Sunset over Chesterton Windmill
Lines of crops lead up to Chesterton Windmill at sunset in spring
Lines of crops lead up to Chesterton Windmill at sunset in spring
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Jun, 2015Views
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Awards
Contest Finalist in Windmills Photo Contest
Contest Finalist in Far Far Away Photo Contest
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Contest Finalist in Lines In Nature Photo Contest
Contest Finalist in Agriculture Photo Contest
Contest Finalist in Spring 2015 Photo Contest
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nandicmb
October 06, 2015
Congratulations on your Contest Finalist win in Agriculture Photo Contest!
Deboodle
December 04, 2016
The Chesterton windmill has never looked so good! I was never lucky enough to capture such a beautiful sunset there, let alone the flowering crops. Congrats on your finalist!
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Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken at a rather popular spot in Warwickshire, Chesterton Windmill. Visible from the M40, It's an intriguing and imposing sight, especially in Spring when the fields surrounding the structure bloom with yellow.Time
It looked like it wasn't going to be a particularly breathtaking sunset, but I wanted to capture the spring colours before they disappeared. I'm more a fan of shooting at sunrise as opposed to sunset, but sometimes the light and colour can surprise (the unpredictability of being a landscape photographer is really part of the appeal). This was shot at 20:09, just as the sun dipped below the horizon.Lighting
One of the struggles with Chesterton in spring in that the sun sets behind the windmill itself, which can be a struggle when using filters as this can cause unwanted flare. Thankfully, as a shifted from one side of the field to the other, the sky took on a glorious afterglow, catching on the thin layer of cloud and haze, graduating in colour from rich, warm tones to the prevailing blues above.Equipment
I captured this image on my Canon 5D Mk III + 24-70mm mounted on a Three Legged Thing x1.1 Brian Evolution 2 Carbon Fibre Tripod. I also used a Lee Filter 0.6 Soft ND Grad Filter and Landscape Circular Polariser.Inspiration
This is an area that I know well, and I have captured the Windmill on many an occasion. However, a friend of mine tipped me off about the yellow crops that were about to bloom in the fields surrounding the windmill, and this seemed like too good an opportunity to miss. I really wanted to shooting it at sunset, and capture the warm tones of the dying day mixing with the bright, vibrant yellows of the landscape below with it's leading lines pulling the eye up to the windmill itself.Editing
This is actually HDR, which is probably one of the first HDR images I have created in years. The new Lightroom CC provides a powerful HDR tool and I wanted to try this out. I found that it suited this image well, giving further depth to the colours and clarity to the overall image. As per my usual workflow, I adjusted in Lightroom and then continued to fine-tune the image in Photoshop using luminosity masks and the occasional dodge/burn where necessary. Finally, I returned the image to Lightroom to tidy up any noise or sharpness issues, using Nik software.In my camera bag
At any one time I usually carrying two cameras with me. The beast that is my Canon 5D Mk III, as well as associated lenses, such as the workhorse 24-70mm f/2.8, the ultra-wide 16-35mm f/2.8, the versatile 50mm f/1.4, the specialised but ultimately wonderful 100mm f/2.8 USM Macro and the essential 70-200mm f/4 IS. This provides me with a full range of focal lengths for all aspects of photography, but I occasionally rent longer lenses for landscape work, such as the 100-400mm. I also carry the smaller, yet very powerful Fujifilm X-T1 equipped with the 10-24mm f/4 & 35mm f/1.4. For both cameras I have a set of Lee Filters including ND Grads, Big/Little Stoppers and Circular Polarisers. It can get a little heavy at times... It's no wonder I'm short!Feedback
For anyone trying to capture something similar, I would suggest getting to know the area, and arriving with plenty of time before the light gets really good. This will allow you to scope out the lay of the land and find the angle you want to shoot ahead of time. Be aware of exposure when you're shooting at the end/beginning of the day. Either invest in some filters or shoot three different exposures (under, normal, over that you can merge in post) to ensure that detail and tone is retained throughout the image. Think about the composition; ultimately the windmill is the focal point, but you have creative control over how the eye will arrive at that destination. Most importantly, enjoy the experience, it'll show in your images.
