We Are the Residents
Auckland, 2016
Various private collections
We are the Residents is a tribute to the longest living residents of Cornwall Park; the mighty rākau that dwell in this iconic Auckland landmark. The photographs are portraits of some of these residents, all of them the stand-alone trees that occupy the park. The age of most of the trees goes back to the 1880’s, putting them among the oldest living species in New Zealand. Our timber friends, much like us humans, have a limited life span so it was very important for me to document their existence.
In this series, all of these trees of different ages and species have been documented in the same manner, straightforward without sentimentalism. The portraits have been photographed frontally with a pale grey background, which ensures the subject stands out strongly in the image. The lighting is carefully balanced without any harsh shadows as the photos are purposely taken during autumn’s overcast days. The clouded sky provides a diffuse and steady, soft light that keeps away any shadowing, thus minimising the emotional association such might evoke.
