Blazing Beauty

"After numerous attempts for a fitting scene of Hahei over many years, I wanted to try & capture an original perspective that I hadn't seen before. This summer, the pohutukawas put on an exceptional display, so I scouted the area for potential angles & I noticed that these ancient trees were smothered in flower buds, but were looking likely to bloom several weeks later than the rest - fantastic! I kept a close watch on their progress & returned on this beautiful morning, just as this rare display reached its peak. And the morning's mix of light & shadow added a 3-D like brilliance to the layers of blazing red."

Location: Hahei, Coromandel Peninsula