One Tree Hill Monument & Cornwall Park

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Yesterday I took these photos during my visit to One Tree Hill's monument and the nearby Cornwall Park. I went there for Matariki, hoping to see and photograph the iconic stars. Unfortunately, at the time, I didn’t realize the stars only rise during the early morning between 5:00 AM and 6:00 AM. I probably won't photograph Matariki this year due to my lack of resources, but hopefully next year I will be able to do so. Nonetheless, it was still incredible, from hiking up Maungakiekie and seeing the towering monument up close to the lush scenery of Cornwall Park—it’s such an astonishing and beautiful place.

My favorite photos have to be the portraits of the man playing an electric flute. Those two shots came about as I walked to Cornwall Park; I noticed a faint yet calming oriental tune in the distance. As I got closer, I spotted a man playing a flute under a pagoda. Fascinated, I walked up to the performance and stood there listening. Once he finished, I complimented him and asked if I could take his photo while he played. He agreed, and as he started another song, I captured these portraits. I tried to capture the intensity, skill, focus, and serenity of his performance, and I think I pulled that off well.

You might notice some photos have a hazy effect. This wasn’t intentional—a mistake from using manual focus instead of autofocus, which I prefer to use as it saves time. Normally, I’d delete blurry shots immediately; as a perfectionist, I try to make my photos as clear and sharp as they can be. So, I was gutted to see what could’ve been my best photos turn out blurry. I debated whether to delete them; they're blurry, sure, but they feature such compelling subjects. But after staring at them, contemplating, I noticed a unique quality—the haze gave them a dreamlike, distant-memory vibe. They’re ugly but real. Because of this, they might be my second favorites. They're not perfect, but as a certain artist once said, they’re “happy accidents.” Sharing these photos is my way of embracing imperfection.

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