#00347, Termite Tower

The "Magnetic" termite mounds of Litchfield National Park are quite famous. They're not really magnetic but aligned with the flat sides facing east-west to catch the early and late warmth while presenting little surface area to the midday sun.

As is often the case with popular spots there's an information booth, car park, boardwalk and viewing platform.

So how does one get a different and wilderness-looking image?

You leave all that behind and walk.

This mound is over three metres high and a metre wide if viewed from the flat side, but I wanted to emphasise the height and chose an angle from the narrow side.

I admit there's little idea of the scale here and I did think about placing something of a known size in the shot, something that wouldn't look out of place in a national park.

It's sad commentary on modern culture that the first thing that sprang to mind was a beer can.

Click here for a colour version of this image

Litchfield National Park, NT

Technical: Tachihara 5x4 field camera, 90mm, 1/2s, f64
Keywords: termite tower magnetic mounds litchfield national park flat east west sun so wilderness you mound narrow nt pan large black white landscape lichfield insects wildlife