dj.tigersprout's photoblog
Road to Nowhere, Nullabor, Southern Australia
Posted by dj.tigersprout (New York City, United States) on 3 June 2008 in Landscape & Rural and Portfolio.
I snapped this halfway across Australia's southern most barren stretch of desert called the Nullabor. This shot was actually taken by a point and shoot disposable camera that ending up roasting in 100 plus degree heat all summer in Freemantle, Western Australia before i got it developed back here in San Francisco... The amazing journey began with a 68 hour train ride in an upright seat... :)
all work protected by Creative Commons
@bruno: Thanks for the comment! What do you mean by work in progress? :) Just curious...
Rhys from Darlington, United Kingdom
brilliant shot, I love the wide open space and of course the sign. great find, nice work.
3 Jun 2008 5:27am
@Rhys: thank you! this ended up being the highlight of the 68 hour train ride from sydney to perth across the enormous red nullabor: it was gorgeous... and barren... and very orange...! i stumbled into the rough pasture to find an endless dirt road and this amazing sign! i'll never forget the experience... but it was quite a long journey in an upright position :)
@Marie Le Corre: Merci Beaucoup!
rasCAL_LITTLE from Singapore, Singapore
Hi! Thx for u'r comment.
Wow........Nice colors!
3 Jun 2008 7:55am
@rasCAL_LITTLE: No worries mate, Cheers!
DarkElf from Perth, Australia
that's a great shot, very typical of Australia, really like the redness of the soil and nice angle to give away how expansive the place is...
3 Jun 2008 8:59am
@DarkElf: Thanks Mate! This was my first trip through the Nullabor and i was stoked to have been able to see the vast expanses of it through the train windows as we crossed the endless terrain. There wasn't a whole lot to do in Cook, where this picture was taken, but as soon as we were allowed off for a pit stop i began clicking away. This is pretty much the only pic i like from the photo shoot, primarily because of the fantastically arbitrary sign...! :)
@Alun Lambert: Thanks for the comment mate! Cheers.
@Helma: Thank you kindly!
lucie from san francisco, United States
great wide open spaces. very ironic shot. I am going to Oz very soon, but not the Nullabor.
3 Jun 2008 4:51pm
@lucie: Where are you going to? Oz is such a wonderful place! :)
Riccardo from Lyon, France
The colours are very strong...ironic shot and good idea for this angle...Ciao Tiger! Riccardo.
3 Jun 2008 5:40pm
@Riccardo: Thanks for the comments mate, always appreciated! Buona Sera!
Death from Mashhad, Iran
This very very great image!
best color mode and concpet mode!
thx
3 Jun 2008 7:08pm
@Death: Cheers for the comment mate! Much appreciated!
Evelyne Dubos from Le Mans, France
Road ?? They keep smiling in Australia... well done this funny shot.
3 Jun 2008 10:16pm
@Evelyne Dubos: Yes -- they have a faaabulous sense of humor down under! :) Thanks!
lisa v from gawler, Australia
You went all the way from sydney to perth on a train and did'nt get a sleeper? painful, painful. Love the photo.
3 Jun 2008 11:20pm
@lisa v: hee hee! painful is right! but i didn't want to spend the money... :) i think now that i have done it the cheap way, i can do it even better next time... i will certainly travel with a pillow! and i will get up and around a lot more... they have all those communal cars to hang out in... i was a bit of a wallflower... but i was reading and writing the whole trip... so it was a different experience. definitely memorable. thanks for the comment! cheers. :)
Observing from Chester, United Kingdom
68 hours in an upright seat..? I wouldn't survive. Great photo and title.
4 Jun 2008 12:27am
@Observing: Thanks Mate! Good to hear from you! Is your new site up? Are you back? :)
gene from patterson, United States
this is a wonderful photo of the end of the road in southern australia. i love australia and this is very typical of much of the country.. .but not all ..
australia is a beautiful country! in just 10 days i will be there.. see you there lucie!
4 Jun 2008 1:35am
@gene: sincere thanks and lucky you! i just got back a month ago, but i would so love to be going again! :) take some great photos!
Damon Schreiber from Toronto, Canada
Love it - it looks as though the land is on fire!
4 Jun 2008 3:11am
@Damon Schreiber: yes, the red of the interior... by day it burns under scorching heat...! by night it is quite bearable with gentle winds. an awesome place to see if you ever get the chance. thanks for the comment!
dobbino from Cape Town, South Africa
Very appropriate sign by the looks of things! Love the colours.
4 Jun 2008 9:07am
@dobbino: Cheers mate! Is that sign wacky or what? Figured it deserved a picture! :)
@bm: Cheers mate! It was sort of an Alice in Wonderland moment... :)
shoti from Everywhere in the, Philippines
its amazing how people like you make wonderful photographs with just a point and shoot camera:D
great shot dj:D
4 Jun 2008 12:20pm
@shoti: thank you kindly mate... but to be honest, i am much happier now that i have an SLR... it just means all those rare moments that are often lost to poor processing and development, or bad lighting and bad composition can be captured and treasured 80% more often... i had a lot of other 'amazing' moments in western australia while i had this point and shoot... but none of them really do any justice to the subject... (if they came out at all) this shot was the only gem in the box. :(
bluechameleon from Vancouver, Canada
What a cool shot! The colours are so amazing and the contradiction of the 'road closed' sign, and the road seeming to go on forever is fantastic.
4 Jun 2008 2:24pm
@bluechameleon: Yes, this sign is classic! :) Someone must have been playing a joke... (?) But the sign seems to have lived a good long life in that spot... and there is NOTHING else around... it is a barren field... oh well, quirky details can make for wonderful shooting!
Nick from Auckland, New Zealand
I like the weathered look! Is this post-processed at all, or is that what happens to film left sitting in 100deg heat? :)
4 Jun 2008 8:59pm
@Nick: Hello and thanks! Part of the worn look is due to the cheap low quality of the disposable camera... not sure what the heat did to it... but it would have helped to wear out the film... make it more fragile... probably added some of the grittiness! Most of the photos from the roll were either lost, overexposed or were not worth printing... Thank the gods for this one though! :)
akarui from Kagoshima, Japan
Big open space... I suppose that there is a road on the side where you took the picture. The sign in the middle of nowhere is surprising.
6 Jun 2008 1:41am
@akarui: Cheers. Actually behind me is more open 'field' and behind that are the train tracks... and then it is desert as far as the eye can see in every direction! the only way in or out is by train!
Sandrine from Cincinnati, United States
Great shot! Love the colors and composition!
7 Jun 2008 3:21am
@Sandrine: Cheers for the comment!
taffer from sant boi de llobregat, Spain
this is indeed a very calling image... nice to read the story behind this particular photograph as well :)
20 Jun 2008 8:58pm
@taffer: cheers mate! thanks for the comment! :)
Fliss from Melbourne Beach, United States
Though I am a Newcastle, NSW (Aussie expat) girl... I have never had the chance to go through the Nullabor... though there is nothing there... just the thought of travelling it... maybe one day I will get to do it
27 Jun 2008 1:31am
@Fliss: I have heard or read many times that the Nullabor stands for a 'well of possibilities'... ironic as it is completely barren! But it symbolizes dreams and alternate realities and all things creative. I certainly could feel some sort of powerful emptiness there -- it made me think of things: memories, dreams, notions... it was awesome!
VEERLE TIJTGAT from Harelbeke, Belgium
man, this is all equally as good!!!That is amazing, your portfolio takes me to a trip around the most fascinating places
12 Jun 2009 7:27pm
Nikon