The Boab Prison Tree is an amazing hidden gem shooting location that is around 1,500 years old and a hollow interior large enough to stand inside. For decades the story was that police used it in the 1890s to lock up prisoners being walked to Derby for sentencing. That story is now widely disputed and believed to be a myth. Researchers have traced the myth back to the late 1940s when it appears the history of a different boab tree in Wyndham got mixed up with this one. Whether it was used as a prison or not, it is a culturally significant site. In the Nyulnyulan languages of the western Kimberley, boab trees are called larrgadiy and hold deep mythological importance. The tree is on the State Heritage Register and has an interpretive walkway at the entrance. As a photography subject, it is all about the shape and the texture. Boabs have that unmistakable bottle trunk silhouette and the bark on this one is deeply grooved and weathered after 1,500 years. The hollow opening is the obvious focal point. Wide angle from close up works well to capture the scale of the trunk, and shooting into or through the opening adds some depth. The warm tones of golden hour bring out the bark texture and the sky behind it goes soft and colourful. It is right off the highway so access is easy, with parking and a short walkway to the tree. (Derby, Western Australia, Australia)
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