the big hole Photo

Photographer’s Note

Kimberley Northern Cape,

Home of the historical Diamond industry of South Africa.

Here visualised by the Big Hole.

From mid-July 1871 to 1914, 50,000 miners dug the hole with picks and shovels, yielding 2,722 kg of diamonds. The Big Hole has a surface of 17 hectares (42 acres) and is 463 metres wide. It was excavated to a depth of 240m, but then partially in filled with debris reducing its depth to about 215 m; since then it has accumulated water to a depth of 40 m leaving 175 m visible. (Wikip.)

jlinaresp, BWJ, isabela_sor, voroschuk, Zolive, fanni, saxo042, mauricet, brano14, Kielia has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

CinA (164) 2009-04-22 16:41

Magnificent place,i Mean Wonderland!

Very nice shot!

Please Let me know your Opinions about my last Shot!

eeboy (54) 2009-04-22 18:59

Hi Stefan Zetterlind

Nice capture and composition...Could have cropped a bit...Just my opinion...

Regards

BWJ (1773) 2009-04-22 19:51

Hello Stefan,
Amazing photo and interesting place. 2,722 kilograms of diamonds seems an incredible amount. I wonder how many carets that would make. A very fine POV and composition.
Kind regards,
Betty

serp2000 (9553) 2009-04-22 19:54

Hi, Stefan,
Wow! Impressive hole! Fine shot, nice colours!
Well done!
Serghei

globalvillager (104) 2009-04-22 20:02

Very breathtaking!~

batalay (20984) 2009-04-22 21:01

Hello Stefan,

An astonishing and chilling image — the sheer manpower engaged in the excavation, the sheer vertical drop of the sides, and that emerald green water — I like this photograph very much. Thank you for sharing it with us along with an informative.

Warm regards,

Bulent

isabela_sor (42175) 2009-04-22 21:30 [Comment]

Show Comment

Rafer (4319) 2009-04-22 21:41

Espectacular imagen de este agujero de roca...saludos

voroschuk (336) 2009-04-22 22:24

Hi Stefan,
Very interesting and nice photo of diamond deposits.
We have the same in Russia in Yakutia (Eastern Siberia), but all our kimberlite pipes are still mined. Look at the short video about one of the kimberlite pipe - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=je2fjG68gyU&feature=related

Best regards
Dmitry

Zolive (1654) 2009-04-22 22:54

Hi Stefan.
Magnificent aerial photo of this hole which seems natural with the water inside. It is incredible that the man was able to dig it. The point of view is ideal and the magnificent colors. Congratulations.
Olivier

fanni (8737) 2009-04-22 23:20

Hello Stefan,
wow! this looks like a huge "alien's eye"... that's the very first impression.
Excellent composition and POV! very imperssive sight!
Best wishes from Moscow,
Elena

pablominto (40788) 2009-04-22 23:33

Hello Stefan,

So this is simply an abandoned mine, amazing!
Doesn't look manmade but I guess the lake is the main reason for that illusion...
Well framed subject, very attractive colour palette in particular the water!

Greetings,
Pablo -

saxo042 (15736) 2009-04-23 1:31

Hej Stefan,
An emerald green hole for picking diamonds! Very good colours and a very interesting place. Maybe there still are some gems to find if you look carefully. Did you look for any?
Hälsningar
Gunnar

molla (6885) 2009-04-23 9:40

manic depression.
the green eye of Africa, a very impressive image, in fact even with the trees very har d to see the actual size of it. so it was very good info you gave.
Today the final spring seems to arrive in good old....
ha det gott käre vän
Molla

brano14 (1884) 2009-04-23 10:07

Stefan,
Amazing place, very nice photo and also great story. What else we need?
Thanks!
Brano

Kielia (8509) 2009-04-23 11:37

Hej Stefan,
also for me it is the first time I see this enormous hole. It is incredible! Very nice capture from an excellent POV. The colors are very pleasant. Hopefully this place will become an UNESCO heritage. TFS!
Warm regards
Harriet

holmertz (9705) 2009-04-24 12:42

Hej Stefan,
I thought I was fairly well informed about Kimberley and the history of diamond mining, still this green "lake" comes as a surprise. I don't think I have seen this hole like this before. Not only is it pretty, beacuse of its shape and colours, it's also a monument to the growth of a nation and the history of human exploitation.
Hälsningar,
Gert

bracasha75 (22139) 2009-04-25 23:38

Helo Stefan
The big hole is life for South Africa water reserve and i like this shot from above
Very beautiful nature shot
TFS
Cheers,Braac
PS I ask only,since when are you in RSA???

I_WanderingSoul (652) 2009-05-27 7:10

This is a nice informative capture.
And the best part is not only the "Big Hole" looks beautiful ,it comes with a history!
TFS,Neelima.

Recato (67) 2009-06-05 15:28

This hole has surely filled since I saw it the last time.

Again a very good photo.