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The Story

Behind
The Lens

Dean French - TNR Protography West Coast landscape
Dean French · TNR Protography
Beginnings Are Humble

Self-Taught.
Hopelessly Addicted.

Dean French bought his first camera in 2016. That was a mistake, because he has not been able to stop since. What started as curiosity quickly turned into a full-blown addiction to capturing light, and that addiction turned into TNR Protography.

He has never taken a formal photography class. Not one. Everything Dean knows came from thousands of hours of trial, error, YouTube tutorials at 2am, and a stubborn refusal to accept "good enough" as a final product. That self-taught path shaped not just his technical ability, but the way he works. He does not follow the textbook, because he never had one.

Dean prides himself on three things above all else: turning up on time, being precise with every frame, and delivering work that genuinely makes people stop scrolling. When he shows up, he is present. When he delivers, it is worth the wait.

Spot The Aurora

Also: Creator of Spot The Aurora

Dean is the sole developer behind Spot The Aurora, the number one aurora forecasting app built right here in New Zealand. The same obsession with light and timing that fuels his photography went straight into building a tool that tells Kiwis exactly when to look up. It has become the go-to for aurora chasers across the country.

Book a Shoot See the Work
TNR The Names Rock

Dean's original alias for his own music. Three letters that stuck, because some things just fit.

PRO Production

Video production is at the heart of what makes TNR more than a photography studio. Motion and stills, together.

TOGRAPHY Photography

Combine Production and Photography and you get Protography. The name that says exactly what it does.

The Approach

How Dean Works

01
Punctual

He turns up when he says he will. No scrambling, no excuses. If Dean says 8am, he is there at 7:55. Your day matters too much for anything less.

02
Precise

Every frame is considered. Every edit is intentional. "That will do" is not a phrase in Dean's vocabulary. Never has been, never will be.

03
Addicted

This is not a nine-to-five. The obsession goes home with Dean, wakes him up at sunrise, and keeps him editing until the small hours. It shows in the final product.

The Kit

What Gear
Dean Uses

Cameras
Nikon Z6 III
Nikon Z6 III

The primary workhorse. Crisp, vibrant results in any light, and it shoots 12-bit RAW video in-camera - which means cinematic flexibility without the post-production headache. Whether it's candid moments or the first dance, the Z6 III delivers every time.

Nikon Z6
Nikon Z6

A solid backup that punches well above its weight. Great colour, great sharpness, great in low light. Always in the bag, always ready. The kind of camera that makes you forget it's the backup.

Lenses
Nikon 17-28mm f/2.8
Nikon 17-28mm f/2.8

Wide, sharp, clean. Perfect for real estate interiors, environmental portraits, and any scene where context matters as much as the subject. The constant f/2.8 keeps things bright even when the venue doesn't cooperate.

Nikon 70-180mm f/2.8
Nikon 70-180mm f/2.8

The reach lens. For candid moments at events, intimate portraits with dreamy background blur, or details from a respectful distance. Surprisingly lightweight for what it does, and sharp as a tack at f/2.8.

Tamron 150-500mm f/5-6.7
Tamron 150-500mm f/5-6.7

When you need serious reach. Wildlife, sport, fast-paced action from a distance - this lens is built for moments that won't wait. Even pushed to 500mm it delivers sharp, detailed images with beautiful colour and contrast. Compact enough to actually carry around.

Drone
DJI Air 3s
DJI Air 3s

The drone of choice for sweeping aerials with style and precision. Dual-camera system - one wide-angle, one 3x telephoto - gives creative flexibility from the sky that single-camera drones simply can't match. 4K at up to 120fps for smooth cinematic footage or crisp slow motion. Whether it's a landscape, a property or a wedding venue, the Air 3s brings a perspective no ground-based camera can touch. All drone use must be arranged at least one week in advance and is location dependent.

TNR Protography

Let's Make Something Great

Greymouth · West Coast · New Zealand

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