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Brushy Mound



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Early fall in Midwestern Illiniois.

Early fall in Midwestern Illiniois.
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upload_dateMar, 2017

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Contest Finalist in The Beauty Of Barns Photo Contest
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12 Comments |
Cyd1940
 
Cyd1940 May 04, 2017
very awesome picture
Hstarr PRO
Hstarr May 13, 2017
Thank you!!!
suehendersonneese Platinum
 
suehendersonneese June 09, 2017
Lovely capture. The colors are amazing.
Hstarr PRO
Hstarr June 15, 2017
Thank you!!!
margaretdiffenbaugh
 
margaretdiffenbaugh June 21, 2017
Very nice rural scene.
Hstarr PRO
Hstarr June 21, 2017
Thank you!!! I appreciate the compliment!
Neckbone
 
Neckbone June 30, 2017
Beautiful scene and capture!
Hstarr PRO
Hstarr June 30, 2017
Thank you!!!!
devkshemendra
 
devkshemendra June 30, 2017
That's a stunning capture ????????????????
Hstarr PRO
Hstarr June 30, 2017
Thank you!!!!!!!
DPignat
 
DPignat July 21, 2017
this picture gives me a sense a peace and balance
Hstarr PRO
Hstarr July 24, 2017
Thank you!!! Making that connection is the best compliment I could hope for!!!
kathyk_abq
 
kathyk_abq August 22, 2017
Really stunning capture and edit. There is a real feel of peace and home here.
loristaleytruzy PRO+
 
loristaleytruzy November 10, 2017
I love the softness of this one. Which editing program are you using?
jesann
 
jesann February 04, 2018
So peaceful and calm. I love it!!
tcurry13
 
tcurry13 February 09, 2018
Beautiful! What are the shooting specs?
kyledugger
 
kyledugger February 21, 2018
Fantastic capture of the scene. Amazing color?
Rezaw
 
Rezaw November 16, 2018
Wonderfull

Submitted to Photo Contests

Tags

#barns #clouds #farm #landscape #midwest #pasture #sunset #wild flowers #rural
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Behind The Lens

Location

The photo was taken a short distance from my home. I love old barns, and the early fall iron weed created a great foreground to help anchor the shot. I've scouted this area a number of times, so I arrived an hour early to set up and wait for the light. Iron weed pulls a lot of butterflies, so I hope to go back in the fall to try and incorporate some into a second shot.

Time

It was about a half hour before sunset. The warm tones of the setting sun filled the scene.

Lighting

Like most landscape photographers, I prefer the early morning and late evening light. I appreciate the shadows and directional light that comes with that time of day, and the color tones common with the rising or setting sun.

Equipment

I have a Nikon D800E combined with a 17-35, f2.8 lens. I don't recall the exact exposure settings, and I'm not where I can look them up. However, I did do an exposure blend of bracketed shots, as well as, a focus stack to get my near-to-far depth of field. Tripods are an essential piece of equipment, especially when it comes to exposure and focus stacked images.

Inspiration

I love the rural landscape. I live in the Midwest where there are a lot of farms, fences, barns, hay bales and all things country life has to offer. I'm big into old barns and do my best to record them before they disappear. There's been a number of instances where I return to a location only find out the barn has been torn down or destroyed by wicked Midwest storms. This scene is a rare find because it has so many elements that I find interesting and complimentary to the overall composition.

Editing

Yes. That's one of the things I like the most. I shoot in Raw format, so post is very important in order to achieve the vision I felt at the time. I follow the same basic routine, but I'm always on the lookout for new techniques in order to bring the Raw files to life. While I enjoy the post process, it can be a time consuming. I've found it's better to slow down and take more time working an image. I can't tell you how many times I've rushed the process only to be disappointed with the results.

In my camera bag

Right now I only carry a Nikon D800E. I have a D700 but use it as backup. I have a number zoom and prime lens: 70-200mm, 85mm prime, 50mm prime, 28mm prime and a 17-35mm zoom. I use the 17-35mm for 90 percent of my work. I also use a shutter release and have graduated ND filters, which I don't use very often. That's most of the gear I keep with me other than lens cloth, mini flashlight and that kind of stuff. I also use a free depth-of-field calculator app from time-to-time.

Feedback

Advice....Be patient and scout the location so you know how and where to set up. I can't tell you how many times I arrived at a location with only minutes or seconds to get the shot. That rarely works out. Become familiar with your equipment and settings. Once your comfortable and confident with the equipment your work will improve. I've spent a lot of time on trail and error and wasted opportunities that I can't get back. Today, I'm much more confident and can get my gear set up in seconds instead of minutes which means a higher probability of getting the shot. Also, soak up as much information as you can. The Internet has lots of great photographers willing to share their expertise and sites like Viewbug that will help you achieve your photography goals. Find a photographer who you like and follow them. You'll be surprised by what you will learn.

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