Eora Nation, a photo from New South Wales, East

Photographer's Note

This is a view of the opening to Sydney Harbour, taken from South Head. You can see North Head in the background. These two landmarks are the first things you see when you sail into our beautiful Harbour, without doubt the most beautiful in the world. And this is exactly the view the indigenous people of Sydney would have had as the British sailed into the Harbour (also known as Port Jackson) in 1778. I can only imagine the shock it must have been for the original inhabitants.

The area of Sydney was traditionally inhabited by the people of the Eora Nation, a mix of the Wangal, the Cammeraigal, the Cadigal and the Bidjiga clans, who were united by their common Dharug language. They were a deeply spiritual people, whose connection to the land was -and still is - lightyears ahead of the concept of land and ownership most of the world holds today: the land is sacred, you do not own it, it owns you. If you destroy the land, you destroy the spirit that resides within it. We are all caretakers of the land - not its owners.

After the British invasion of 1788, the Eora people were systematically wiped out. Many fell victim to the deliberate spread of small pox via the provision of purposely infected blankets. For all practical purposes, the indigenous population were not given the vote until 1967. Between 1869 and 1970, aboriginal famillies fell victim to the government policy of their children being taken from their parents and placed with white people, thus becoming known as The Stolen Generation. The population of this proud people was systematically decimated. There are surviving ancestors today who are mainly concentrated around the Sydney suburbs of Redfern, Darlington, Surry Hills and Glebe. For many, their standard of living, quality of life, health, education and life expectancy are of a Third World standard. As a criminal lawyer I see them over-represented in prisons, in mental health statistics and in statistics on drug and alcohol dependency.

There is alot to be done to rebuild the damage of the past. Things are being done, but not enough. There have been landmark legal decisions, such as Mabo which recognised aboriginal land rights, and enquiries into the sickening incidence of Aboriginal Deaths In Custody. For years, the conservative Liberal government under John Howard refused to issue the aboriginal people an apology for the Australian government's treatment of them, saying "Australians of this generation should not be required to accept guilt and blame for past actions and policies." I have always disagreed with this view, as has the United Nations and several government enquiries into it. Finally in February 2007, under Labor Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, a Federal apology was given to the aboriginal people and members of the Stolen Generation. And it was graciously accepted by the Aboriginal people, albeit 100 years late. And two weeks ago, I became the proud holder of an Aboriginal passport, issued by Australia's true caretakers.

Canon 5D MkII
f/22
0.6 second
ISO 100
Tripod
Lee hard-edged grey grad filter

mjw364, siudzi, brianmcc, bayno, snunney, maloutim, ACL1978, ourania, kathryn_weir, tyro, Sonata11, jjcordier, SnapRJW, macjake, CLODO, ktanska, fabbs99, ikeharel, Matthew-Watt, Bluejeans, Robert1969 has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

mesutilgim (67960) 2012-09-30 1:31

Hello Lisa,
My neighbor today !
Amazing landscape captured with perfect pov and layout.
The portrait format fits well to the scenery.
Many interesting and usefull notes as well.
TFS and have a nice weekend
Best regards
MESUT ILGIM

lousat (57626) 2012-09-30 1:33

Ciao Lisa,oggi sono i colori forti e brillanti a fare la differenza,c'e' un grande contrast tra il dark blue dell'acqua ed il rosso del tramonto,taglio,prospettiva e pov come sempre eccezzionali.Buona serata e complimenti,Luciano

Guenther (10893) 2012-09-30 1:40

Ciao Lisa,

hai catturato una bellissima atmosfera, bella luce, grande profondità, la saturazione dei colori appare un po' forte sul mio schermo, ma appunto dipende anche dalle impostazioni dello schermo...

Buona domenica
Günther

mjw364 (3680) 2012-09-30 1:52

G'day Lisa

Very interesting note. Good minimalist composition with a nice contrast of colours. That blue ocean is very vibrant maybe a tad too much in the foreground? The sky though with the sunrise is perfectly exposed - it's almost as if the sun is rising to show us the beauty of the aboriginal history of these lands.

Nice one - TFS

Mike

mauro61 (52527) 2012-09-30 1:56

ciao Lisa,
mi piace questo contrasto cromatico con la costa sullo sfondo.
Ben congegnata l'inquadratura con questa V che si apre in FG,
un abbraccio
maurizio

siudzi (23879) 2012-09-30 2:31

Hi Lisa,
The view on this great landscape is fantastic. The vibrant tones were managed perfectly and they are a key of your wonderful composition. Very well executed. Thanks for sharing.

Warm regards,
Malgorzata

brianmcc (5536) 2012-09-30 2:40

hi lisa,
your notes are fascinating, and very saddening. your photo is beautiful. you have used the filter well to produce a lovely effect on the water and in the sky. the whole balnace of colour tones is wonderful. i love the little area of illuminated headland on the horizon which has turned the rocks a wonderful red colour. the figure on the rocks below put the whole scale of the scene nicely into context.
regards,
brian

bayno (16195) 2012-09-30 3:17

Cara Lisa, che fatica leggere la tua nota...ovviamente per il mio scarso Inglese, nota molto interessante e molto triste specialmente la parte che tratta la diffusione del vaiolo tramite coperte infettate...non vorrei sbagliarmi ma la stessa tecnica è stata adottata in america del nord con gli indiani....
Meno male che dopo la nota c'è la tua bella immagine da ammiraree che ci rincuora un pò, i colori e la luce sono favolosi e il triangolo capovolto creato dal tuo POV è davvero affascinante...un piccolo capolavoro di tecnica e inquadratura...veramente bella...
buona serata...
Valter

snunney (67334) 2012-09-30 3:25

Ciao Lisa,
A very poignant history to accompany this superb composition. Very well framed and complemented by beautiful colours and excellent clarity.

Sergiom (39223) 2012-09-30 5:32

Ciao Lisa

I like the colors a lot. The blue is very blue and the orange of the sky is very nice. I like the vertical framing the provide good depth.

Have a nice sunday

Serge

sabermonajati (7593) 2012-09-30 6:35

hi lisa
attractive blue sea with nice form from waves you captured.
best regard
saber

dr38 (151) 2012-09-30 6:43

very good job. 10 points from Turkey!

ACL1978 (5775) 2012-09-30 8:38

Lisa, a deceptively calm and beautiful sight with which to introduce such a terrible story. The period of colonization for Australia is in some ways even more terrible than that of North America, as it happened in a shorter period of time, making the destruction that much greater.

The blue water here is incredible in the setting sun, and the tiny figure staring out into it is a nice way of drawing a link between this seascape and the melancholy story you tell with it. Thanks for this.

Andrew

ourania (12367) 2012-09-30 8:49

Ciao cara Lisa,
una bellissima immagine della natura e della luce indomata che gradisce gli occhi e serve anche come un stimolo per ripensare il passato, il presente ed il futuro di questa terra come descritto nella tua nota superba. Mi piace molto la profondita', l' equilibrio e l' illuminazione della foto, la stupenda resa e distinzione di colori e tessiture e l' atmosfera con il senso di liberta' che evoca. Uno dei libri che amo di piu' e' Songlines di Bruce Chatwin e credo di capire bene quelo che hai scritto. Complimenti e grazie!
Tanti saluti e buona settimana,
Ourania

williewhistler (7283) 2012-09-30 9:08

Hello Lisa,
the clever choice of shutter speed works well for me,I like the suggestion of swell and the patterns created by the tide are just gorgeous as is the pink and blue sky.
The V shaped FG aids the composition and the almost hidden figure on the rocks gives extra interest and a sense scale to the scene.
Kind regards Les.

carlo62 (12582) 2012-09-30 10:40

Ciao Lisuccia
continuo a dire che mi stupisci con le tue scelte, sempre in maniera positiva.
Sono convinto che la maggioranza di chi scatta una foto in un posto così, sceglierebbe un taglio orizzontale per dare più effetto agli splendidi colori del tramonto, tu invece hai scelto un taglio verticale, in questo modo hai dato meno risalto al tramonto, ma hai evidenziato di più il contrasto con il blu del mare e, con l'angolo di terra, più profondità.
Insomma un gran bel risultato.
Salutissimi
Carlo

kathryn_weir (1742) 2012-09-30 10:49

Hello Lisa,
A lovely richly coloured shot . I like the v shaped foreground framing the depth of ocean and the softly graduated colour on the horizon which has been excellently caught with the use of your filter. I do like the soft light falling on the ocean in the middle of the frame as well.Thanks for sharing, have a great week
Kathryn

tyro (13073) 2012-09-30 14:17

Ciao cara Lisa,

You have given us a very enlightening note though it is also very thought provoking and very depressing. 1869 to 1970? - that's i>four generations, not just one!

But you are now the holder of an Aboriginal passport - how wonderful! Does that give you some unique privileges? No matter, it is no doubt quite an honour to have one.

But this is a beautiful photograph with a wonderfully bold composition and some gorgeous colours, particularly the almost luminescent blue of the sea. The lighting is superb too, no doubt aided by your ND graduated filter, and the depth of field and sharpness are exquisite.

Beautiful!

Kind Regards,

John.

photoray (4926) 2012-09-30 15:21

Howdy Eoralisa,

Certainly a most majestic harbour, and your view avoids the civilized architecture in favour of Nature's, with a twilight setting.

Well done,
Cheers,
Ray

Sonata11 (28331) 2012-09-30 16:11

Hello Lisa,
another magnificet shot of nature.Wonderfully executed with fantastic colors, sharpness, clarity, I like POV and DOF as well. The color of water looks an amazing. Brilliantly done it like usually. Love it.
All the best,
Barbara

jjcordier (62328) 2012-09-30 22:35

Lisa
Jolie composition verticale avec une très belle palette de couleurs.
Amicalement
JJ

SnapRJW (18722) 2012-09-30 22:43

Dear Lisa - I have read your note which has elicited a roller-coaster ride of emotions. The inhumane treatment of the aboriginal peoples - anger and sadness, their feelings towards the land - inspirational, your passport and work you do - reflected pride. A fine note and I see so much positivity in it despite the miserable past. A lovely seascape, the outstanding feature in the context of your note is, for me, the figure looking out to sea. Congratulations on receiving a very particular and special document. Warm regards Rosemary

macjake (39227) 2012-10-01 0:22

Hi Lisa
well, i dont even know where to start about the topic you mentioned in the note. I suppose many countries around the world have the same 'problems'.
I know here in Canada, the white man and the native Indian's are always at odds over land and ownership.

but thats WAY above my pay grade to sort out!!! lol

as for the photo, its really really cool how you got that funky blue tone in the lower area. or I suppose the entire water section now that i look at it again. Its a total bonus that you got that strip of orange too, not much else you could ask for!
wonderbar!!! :)
enjoy your day
craig

CLODO (24726) 2012-10-01 0:55

Hi Lisa

I apprecite fully your note, enhancing the superb view of the Sidney bay, with a deep blue sea and the last (or first) rays of sun on the top of the cliff. I also note a lonely person having the same sense of nature as you.
Congratulations for your new "land" passeport.
Cheers
CLODO

dkmurphys (36801) 2012-10-01 1:52

Ciao Lisa,
An original corner and some great natural colors in this capture. Well taken, same artistic style.

Daniel

ktanska (21513) 2012-10-01 5:18

Hi Lisa,
Blue hour at the harbour entrance, or in other words edge of a continent. Very peaceful, though the waves never stop rolling. Those red tones of setting sun on the North Head look really good.
Your note is a good remined how young thing cultural equality and nation wide democracy is in many countries, and still far away on even more.
Kari

yquem46 (32263) 2012-10-01 5:22

Ciao Lisa
Very simple esthetic compo with a nice blend of the blue gradient with the orange sunset hues
Bravo, best regards
Patrick

karacabeylis (1285) 2012-10-01 11:24

actually I was not hoping to see such a blue tint outside aegean and I strongly believe an aborgine soul has created it.

Silvio1953 (98129) 2012-10-02 0:34

Ciao Lisa, bella vista di un fantastico mare e di un magnifico cielo, romantica composizione, fantastica luce e splendidi colori, brava, ciao Silvio

fabbs99 (5441) 2012-10-02 1:42

Hello Lisa,

An excellent work without use of any filters.Great colors from the sea and the sharpness of the image is commendable. The colours are deep and the details are excellently expressed.Well composed photo. A great use of light. The deep depth of field is perfect.Well done.TFS.

Keep sharing and exchanging views.
Best wishes and warm regards
Farhat

ikeharel (37316) 2012-10-03 8:15

Hi Lisa,
Great stunning blue color of the sea, contrast fabulously with the golden light on the horizon.
The cliff made a division on picture space just above half hight on the image. Rule oif thirds.
how one can miss this, I'd sit calmly for as long possible to grasp the wonderful moment.
Nice show of nature, well collected.
Ike

Matthew-Watt (6035) 2012-10-03 20:49

Hi Lisa,

Thanks for posting another delightful scene of coastal NSW. There is so much of this coastline I'm yet to discover so your photos promote what there is to enjoy. This however is a bit of it I have seen and you present in one of its finest moods. The subtle lighting and gentle ocean movement is delightful. I like the solitary figure, the texture of the rough grasses and the glow of the distant head. Beautiful.

Matt

bracasha75 (24443) 2012-10-04 11:54

Hey Lisa
Just wonderful ,what to say more......?
Very ,very good picture
My regards my old friend
Bratislav

mkamionka (24529) 2012-10-05 15:05

Ciao Lisa,
so simple and yet so impressive. I like the presence of the man down there it gives the photo a whole different perspective. Interesting contrast of the warm sky and the cold sea.
Beautiful capture.
M

Bluejeans (64231) 2012-10-13 2:36

Ola Lisa ,
Linda esta visão vertical com estas cores quentes de final de dia , fantástica a montanha de fundo , gostei do pescador no primeiro plano , parabéns!!
Um abraço Gonçalo

Robert1969 (6230) 2012-10-22 22:54

Hello Lisa,

I like the V-form on the forground, it gives
the viewer a kind of freedom to go to the
left, or to go the right. The longer exposure
makes the picture nice calmness. Light
manegement and teh composition are great. The
person in the picture (left below) is a nice
little extra.

Friendly regards,
Robert