Beyond the Single Image - Paul Byrne ARPS

It started – as many projects do – by a chance remark. One winter weekend, I travelled with friends to Mount Ruapehu just South of Lake Taupo on New Zealand’s North Island. The plan was to photograph the snow-capped mountain from high up on the ski fields. As we descended the mountain that evening one of our group asked if I had visited Horopito Car Yard. From the conversation which followed, I just knew I couldn’t leave the area without taking a slight detour to view this particular venue.

On arriving at Horopito, the garage, which stood at the entrance, looked like many other run-down buildings in rural New Zealand, except that a number of 1950’s vehicles were parked under a lean-to on its forecourt. They included a somewhat dilapidated Austin 135 Princess Vanden Plas, a model which was often built to order and was the go-to limousine of its time. To my mind, the gold metallic paint finish was a much later addition which did not suit the time frame of this particular beauty.

I met the yard owner and requested permission to visit the rest of the yard. He readily agreed before returning to his workshop where he and another mechanic were working on customer vehicles. The workshop looked tired, the floor was stained with grease indicating years of constant usage and there was a heavy smell of engine oil.

As instructed, I headed for a paddock at the rear and as I turned the corner, I couldn’t believe my eyes. Laid out before me were several acres of vehicle relics lined up in rows, some on top of each other - Austin 7’s, original Morris Minors, MG saloons, Standard Vanguards, Vauxhalls, Holdens, Hillmans and Chryslers; the list goes on and on! The vast majority of these vehicles dated from the 1920’s to 1960’s. The yard is a photographer’s paradise and the problem for me, was how to capture the essence of the place when there are so many images to be had.

Later in the day I returned to the garage to thank the owner. In parting, he asked me if I had visited the storeroom. “No” I replied. I made my way up a set of rickety stairs to the first floor where I discovered a treasure trove of spare parts for just about any make of car made between 1920 and 1980. There were several rooms and corridors all ladened with motor vehicle parts and vintage memorabilia. Headlamps to shock absorbers, spark plugs to steering wheels, hub caps to oil pressure gauges. Unfortunately, my time was short but I promised to return to the Aladdin’s Cave at Horopito to continue my photographic record of this rare site of vehicular antiquity.

I researched the operation to discovery it’s history. It transpires that Bill Cole started the business in the 1940’s. The company is currently owned by his daughter Barbara and her husband Colin Fredricksen. In the early 1980’s the Horopito Card Yard was the focal point for a film entitled “Smash Palace”. This is a crime drama and a bit of an iconic New Zealand film production. The signboard from the film still hangs above the entrance to reception.

The lease on some of the acreage which comprises part of the car yard has expired, and this has led to approximately 2,500 vehicles, mostly Japanese models, being crushed during the recent ‘lockdown’ period. It is rumoured that another 2000 cars may soon go the same way. This will still leave about 3000 ‘rusty relics’ available for spare parts. Colin has developed a museum on site which hosts a small number of restored vintage and post-vintage vehicles.

I plan to revisit “Smash Palace” so that I can add a few more images to complete my photo documentary of this iconic New Zealand business. There are so many opportunities, from landscape to macro. It’s just one of those locations which needs to be recorded for posterity. Every step through the paddock opens up another image opportunity.

I had a career in the Police Service and spent a great deal of time observing people, their circumstances, and environments. When I took up photography as a hobby, I found that I gravitated towards portraiture. I seemed to be able to relate to people and was able to bring out their character within the images I created. It could be said that my hobby became an extension of my working life. Photography is important to me because, like the police service, every day brings a new challenge or adventure. Photography is so diverse that mastering the basics is just the starting point. After that the creative possibilities are infinite.

Beyond the basics, photography is not an exact science - it’s a creative art form. I would recommend aspiring photographers to observe masters of the art. Study historical and contemporary work. Your inspiration will come to you from what you perceive to be the best work - and most interesting. Your ideas will develop and with perseverance you will create your own style within your chosen genre of photography.

When Paul migrated to New Zealand from Devon in 2004, he retained his RPS membership and also joined the RPSNZ Chapter. In 2018 he was awarded a Fellowship of the New Zealand Photographic Society for his documentary portfolio on the people of Cambodia. He describes himself as a portrait photographer who developed a passion for documentary images. He particularly enjoys street, urban, and sports imagery. During the NZ lockdown he discovered that he likes bird photography too. Paul is currently a member of the PSNZ Honours Board which awards distinctions to society members.