Above image a contrast layer mask is applied in
Adobe photoshop to lighten & pop detail of original.
Above Image Original photograph.
Last year a good friend a local resident who lives in Doubtless Bay - Coopers Beach, rang me to let me know that the Northland Kauri Fesitval folks were running a Focus on Kauri photographic competition to highlight and celebrate all things Kauri.
excerpt below from Northland Kauri Festival
Northland has a deep connection with kauri, with many relationships and stories to be shared. The Kauri Festival provides a way for these stories to be highlighted, celebrated, and experienced. Throughout the region the stories of the kauri and the peoples of the region are intimately intertwined - from the arrival of Maori several hundred years ago, through to the early settlers of the 1800's and up to the present time, the kauri has endured an ever evolving landscape. The trees are part of the living history that is Northland. They pre-date human existence in New Zealand. Their ancestors were mature specimens when dinosaurs roamed the land. Several of the world's largest living kauri trees are in Northland, including the largest Tane Mahuta, 51 metres high and over 1500 years old. It knew the ancient world of the Moa and the Huia.
I only had a couple of days to work with in which to look for a location & shoot a couple of photographs to submit before the competition date closed, knowing this and the short time to prepare I therefore placed no expectations on the outcome of any of my entries.
I was therefore pleasantly surprised when I received an e-mail from Des Cotman curator of the Far North Museum a couple of weeks later writing to convey heartfelt congratulations on my photograph receiving a Highly Commended award, most humbling, thank you.
Below I share an excerpt from the e-mail I received from Des Cotman.
From: Far North Regional Museum
To: Chana Hera Davis
Sent: Wednesday, September 27, 2006
Subject: Re: Focus on Kauri - Photographic Competion
I was with the judge as he was making his choice and I know how impressed he was with your photos. I think it was the sense of mystery about them that caught his eye.
Des Cotman
Far North Museum