ABOUT US
"In Pursuit of Giants" started with a simple idea. Find something bigger than us, something rare, elusive or difficult, and go after it with everything we've got.
Our team of professional photographers shares a passion for exploration, discovery and pushing ourselves somewhere new. What counts as a giant has grown since we started. Sometimes it's a legendary creature, glimpsed by few and doubted by many. Sometimes it's a physical limit, three mountains in three days, or the void of an unexplored cave system. And sometimes the giant isn't out in the wild at all. It might be a skill we've never attempted, a fear we've never faced, or a mystery nobody has managed to properly document.
What ties every trip together is the same approach. We go in properly, we document it honestly with the best gear and eyes we can bring, and we tell the whole story, not just the highlight reel.
That's meant searching for the Canterbury Big Cat by helicopter deep in the Southern Alps, and confronting real conservation questions while diving with great white sharks. It's meant caving through unexplored ground near Nelson, and training hard enough to summit three mountains in three days. Last year it meant something completely different, stepping fully into the art of drag and performing on stage on K Road in Auckland, in support of the rainbow community. It is currently pulling us toward the paranormal, and the places in New Zealand with reputations we intend to properly investigate.
What drives all of it isn't the pursuit of a good story for its own sake. It's about creating life experiences that most people will never get the chance to have, and sharing them with the world so others can feel part of the journey too. We are always searching for the next challenge, something that will genuinely test us, but that will also give our audience something extraordinary to follow.
Join us as we share these journeys, the challenges we take on, the friendships we forge along the way, and the moments, both wonderful and strange, that we encounter chasing giants of every kind.
THE TEAM
RICHARD WOOD. GM.NZIPP III
Trip Production | Film Editor
Photographer, Photographic Educator.
NZIPP New Zealand Photographer of the Year x5
Havelock North
Travel & Landscape Photographer
Photo Tour Operator
Wanaka
Picture Framer, Wildlife Photographer
NZIPP Wildlife Photographer of the Year x2
Havelock North
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'In Pursuit of Giants' was an entirely self funded exercise and no monetary exchange was made by organisations assisting with the trip
Chapter One | The Canterbury Cat | Full Documentary
In this adventure documentary, join our team of explorers as we venture deep into the untamed wilderness of New Zealand's Southern Alps. The majestic landscapes and rugged terrain are just the beginning of the adventure that lies ahead.
Amidst these awe-inspiring surroundings, we turn our attention to a captivating mystery - the enigmatic Canterbury Cat, aka Black Panther. Local sightings and compelling evidence suggest the presence of a creature not fully understood. Could it be a feral cat, an undocumented species, or something else entirely?
Equipped with scientific curiosity, we delve into the heart of the matter, meticulously documenting our findings and examining the clues. Each step of the journey unravels the intricate web of nature, sparking a sense of awe and respect for the world around us.
With cameras and unwavering determination, we capture the essence of this wild landscape, sharing moments of wonder and fascination..
And as the expedition progresses, we find compelling proof of the Canterbury Cat's existence - a revelation that astonishes our team and promises to deepen our understanding of this elusive creature.
Join us now as we embark on this exhilarating expedition of science, exploration, and discovery. This is "In Pursuit of Giants" - where every adventure is a quest for knowledge, and where untamed beauty meets intrigue in the heart of the Southern Alps.
CHAPTER 2 - SAVING IPOG
In a land of breathtaking landscapes and rugged mountains, our team of adventurers embarked on a journey of discovery. Nine brave photographers took to the skies in a helicopter, soaring into the New Zealand Southern Alps, in search of a creature of myth and legend, the Canterbury Cat. As they scoured the vast wilderness, they stumbled upon incredible evidence, footprints that could only belong to a massive creature. The cameras rolled as they captured every moment, creating a breathtaking documentary that would inspire the country. Their journey was just beginning, for in 2023, this team of intrepid explorers would set out once again ‘in pursuit of giants’. This time, their sights were set on a different kind of beast, one that roamed the depths of the ocean. Their destination was the southern most areas of New Zealand, Stewart Island, where they hoped to catch a glimpse of the Great White Shark. With hearts full of courage and determination, this team was ready to face whatever challenges lay ahead. Join us now as we embark on a new adventure, a journey of discovery and exploration, In Pursuit of Giants, Chapter Two.
A SIMPLE SOLUTION for Stewart Island's Great White Sharks.
Dr. Riley Elliot talks to 'In Pursuit of Giants' about the malicious slaughtering of Great Whites at Stewart Island and how that not only endangers the already rare sharks and their ecosystem, but also the potentially the lives of water users. There are around 20 highly protected Kiwis in New Zealand for every 1 Great White shark in the entire world. New Zealand is lucky enough to have one of around only 5 aggregation zones in the world. Yet there are New Zealanders killing them in what appears to be a deliberate manner. The Department of Conservation and the Government appear to be negligent. Dr. Riley Elliot has a SIMPLE SOLUTION.
IPOG 4 - What Lies Beneath
Chapter Five | One Show on K Road
In 2026 we set ourselves a challenge unlike anything before it: nine months of planning led to a six day transformation into drag queens and kings, culminating in a live performance at Family Bar on Auckland's K Road, in support of our LGBTQ+ friends, family and community. Under the mentorship of three genuinely gifted drag artists, Spankie Jackzon (winner of Drag Race Down Under Season 2), Amanduh La and Kola Gin, the whole team learned choreography, lip sync and the physical demands of prosthetics and bodysuits from scratch. It remains the hardest thing any of us has attempted for this project, and also the one that changed us the most. Film critic Alex from The Popcorn Panel gave the documentary a rare 10 out of 10, writing that Spankie put it best when he said the team hadn't caricatured drag, they had embodied it. Shown as a one-off screening to a full house, the night ended with the whole room on its feet.
