glad to be involved with helping other businesses,” says Pegman who loves the variety of the Selwyn scenery when he takes his camera on his hikes.

“I particularly enjoy the Porters Pass area, and loved a recent hike over Foggy Peak and Castle Hill Peak - which was hard going as a 60-year-old.”

The English-born artist has been creative from a young age, moving from pencil drawings and acrylic painting to picking up a camera when on holidays in the Lakes District.

“I think those hikes really awakened my obsession with mountains and lakes. I learned how to capture the landscapes the best I could with the limited technology available back then, but still use those skills every time I pick up a camera.”

Pegman says that the biggest motivation is to get his images of New Zealand landscapes, and especially its spectacular night sky, on display in businesses and public buildings around the country.

Last modified: 15 Aug 2025 10:43am