No Credit Cards Photo

Photographer’s Note

Koroit is a small rural town in western Victoria, 18 km North-West of Warrnambool and 278 km West of Melbourne. Koroit had a population of 1,380 in 2001, I cannot see why that would have changed a great deal in the past eight years. Early settlement from Ireland has given Koroit a fascinating Irish charm. The town borrows its name from the word Koroitgundidj people who occupied the area prior to European settlement.
The first European knowledge of the area is the confirmed sighting by French explorers sailing with Captain Nicolas Baudin aboard Le Géographe in 1802. The first European settler came to the Koroit area in 1837. A large number of Irish immigrants made Koroit their home in the 1840s and 1850s. The township of Koroit was surveyed and the first town allotments were sold in 1857. The Post Office opened on April 23, 1858. One of the strongest and most obvious links between Koroit and Ireland are the potato crops grown in the rich volcanic soil surrounding the town.

Italian

Koroit è un piccolo paese rurale nella parte occidentale di Victoria, a 18 km nord-ovest di Warrnambool e 278 km a ovest di Melbourne. Koroit aveva una popolazione di 1.380 nel 2001, non vedo perché questo avrebbe cambiato molto negli ultimi otto anni. Il comune prende il suo nome dalla parola Koroitgundidj gente che hanno occupato l'area prima di insediamento Europeo.
I primi coloni Europei sono arrivati alla zona di Koroit nel 1837. Un gran numero di immigrati Irlandesi hanno fabbricato le loro case nel 1840 e 1850. La Posta è aperta il 23 aprile 1858. Uno dei più forti e più evidenti i legami tra Koroit e Irlanda sono le colture di patate coltivate nella terra ricca vulcanica che circonda la città. Il primo insediamento da Irlanda ha dato Koroit un fascino affascinante Irlandese, peccato che qui nella foto non e evidente.

robertosalguero, burraburra, ribeiroantonio, bakes888, trekks, Kielia, jafadabret, cherryripe, fanni, phwall, Clementi, daddo, macondo, shevchenko, Silvio1953, paololg, holmertz, jhm has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

robertosalguero (2759) 2009-06-14 22:23

Hi Santo,

This image seem to have been taken in the past, in a time when life was slower and cash was king. The use of sepia ages the scene nicely. Details and point of view also make this image more effective. Nice work Santo.

Roberto

burraburra (760) 2009-06-14 22:31

Hello Santo
Great use of B&W. Great POV. Your photograph took me back to my younger days (early 60s) when I lived in far western NSW. This composition has country life oozing out of every part of the shot. Good explanatory note also :) Well done. Great achievement.
Regards,
Graham.

ribeiroantonio (21701) 2009-06-14 22:36

Are you sure this shot was taken in 2009 and not in 1858? It is amazing how it looks old. The town must have been asleep for the past 100 years. It is a fantastic shot. Well done.
Antonio

pablominto (39832) 2009-06-14 22:46

Hello Santo,

I like the careful post processing, it is very successful in enhancing the atmosphere in this town!
Good point of view along Main Street (the only?), and the details are amazing...
I notice the dark clouds over Koroit... Well done!

Greetings,
Pablo -

BennyV (4429) 2009-06-14 23:29

Hi Santo,

Excellent shot of nostalgia. In general I'm not a fan of sepia, but here it is really appropriate, adding much to the impact of picture. Great threatening sky, too.

I hope this shot will be around in xxx years time, when cars running on petrol will be a thing from the past. Those were the days...

Benny

Jeppo (11560) 2009-06-14 23:38

well...no credit car.
certo che nn le accettano...e ciò rende ancora + old fashioned (insieme ai toni seppia) questa immagine di piccolo villaggio australiano....

bel lavoro...immagine molto "tasty"

ciao
silvio

bakes888 (18045) 2009-06-15 0:06

Hi Santo. We have a few towns like this here too, quietly waiting for something to happen to them. Great photo. I like your BW treatment, very gritty. Good handling of light and well composed with good depth. Thanks for sharing.
Have a good week, Paul.

delkoo (33870) 2009-06-15 1:44

hi santo,
I definitely like your POV in this shot ... it provides such good perspective, as well as your post treatment Which makes us move back in the time.

well seen and well executed.

didier

trekks (14260) 2009-06-15 6:19

hi Santo

I am happy to see the date of this photo. And it is 278km west of Melbourne. So who is counting down the kilometers of driving? Not a kangaroo hopping along, I hope :) [no spy report available here]

Personally I have never seen a view like this in real life but I recall seeing this kind of run-down petrol stations in sunday noon matinee movies about New Mexico or Mexico regions of cowboy western story plots. Or the next thing you see, duels of gunfights around the corner.

Although I did not read any part in your note about buying gasoline or paying by credit cards, your title tells me you tried to bribe them with a plastic after pumping gas into your SUV? Being from Borneo jungle, I would not know what the plastic card can do and by tradition's teaching, you take gas from me, you pay me something back. Italian pastas not accepted either :)

I do not see any sign showing credit card, so it must be rejected. No telephone line, no internet, no cellphone?

As always your notes is excellent to tell the story.

I have a few questions to ask here
.gas pump in the sun? no shelter? any safety of blowing up from heat?
.carparking is free?
.no even a soul seen here
.any sharpening done? It looks a bit to me on the grainy side.

Shoot some more please, it is 278km trip!

Take great care.
tfs, bill

rodgerg (22885) 2009-06-15 10:29

Ciao Santo,

Very nice view full of athmospher. The POV is very well selected and give a great prospect. The depht of field is excellent. Details well collected.
Best regards,
Roger

Kielia (8111) 2009-06-15 11:40

Hi Santo,
a great perspective of this empty road through a fascinating rural village. B&W works excellently, emphasizing the atmosphere of this almost forgotten place. What I like most is the shiny gasoline pump so wonderfully contrasting with the old building. Very nice note and title! TFS!
Warm regards
Harriet

jafadabret (38819) 2009-06-15 11:48

Bonjour Santo.
C'est une délicieuse composition qui nous ramène à une époque bien révolue. Le traitement en sépia accentue encore cet effet de nostalgie.
Excellent travail !
Jacques

cherryripe (18744) 2009-06-15 12:26

Hi Santo
This seems so 60s and 70s thanks to the way it's run down and your pp. The contrasts, sharpness and depth are superb. I love how the shelves in the garage are curved with weight and age.
Regards
Nikki

lousat (14814) 2009-06-15 15:57

Ciao Santo..elaborazione bellissima,sembra una foto anni 50..quando le credit card non c'erano..eheh...un cielo spettacolare ed una luce magnifica..e quell'aria di abbandono e di smobilitazione.Bellissima davvero,buona giornata e complimenti,LUCIANO

jimkil (524) 2009-06-15 18:44

Wow Santos
Like being back in USA with the abandoned garages, i like this very much. Not a fan of sepia but it sure works here. I wouldn't mind seeing a bw and making the contrasts much more high key. Fantastic work.
Cheers
Jim

SteveH (3847) 2009-06-15 21:50

Hi Santo, the grainy B&W works well in this shot - really emphasising the aged look of the buildings. Not sure about the sky, which seems to have received quite different PP treatment. What were you doing out that way? cheers, Steve

delpeoples (5260) 2009-06-16 2:09

Caro Santo, I love this. The seppia is an excellent choice and the phot brings me bakc to the 1970s (no cards, no multi-national petrol stations, wide Aussie roads...stop me. On top of all that, your sky is really moody and suits the photo perfectly. Thanks for sharing with us. Un caro abbraccio, Lisa

fanni (8675) 2009-06-16 3:40

Hello Santo,
so, this looks like a scene "in olden days"! thanks the colour.
Interesting perspective. Although a bit scary (to me - I don't know why. Maybe because there are no people in sight?) Like a scene from an old movie...
:) emotional photo in any case!
Best regards,
Elena

phwall (5396) 2009-06-17 0:38

Hi Santo,
The B/W really does reinforce the impression of age, a time gone by, peeling paint and sagging shelves.
It's a marvelous capture, you really are an exceptional photographer my friend, bravo.
Regards
Peter

Clementi (42703) 2009-06-17 1:19

Ciao Santo,
mi ricorda molto l'ambientazione di un film di Alberto Sordi emigrante in Australia,
bellissima foto che sembra essere uscita dagli anni 50.
Giorgio

daddo (11263) 2009-06-17 1:39

Ciao Santo. Nostalgic photo that seems to speak of better days, the days of yore. I doubt if the population is resembling the 2001 figures as I think in many small places the young are making a fast getaway. Somehow it looks like a place that time forgot. Great sepia treatment and sharpness. Saluti. Klaudio.

alftrek (2687) 2009-06-17 2:10

Hello Santo,
Wonderful informative notes which I always enjoy reading. BTW, there is a Koroit Street in Warrnambool as well. If you had bought an allotment back in 1857, it would have appreciated a thousand times, perhaps. My father was not even born in 1857.

The sepia colours enhances the photo of this old and run down petrol station and other buildings. I like the crack lines and the signboard tucked right up at the top corner. The whole town seems deserted and no one seems to care about maintaining the buildings. A very dramatic POV with the cloud formation.

Take care and keep well.

Alfred

macondo (12933) 2009-06-17 4:22

Hi Santo!
I know this old garage! I was there in Koroit in Feb and took some shots of it, although not from this angle. You've made a great old-looking b/w shot from it, while I have toyed with the idea of uploading a colour shot. Perhaps I will, but it'll have to wait till I return home.
Anyway, the perspective is great, looking down that deserted looking main street.
Regards,
Andrew

shevchenko (9694) 2009-06-17 21:36

Hi Santo,

No credit cards, then no point, even with the member card of petrol station, everytime when you refill petrol you also can collect points for exchange goods later, that is the situation here in my home city.

Dark environment, cloudy sky and lonely road create an eerie view, just look like a death town, good sepia version to show it, distinct photo, well done.

Ally

Silvio1953 (40583) 2009-06-19 10:51

Ciao Santo, bella conversione in seppia e magnifica prospettiva, ottima vista di questo caratteristico villagio di frontiera, bravo, ciao Silvio

paololg (13074) 2009-06-20 6:00

Ciao caro Santo,
piacevole immagine lavorata stupendamente in PP, dove hai enfatizzato bene i contrasti luminosi. Mi piace molto anche la tonalità seppia che hai dato. Bravissimo!
Ciao, passa un buon fine settimana!
Paolo

holmertz (9200) 2009-06-21 6:43

Hello Santo,
And I always thought Australia was a modern country!
Well, maybe it is, and it's just your careful PP that has given this photo such an old-fashioned atmosphere. In any case this looks like a town straight out if the Wild West. A very good POV with good depth.
Best regards,
Gert.

jhm (81561) 2009-06-23 4:13

Hello Santo,

Exactly a image out of 1950.
I like the careful post processing, it is very successful in enhancing the atmosphere in this town.
Perspective and depth are perfect.
Very well composition and good presentation too. TFS.

Best regards,
John.

azizbilgili (1714) 2009-08-18 1:53