Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON
This shot was taken in the first week of January, while we were on the west coast for a family wedding. Kings Park in Perth is a place I had first read about as a child, and as this was my first visit to the west, I was determined to spend some time there.
It was a scorcher of a Sunday and even though I sweltered, I shot about 100 images during our brief stay in the 400-hectare park that is named after King Edward VII. We were actually on our way back to the car when I spotted this shadow of a huge palm tree.
Even as I marvelled at the fresh green grass that was so different from our scorched earth here in Victoria, this sight caught my eye.
Emblazoned on the billiard-table green parkland was the perfect shadow of a towering palm tree whose fronds were being caressed by the breeze. Because it looked as if it had been stencilled onto the grass, I had to pause for a few seconds while I lined up this shot.
I guess it might seem like an easy image, but I had to position myself very precisely to compose the shot so that it did not include any of the many people soaking up the sun while they lay on the grass.
Judging by this photograph, you might think the park was deserted, but believe me, it never is. The official website of the West Australian government shows that it attracts more than five million visitors a year. That might not seem like a lot to North Americans – but five million is a quarter of our national population.
In retrospect, the clarity of the shadow worked so well not just because of the quality of the light, but also because of the long, graceful shape of the fronds.
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