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"WERE HERE PRIOR TO ..."


Photo Information
Copyright: Aires Mario da Cruz (oscarromulus) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1146 W: 190 N: 2134] (5690)
Genre: Plants
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2006-08-09
Categories: Trees
Camera: DSC-S60
Exposure: f/2.8, 1/40 seconds
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version
Date Submitted: 2006-11-28 18:26
Viewed: 1623
Points: 42
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
"WERE HERE PRIOR TO..."

On Vancouver Island, at the entrance of the North parking lot, in the Goldstream Provincial Park, is a huge sign 6'x12' that reads:
"TWO RED CEDARS (THUJA PLICATA) 450 YEARS 500 YEARS
SOME TREES ON THIS COAST ARE PROBABLY THE LARGEST AND ODLEST LIVING THINGS IN CANADA.
THESE TREES WERE HERE WHEN EUROPE WAS AWAKENING FROM THE MIDDLE AGES".

The captured image does not do justice to the immensity of these huge Thuja plicata (Western Redcedar) an evergreen coniferous cypress native to NW U.S. & SW Canada from Alska to BC & further
south to Calfornia & parts of W Montana. It is about 60m tall & 3m or more in diameter. In the American horticultral trade it is known as the "GIANT ARBORVITAE". This is the Provincial tree of British Columbia. It is associated with Douglas-fir & Western hemlock. It is shade tolerant being able to reproduce under dense shade.

It has a soft timber, resistant to decay, & used extensively for outdoor construction. Because of its pungent aromatic oils its wood discourages moth larvae; hence, it is also used to line closets and chests.
Its pungent odour may last as long as a century. This valuble commodity has now been introduced to the various parts of the world that share the temperate zones.

The Native American peoples from Oregon to Alaska were known as the "people of the redcedar" because of their extensive dependence on the tree for basic materials e.g. totem poles, houses, canoes,
armor, helmets, masks, utensils, tools, art & utility objects. They used the BARK for mats, rope, basketry, rain hats & clothing. Way back, then, they knew that mold did not grow on it; they also knew not to
overharvest its bark; they "knew" that such abuse would KILL the tree. Since the branches are very flexible with good tensil strength its wood was stripped and used as strong cords for fishing lines, rope cores and twine. They even offered quiet propitiations to those trees. They had developed a sensible method, though labourious, to harvest this great nature's gift to them.

Long before the European got here the Native American knew how to use those "gifts" of the land WITHOUT ABUSING such "gifts".

Hence the title: "WERE HERE PRIOR TO..."
jeanpaul, blakitan, rufous03, Dave, jcoowanitwong, njmv79, dew77, anel, Alex99, SunToucher, horia, RAP, NellyD, mlines has marked this note useful
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Discussions
ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To jmp: Thank you so much for this visit.oscarromulus 1 11-30 21:54
To SunToucher: Thanks for the kind visit.oscarromulus 2 11-30 14:54
To njmv79: Thanks.oscarromulus 1 11-30 13:53
To jeanpaul: Merci mon ami.oscarromulus 1 11-28 19:15
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Critiques [Translate]

Salut Mario
Superbe composition avec un très joli paysage,j'aime bien l'éclairage et les magnifique couleurs .Est-ce a cette endroit qu'il y a des arbres tellement gros que la route passe a travers.
Bravo et au revoir....JP

  • Great 
  • Isu Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Note Writer [C: 313 W: 0 N: 21] (1663)
  • [2006-11-28 19:11]

Bonita pestampa la de estos arboles preciosa foto,buen tiro,saludos Sira

  • Great 
  • Dave Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 525 W: 47 N: 674] (2173)
  • [2006-11-28 22:49]

Excellent contribution and great note Mario!

"Long before the European got here the Native American knew how to use those "gifts" of the land WITHOUT ABUSING such "gifts"." We should all strive to follow that role model.

Very nice!

Hello Mario,
A well composed and seen image. Good sharpness and exposure. Thanks to your informative note and sharing this picture.
JC

Hello Mario,
great shot my friend, beautiful colours and light, PoV was excellent, really a professional's work, well done,
TFS,
Nelson

Hello Mario,
A wonderful composition with these giants!
Great sense of depth in this fine capture, fine lines and good balance...
I like the colours and details, good contrast in the foliage!
Greetings,
Pablo -

  • Great 
  • dew77 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 4774 W: 294 N: 4020] (13209)
  • [2006-11-29 3:09]

Hello Aires,
Wonderful capture.Well seen and composed.POV,details,framing and DOF are excellent.
TFS..:-)

Hi Aires,
These are very huge and ancient trees. Their diameter are as large as width of the road. Amazing!
Thanks for sharing this picture.

Ben Lakitan

  • Great 
  • anel Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1723 W: 0 N: 3915] (15730)
  • [2006-11-29 5:36]

Hi Mario,
Thanks so much for this picture and your explanations. Yes, it is so important to realise that nature was here before us and will remain after us, if we take care. These two trees are like the guardians of the entrance in another world.
Best regards
Anne

  • Great 
  • Alex99 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3585 W: 143 N: 5669] (18533)
  • [2006-11-29 9:44]

Hi Aires.
You have captured a perfect view. Clarity and richness of paints make a strong esthetic impression. The picture is well composed. Balance of lights and darks is expressive and harmonious. Presentation of the shot is perfect too. Superb done and TFS.
Alexei.

Hi Mario,
The clarity and sharpness in this photo is really good. Did you use a different kind of software, or did you do something else. Anyway, the quality is perfect. When I visited Washington state, I was surprised about the huge size of the trees. Your photo shows this perfectly.
We all need to respect nature more.
TFS<
Niek

  • Great 
  • wuta Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 856 W: 2 N: 617] (2142)
  • [2006-11-29 13:37]

A Great shot from this tri's , very good compositie colours sharpnes light and framing , tfs ,Greetings Teunie .

oh my goodness..what HUGE trees! I do wish someone was standing near them to give them a bit more perspective..but I'm pretty sure from this photo that they indeed are enormus!
Your POV is really good and the colors are great...nice shot. TFS
Donna:o)



Thanks for your comments on my photo "Rebel Cloud" :o)

  • Great 
  • horia Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2172 W: 218 N: 4383] (14902)
  • [2006-11-29 17:02]

Hi Mario

Impressive picture and note about these really huge and old trees.
Unfortunately, such a wide-angled lens is probably out of reach, in order to capture them full in only one frame :(
But, even so, judging from your picture, its quite obvious.
I like the lovely natiral colors here and the nice game of light and shadows.
Very well done!

Bravo and TFS
Horia

  • Great 
  • RAP Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2524 W: 345 N: 2373] (7405)
  • [2006-11-29 17:32]

Bella, cálida y emocional composición que irradia la idea de un sitio tan hermoso como la entrada que nos muestras aquí.
El POV adecuado, los colores exactos y un encuadre ideal.
Gracias y saludos... Ricardo

Beautiful, warm and emotional composition that irradiates the idea of such a beautiful place as the entrance that you show us here.
Appropriate POV, the exact colors and an ideal framing.
Thank you and greetings... Ricardo

  • Great 
  • jmp Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1740 W: 95 N: 2273] (8411)
  • [2006-11-30 14:41]
  • [+]

Hi Mario,
Really big and beautiful trees. I like a lot composition, details and colors. Notes to think about humans relation with Nature.
Best regard mf,
José M.

This is nice Mario. I'm glad that you included some elements to give scale to the image. The western cedars are huge. My husband and I have spent a lot of time on Vancouver Island and know these trees well. They are at least still more plentiful than the yellow cedar which have been over harvested (much sold to Japan). As wood carvers we, along with the native carvers love yellow cedar...but it is next to impossible to find anymore.

TFS

Evelynn : )

  • Great 
  • NellyD Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 237 W: 0 N: 445] (1783)
  • [2006-12-02 13:36]

Hi Mario,

Wow, those are some really huge trees!
And I liked the way you've captured them.
Very good colours and details and a great composition.
You have some amazing nature in Canada, it's beautiful!
Thanks for sharing.

Greetings, Nel

  • Great 
  • milas Gold Star Critiquer [C: 191 W: 0 N: 10] (173)
  • [2007-01-12 11:02]

merhaba Aires Mario da Cruz;
güzel bir kare tebrikler selamlar

  • Great 
  • mlines Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 539 W: 24 N: 596] (2870)
  • [2007-02-26 21:37]

Hi Mario. Magnificent trees still growing well in spite of mankind i guess. Good POV to show the grth of these giants. Good clarit, colour and framing. TFS. Murray.

I love them! Pure beauty! Maoist in India and Nepal cut down ancient trees. My president also allows it. It is a criminal act to kill something that has lasted thru centuries..... and is so benefical to our earth!

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