LuigiSonnifero

LIFE | Plateau de Valensole, Provence France

LIFE | Plateau de Valensole, Provence France

An old tree watches over the rows of lavender in Plateau de Valensole as the day comes to an end.

An old tree watches over the rows of lavender in Plateau de Valensole as the day comes to an end.
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Valensole, Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur, FR

upload_date

Jan, 2022

Views

1818

Likes

+282

Awards

Contender in the Photography Awards

Action Award

Chatter Award

Summer Views Award

Flawless Summer Award

Achievement in Originality

Zenith Award

Top Pick Award

Staff Favorite

Halfway22 Award

Curator's Selection

Top Shot Award 22

Portable Printer

Contest Finalist in One Tree Photo Contest

Honorable Mention in Image Of The Month Photo Contest Vol 77

Contest Finalist in Image Of The Month Photo Contest Vol 77

Peer Award

+495

Absolute Masterpiece

+25

Superb Composition

+21

Top Choice

+18

Outstanding Creativity

Magnificent Capture

All Star

Superior Skill

Virtuoso

Genius

Emotions

Impressed

+10

Happy

Top Ranks

Top 10 rank

Top 10 rank week 1

Top 10 rank

Top 10 rank week 1

Top 10 rank

Top 10 rank week 1

Top 20 rank

Top 10 rank

Top 10 rank week 1

Top 10 rank

Top 20 rank

Top 10 rank week 1

Behind The Lens

Location

I took this photo in Plateau de Valensole, in the Provence region of Southern France; this particular tree is situated at the beginning of the D8 road. I like it because is not one of the most famous spots for photography in Valensole, nonetheless, in 2021 it was one of the most beautiful and well-tended fields of lavender. Also, I fell in love with the look of this old tree at the end of the rows of lavender!

Time

I shot it at sunset because I had the warm light of the sun coming from the right side, creating depth through highlights and shadows.

Lighting

I shot this image for about an hour or so, every 1 minute, to capture all the changes in light and colors; then, I blended some moments of the sunset to this single image; in particular, I used the last light of the sunset when half of the field was illuminated, to create depth in contrast to the foreground which was in shadows, and a frame, later on, at the peak of the colors in the sky. I loved how the sky turned out because it gave 4 layers to this image: the cold clouds, the warm light, the warm lavenders, and then the cold lavenders of the foreground, which are kind of specular to the sky.

Equipment

I used the Fujifilm X-T3, the Fujinon 55-200mm at 55mm, and the Benro Mach3 tripod. No filters and flash needed.

Inspiration

I love to create unique sceneries, something you couldn’t see with your own eyes. I like to play with reality and bend it to my creativity. That’s why I use to blend multiple moments of a sunset or a sunrise, using different conditions of light and colors in the same image and creating a surreal landscape.

Editing

Yes, of course! This image is the combination of two moments, and also a focus stack because the foreground was too near to the lens to have everything in focus, so first things first I manually focus stacked 3 images (with near, medium, and distant focus) using simple gradient masks; then I blended the result with an image taken, later on, using it to have the best colors in the sky. Lastly, I did the basic color correction to match the different exposures and added a boost to clarity and color to the sky to valorize its texture.

In my camera bag

I normally bring with me a Fujifilm X-T3 and a Fujifilm X-T2, with the Fujinon 10-24mm f4, 16-55mm f2.8, and 55-200 f3.5-4.8. My tripod is the Benro Mach3. I carry this gear in a ThinkTank Airport Essential backpack. Last but not least, my car, a Citroen C3 Aircross, allows me to travel to places like Valensole, and it’s one of my most important equipment for photography (even if it doesn’t fit in my bag :P).

Feedback

Be patient on the field, try and try again until you succeed, but always remember to create your own vision!

See more amazing photos, follow LuigiSonnifero

LuigiSonnifero

LuigiSonnifero

LIFE | Plateau de Valensole, Provence France

An old tree watches over the rows of lavender in Plateau de Valensole as the day comes to an end.

Behind The Lens

See more amazing photos, follow LuigiSonnifero

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