Photographs taken as the Carterton balloon tragedy unfolded have been revealed.

The photographs make up some of the exhibits admitted as evidence in Coroner Peter Ryan's inquest into the catastrophe.

They show the sequence of events that unfolded in a matter of minutes, resulting in the deaths of 11 people in January 2012.

The four images show the hot air balloon hitting power lines, catching fire, breaking free, and then plummeting to the ground.

It's the first time these images have been published, following a bid by ONE News supported by most of the families of the victims, as well as other media.

In the aftermath of the accident, Coroner Ryan placed a prohibition on publication of the images, taken by freelance photographer Geoff Walker, because they might distress the families of the victims.

In May, we wrote to the Coroner asking that he lift the ban on four of the hundreds of photos due to significant public interest.

After consulting with lawyers for the families, Coroner Ryan agreed to our request and authorised the release of these four images.

But Mr Walker challenged that decision. He told ONE News he opposed the release of the photographs because he owned the copyright and the court shouldn't give them away for free.

He sought a judicial review of the Coroner's decision, which was heard in the High Court in Wellington in October.

Mr Walker's lawyer, Mary Scholtens QC, said the coroner had failed to properly take into consideration Mr Walker's copyright over the photos.

"The concern is not so much broadcast for images, it's if the images go on the TVNZ website they become lost to him, they are public property and anything can happen to them," she said.

Legal counsel for TVNZ, Jack Hodder QC, argued the case about how relevant the Coroners Act and Copyright Act were to this situation.

He said "the whole purpose to have a coronial regime is to extract information from past realities to improve public safety for the future".

Mr Hodder argued the Coroner's jurisdiction should be open, educational and accountable and the Copyright Act should not get in the way of judicial proceedings.

He argued the court must be open for reporting by news media and unaffected by the copyright laws.

In a reserved judgement, Justice Allan Mackenzie agreed. He ruled that evidence given at an inquest was open to the public that included "exhibits produced at a hearing".

He also found that "copyright is not a relevant consideration" when deciding whether to make that evidence public.

Geoff Walker looked to appeal Justice MacKenzie's ruling but decided against it.

Allan and Vivienne Still, parents of Alexis Still, who died in the tragedy, had earlier told ONE News the public needed to see the photographs.

People planning to travel on balloons had the right to see the photographs as part of making an informed decision about safety, they said.

The cause of the disaster is under investigation by the Coroner. Much of the evidence given has been that pilot Lance Hopping made a crucial error by flying too close to the power lines.

Traces of cannabis were also found in his body, and there were also suggestions he was a regular cannabis user and drinker.