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Piha - The Home Of Surfing


Piha - The Home Of Surfing
Photo Information
Copyright: Scott Thomas (Sharpshooter) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 540 W: 71 N: 1703] (6920)
Genre: Places
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2009-04-05
Categories: Daily Life, Nature, Decisive Moment
Camera: Kodak Z1275
Exposure: f/5.9, 1/320 seconds
Details: Tripod: Yes
Photo Version: Original Version
Date Submitted: 2009-04-22 0:37
Viewed: 207
Points: 36
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
Some parts of this note are taken from my other Piha photo, shot from the top of this large rock, which can be viewed by clicking here.

This is the view of Lion Rock from the shore-side. Lion Rock receives its name from its shape when viewed from the rear as it looks like a large full maned male lion with it’s front legs stretched out. It is a natural formation dividing the North and South Piha beaches. Lion Rock is the first thing you see as you enter Piha Beach and has not only become an iconic landmark of Piha, but of Auckland's West Coast in general. It was featured on stamps as well as an Auckland phone book.

I managed to catch two surfers approaching the car-park of the beach and thought it would fitting to post this shot as Piha is the home of surfing in New Zealand. Yep, this is where it all started, back in 1958. It has been the scene of both New Zealand national and international surfing championship competitions ever since.

I decided to climb up the iconic Lion Rock to see the picturesque views over each side of the beach (photo can be viewed via the link at the top of this note). Unfortunately you aren’t allowed to go to the very top of Lion Rock anymore due to landslides and unstable rocks, although you can still get about three quarters of the way up.

The north beach is patrolled during summer months by surf lifeguards and even had a TV series over here called Piha Rescue, as it's a dangerous beach to swim at due to the large waves. Swimming on the southern end of the beach is unadvised as there are no surf lifeguards on duty in that area.

I didn't have to do much PP work to this photo. Just used PhotoFiltre for +1 saturation (faded to 50%) and +1 contrast (faded to 40%). Resized from 4000x3000 to 800x598, sharpened (faded to 37%) and saved.

Thanks for viewing.
szekelykristof, deepakk, burak28, Dawn, mvdisco, werdir, Jonela, LeoM has marked this note useful
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Discussions
ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To soe: Thanks TinSharpshooter 1 04-25 12:20
To rewshearer: Thanks Alot RewSharpshooter 1 04-22 21:04
To hifimusicdai: Thanks DavidSharpshooter 1 04-22 21:00
To AKITA: Thank You AkihisaSharpshooter 1 04-22 19:22
To LeoM: Thanks RuteSharpshooter 1 04-22 19:20
To kickback: Cheers ScottSharpshooter 1 04-22 19:18
To mbrito: Thanks JoseSharpshooter 1 04-22 19:16
To Jonela: Thank You JonSharpshooter 1 04-22 19:14
To werdir: Thanks WernerSharpshooter 1 04-22 19:12
To mistic: Thanks MarineSharpshooter 1 04-22 19:10
To mvdisco: Cheers MichelSharpshooter 1 04-22 19:09
To Dawn: Thanks DawnSharpshooter 1 04-22 19:07
To bema2: Thank You BerndSharpshooter 1 04-22 01:59
To burak28: Thanks BurakSharpshooter 1 04-22 01:56
To hay_kes: Cheers HayatiSharpshooter 1 04-22 01:54
To deepakk: Thanks DeepakSharpshooter 1 04-22 01:51
To KBE: Thank You JZMSharpshooter 1 04-22 01:49
To szekelykristof: Thanks KristofSharpshooter 1 04-22 01:47
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Critiques [Translate]

Hi Scott,
Sharp and crisp shot of this beautiful, huge rock, here the clarity is excellent and the blue sky is correctly exposed. It's surely a great place for surfers, thanks for sharing with us together with the story. :)
Greetings,
Kristof

  • Great 
  • KBE Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 447 W: 103 N: 582] (2707)
  • [2009-04-22 0:44]
  • [+]

Hi Scott
Excellent presentation of this big rock with the addintion of guys. The clear blue sky in BG added for the rock.
May be u'd have changed ur POV a little to place them more on the right side of ur frame to give a strong composition (just my opinion)

good work from u.

Have a good day

TFS
Cheers
JZM

very nice picture
really like the POV the colors are perfect

Thanks for sharing

Deepak

Hi Scott,
A wonderful scenery vith colours, sharpness and POV are very good.TFS.
Cheers,

hAyAti

Hi Scott
Wonderful capture and place
Great note
Take care
Burak

  • Great 
  • bema2 Silver Star Critiquer [C: 37 W: 1 N: 7] (350)
  • [2009-04-22 1:50]
  • [+]

Hi Scott,
really an great and impressive rock, very good capture with excellent sharpness and fine depth. the two surfers and the path add a good interest to your shot..

have a fine day, kind regards Bernd

  • Great 
  • Dawn Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1139 W: 100 N: 3357] (17508)
  • [2009-04-22 3:24]
  • [+]

Hi Scott, beautiful shot...wonderful day..lovely colours and good sharpness...Have to agree with KBE with regard to composition here.. Standing further to the left and getting that path going across the photo more, making it a leading line into the photo would have been good..placing the Rock more to the left handside of the photo.

Thanks again for your great notes.

Regards
Dawn

Bonjour Scott, Hi,
Beautiful composition and great naturel colours,
Excellent POV. and presentation , lovely place for surfing , nice rock and picture very sharp and clear.
lovely light and details,
great with the path and surfer..
Bravo..
Michel

hello scott

beautiful picture, good sharpnes
i like this rock so middly to the ocean
is it a good place to surfing?
i LOve surfing
great shoot
have a nice day

Hi Scott,

Great shot and informative note. Color, clarity and POV are perfect. Surf's up dude!

TFS

Werner

Hi Scott,

This is a very formidable looking rock I would have to take my brave pills to start to climb this. The colours are great really good dof and very sharp details well done.

Regards
Jon

  • Great 
  • mbrito Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1626 W: 118 N: 2805] (11304)
  • [2009-04-22 10:17]
  • [+]

Hi Scott
Great POV and composition with the mountain very well positioned; excellent colours and light, and a very good sharpness and sense of scale.
Congrats, mb

wonderful sharpness and colors in this, the composition is great too, neat place and a neat shot from it,
tfs,
scott

  • Great 
  • LeoM Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 56 W: 0 N: 61] (302)
  • [2009-04-22 13:08]
  • [+]

Hi Scott,

Superbly captured!! Great colours and very sharp.

We too have a place we can call a surfing home. They have the annual BILLABONG at a place here called Supertubes. I really look forward to seeing the surfers this year LOL.....to photograph ofcourse :P

Have a super day!

TFS
R

  • Great 
  • AKITA Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1011 W: 81 N: 66] (12226)
  • [2009-04-22 17:45]
  • [+]

hi Scott,
a wonderful rock,
and excellently clear light and air there.
surfers must make this rock a guiding mark from the sea.
I like rocks biside the sea so much, and this rock looks very unique. its pyramid-shape and covering plants are nice.
in my feeling, in this shot, this rock looks like a gorilla face, its funny.
thank you,
Akihisa

Wow you dont often see a mountain on the beach :-)
Nice pov and good composition It looks a great place to visit
warm regards
David

Nice metering, good balanced composition - although personally I would've cropped out the part-of-a-rock on the left of the frame to keep the shot 'clean.'
Rew

  • Great 
  • soe Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 402 W: 0 N: 107] (2461)
  • [2009-04-25 0:06]
  • [+]

Hi Scott
Wonderful landscape shot with beautiful composition.The Rock, sea and the surfers show alive picture for visitors. Nice presentation.
Tin Soe

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