Julie Kenny - 'Tree of Life' Print 15 x 15 cm in a 25 x 25cm Window (jken003)

The tree is seen as a sacred symbol, which carries significant meanings in both religious and spiritual philosophies. From above the surrounding sheep tracks combined with the fallen tree reminded me of the Tree of Life. While the aerial perspective focuses on the earth, you can see the pooled water in the sheep tracks reflects the blue of the sky. While this represents many different things, for me it communicates the interconnection of all things, beginnings and endings, the cycling of life. This image was created on Minang Boodja.

The Tree of Life image was regonised in the World Nature Photography Awards in the plant and fungi category and in the botanical category of the Australian Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year, 2022. The image was part of the associated exhibition held at the South Australian Museum in Adelaide (August) and Australian Museum in Sydney (October). It gained a silver distinction in the 2022 IRIS NZIPP awards in the ‘In-camera’ Landscape category. It was a finalist in the Head On Photo Festival and exhibited along Bondi Beach in Sydney. In a collaboration with the Royal College of Music in London, the Tree of Life was selected to inspire a musical composition, which was streamed globally. A black and white version of the image gained runner-up in the places category of the 2022 Mono Awards. It was published in Australian Photography Magazine’s February and September 2022 edition, as well as gaining a Top 10 in the Single Shot category placement in Australasia’s Top Emerging Photographers 2022. It was recognised in the Photographer of the Year awards, gaining a Top 20 placement in the photo of the year category, gained an honourable mention in the drone photography category of the Neutral Density Awards and featured as a finalist in the Perth WA Salon 2022 and Perth National Photographic Exhibition, 2021.