Posted by Russ Devan (New Hanover, United States) on 28 February 2008 in Landscape & Rural and Portfolio.
This is an overgrown field about a half mile from my home in New Hanover. It probably once belonged to one of the original farms in the area that were sold long ago and subdivided for housing developments. Soon, it will be full of "McMansions" just like many other areas around here. Sigh.
I pass this field several times each week and was keeping my eye on the trees as they slowly turned a vibrant orange very late in the fall last year. It was one of those scenes that had so much potential, but needed the right light or the right something to come along and make it look special. So, I watched it and watched it for some time waiting for the right moment to come along; hoping that would happen before the leaves fell from the trees. Fortunately, these trees were the last to change color this year and hung around an extraordinarily long time.
That moment finally came on Thanksgiving Day last year. I spotted nasty storm clouds rolling in above the field as I was coming back from the store for my wife (we ran out of whipping cream for one of her signature dishes she was making to go with the turkey). I drove home, dropped off the whipping cream, grabbed the camera and headed out again, much to her amazement. I figured a couple of quick snaps of the shutter and I'll be back right away. Ha ha, yeah right. Set up the tripod, try a few filters, add a polarizer, adjust the exposure, wait for more clouds to roll in, add a couple ND grads and the next thing I know, the sky opens up and starts dumping on me and the equipment. I took off my rain coat and drape it over the camera while I pack the equpment into my backpack and then slog back to the car a drowned rat, only to pass by our dinner guests as they drove past me on their way to my house for Thanksgiving dinner. I got a good-natured ribbing when I finally got home...soaked... a short time after they arrived. At least they waited until I changed into dry clothes before eating. It was worth it for a photograph.
Thanks for stopping by.
“The price of anything is the amount of life you exchange for it.” - Henry David Thoreau
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You're right; this image makes it all woth it. I love the contrast between the burned oranges and the bleak grey sky, I love that gash in the clouds - its quite apocalyptic, especially when you consider the Mcfate of this field - but I think the sky looks too dark and contrasty in the frame and the picture loses some balance. I would either tone down the sky or boost the levels and curves in te foreground.
Dan
28 Feb 2008 5:07am
@drphoto: Thanks for your input, Dan. I appreciate your thoughts. I did boost the contrast in the sky a bit with the shadow/highlights control in PS2.
IT WAS WORTH IT FOR THIS IMAGE!! ditto on drphoto's comments about the cut in the sky and mcfate, don't agree about the balance. I think the focal point here IS the sky, don't tone it down my love, and the burnt orange trees and golden field are the icing on the cake. Lovely capture and you're convincing me to get an ND filter already!
28 Feb 2008 7:34am
@Betsy Barron : www.thebetsy.com: Thanks for your kind compliments, Bets. Get an ND grad. Get several. Get Cokin. They're relatively inexpensive, if you don't mind having resin filters. The glass ones will cost you a fair penny, but are more durable. But my resin filters have lasted over 20 years with nary a scratch (I'm very careful with them). Just don't get them between my coffee cup and your cell phone (inside joke).
Really beautiful! I love this one!
3 Mar 2008 12:13pm
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NIKON D2001 secondF/11.0ISO 10034 mm