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  • Welcome to the new site. Here's a thread about the update where you can post your feedback, ask questions or spot those nasty bugs!

Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia.

Tom dinning

Registrant*
Welcome to Darwin.
You don't have to visit. Most people don't. If you do you might wonder why I have lived here for 30 years.
Love. The love of a woman can make you do things that are almost intolerable.
That's how I feel about Darwin. I would leave here right now if it wasn't for the love of the 2 women in my life: Christine and Nevayah.

his thread is the photographer in me seeking out what Darwin is and how it might appear to someone who asks me: "What's Darwin like?"

To start, Darwin is dominated by water.
Darwin is situated on a small and narrow peninsula. On one side is the Arafura Sea, on the other, Darwin Harbour.
In addition, the coast is predominantly mangrove, subjected to 7m tides which can expose the mudflats and sands 3km from high to low tide.
Then there is the rain. 2.5m a year in 6 months.
The one thing we are not short of is water.

This is what the coast looks like, well, to me at least.

_D3S3619 by Tom Dinning, on Flickr

_D3S3714 by Tom Dinning, on Flickr

On most mornings and evenings you could find a photographer doing his/her thing.
Being on a peninsula we have the misfortune to have sunrise and sunset over water. Its a big attraction.

_D3S3244 by Tom Dinning, on Flickr

But at no time is it a good idea to swim in this water. It contains the most deadly organisms on the planet.

_D3S4599 by Tom Dinning, on Flickr
 

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
Welcome to Darwin........


To start, Darwin is dominated by water.
Darwin is situated on a small and narrow peninsula. On one side is the Arafura Sea, on the other, Darwin Harbour.
In addition, the coast is predominantly mangrove, subjected to 7m tides which can expose the mudflats and sands 3km from high to low tide.
Then there is the rain. 2.5m a year in 6 months.
The one thing we are not short of is water.

This provides a fabulous moving picture already, even before we look at one snap! I was thinking that you could sell the stuff to the Saudis and make the Safari and Gobi desert green again, LOL!

How do you prevent all the good soil washing away? Is it the mangroves?

Asher
 

Tom dinning

Registrant*
What good soil? Coffee rock (laterite) is what we have an abundance of. Great for rock gardens.

There's some good soil further south on the flood plains where some cultivation is done but it's not enough to feed us. And it's seasonal. April to October is the growing season.

Our biggest crop is gas. We have gas to burn. From the Timor Sea. We steal it from the Timorese then sell it to the Japanese. We use a bit for ourselves. Electricity generation and the like.

Keep in mind, the population of the entire territory is 288 000. It's about 1/5th of Australia, (about 1/7th of the US) About half are indigenous. They get **** all.
 

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
What good soil? ....

Keep in mind, the population of the entire territory is 288 000. It's about 1/5th of Australia, (about 1/7th of the US) About half are indigenous. They get **** all.



Tom,

I am jealous. You must have better weed or wine than we do or there is some mistake here!



So you have just 288,000 that would make Australia just 1.44 million!!! Should be approx 24.7 million. We have 300 million!


"What is the population of Darwin? Answer: Darwin, Australia (Administrative unit: Northern Territory) - last known population is ≈ 122 600 (year 2014). This was 0.519% of total Australia population. If population growth rate would be same as in period 2011-2014 (+5.96%/year), Darwin population in 2017 would be: 145 837*." Source


Asher
 

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
Tom,

This picture has something special. Is it that you showed it previously? Anyway it is most distinguished and causes me to stop and just enjoy!

I feel some tension in that the sky suggest a fabulous arc extending to the right, yet the strong assembly of th rocks and waters below, argues against changing that framing one iota!

Also it's a different style than the others so likely it's very special to you too!

Asher


_D3S4599 by Tom Dinning, on Flickr​
 

Tom dinning

Registrant*
Tom,

I am jealous. You must have better weed or wine than we do or there is some mistake here!



So you have just 288,000 that would make Australia just 1.44 million!!! Should be approx 24.7 million. We have 300 million!


"What is the population of Darwin? Answer: Darwin, Australia (Administrative unit: Northern Territory) - last known population is ≈ 122 600 (year 2014). This was 0.519% of total Australia population. If population growth rate would be same as in period 2011-2014 (+5.96%/year), Darwin population in 2017 would be: 145 837*." Source

S).

Asher

Sorry, old man. Was in a hurry.
It's about 1/5th of Australia in area, (about 1/7th of the US)
 

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
Sorry, old man. Was in a hurry.
It's about 1/5th of Australia in area, (about 1/7th of the US)

You disappoint me, Tom! I was already so convinced that your silica-deficient red soil yielded some of the most remarkable grapes or weed in the planet!

Just cancelled my trip. I hope Quantas will refund my ticket!

Asher
 

Tom dinning

Registrant*
You disappoint me, Tom! I was already so convinced that your silica-deficient red soil yielded some of the most remarkable grapes or weed in the planet!

Just cancelled my trip. I hope Quantas will refund my ticket!

Asher

Like any good horticulturalist, Darwin would be rejected for grape growing. Mangos, yes. Bananas yes. Mangosteens definitely.

Head south old man, to the Riverina, the Plains of NSW, the Margaret River, The Barossa. There you will find the wines of your choice; the best in the world.

My cousin grows grapes in the Barossa Valley for wineries. Silicon free isnt a consideration for her. Granite soils, climate, and temperature is key to success. In other areas it is different. Her grapes go into the finest wines in the world. That is a fact
 

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
Tom, I enjoyed the black and white image very much.
But I also enjoyed the first one ! Absolutely gorgeous. Like Americans say: wow !
I would make a fantastic large printed picture :)

Hi Antonio,

Seconded. Yes this would be super as a large print in a large home or in a boardroom.

Richvand calming!

Asher
 

Tom dinning

Registrant*
The B&W hangs above my bed head. It's the color version. The exercise was to demonstrate mood change by the observer when some aspect of a photo is altered. In this particular instance I altered, in different prints, color addition, color saturation, frame proportions, horizon position, contrast and hue.
I don't have a favourite among them. Christine decides what gets hung (she might pick me some days).

Thanks for the look in.

More to come.
 
The very first shot is really fantastic as it seems to be rare and I viewed it for the first time. As the composition makes it look stunning. :)
 

Tom dinning

Registrant*
The very first shot is really fantastic as it seems to be rare and I viewed it for the first time. As the composition makes it look stunning. :)

Hi Roshni.
Welcome to OPF.

It's all a trick. Find out what people like and give it to them.

If they like color, give them lots of color.
If they like unusual things give them unusual things.
If they like puppies, give them puppies, especially cute ones.
If they like naked people, give them naked people.

People think your a good photographer when you give them what they want.

You'll be the best photographer you can be when you get what you want.
That's what I do.

Xx
 

Jerome Marot

Well-known member
Hi Roshni.
Welcome to OPF.

It's all a trick. Find out what people like and give it to them.

If they like color, give them lots of color.
If they like unusual things give them unusual things.
If they like puppies, give them puppies, especially cute ones.
If they like naked people, give them naked people.

People think your a good photographer when you give them what they want.

You'll be the best photographer you can be when you get what you want.
That's what I do.

Xx

And, apparently, Christine likes the B&W one, since it hangs over her bed. ;)
 

Tom dinning

Registrant*
Its not all blue skies and calm waters.

White man has been here for a couple of hundred years. They have peed in pretty much every corner and left their smell for others to note and avoid.

The Larakya people had possession of this land for 100 000 years or more. The Makasans traded with the indigenous population for several hundred years without much disturbance. The came the man in the funny suit. All of a sudden it was his.

Since then the man in the funny suit has added a few things. Shame, really.

_DSC5451 by Tom Dinning, on Flickr
 

Antonio Correia

Well-known member
Oh yes... your perspective is clear and right. There are many, many places on Earth under similar circumstances.

This is a photo I would never take. However, it is interesting ...
 
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