The Talk of The Town – Nelson | Craig Potton
Welcome to another episode of Talk of the Town, where we celebrate the stories, people, and businesses that make Nelson, New Zealand, so unique. In this episode, host Chris Butler and Simon Duffy sit down with Craig Potton—one of New Zealand’s most respected landscape photographers, a lifelong environmental advocate, filmmaker and gallery owner based in Nelson.
In this episode:
✅ Growing up on the Tahuna hills and how Nelson’s sea–mountain vista shaped a life in nature
✅ Early conservation activism (Save Manapōuri) and studying Eastern philosophy to seek a more empathetic relationship with the natural world
✅ Field stories from Aotearoa, the Himalaya, Nepal, and Antarctica (including a once-in-a-lifetime tiger encounter)
✅ Art vs politics: why photography aims to evoke care and hope rather than deliver propaganda
✅ Working in film & TV (incl. background work connected to The Lord of the Rings), and the intensity of collaborative storytelling
✅ Inside the Craig Potton Gallery (Hardy Street, Nelson): curated beauty—from fine art prints to thoughtful objects—plus how the online store reaches a global audience
✅ Current projects: predator-free seabird initiatives, wetland restoration, and advocacy for stronger marine protection in Tasman Bay
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Wow, what a packed episode! Craig Potton truly is the Nelson maestro of many trades – from tiger spotting to restoring wetlands! His journey from Tahuna hills vistas to global conservation adventures is inspiring. Pity the poor tigers, though – one encounter sounds like they were just *passing through*! And speaking of philosophy, I hope studying Eastern thought helped him handle the intense collaborative storytelling involved in *The Lord of the Rings*. It takes a certain type of artist to balance fine art prints with advocating for marine protection in Tasman Bay – quite the portfolio! Definitely more to admire than just a pretty picture here. #TalkOfTheTown