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A broken combine waits to be fixed during a busy harvest
A broken combine waits to be fixed during a busy harvest
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Oct, 2015Views
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November 19, 2015
Thank you for making someone's day!! You have an amazing eye for photography! The Curator Team at ViewBug!! What is the location of this photo?
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Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken a couple miles from my home in rural Alberta, Canada, looking east in a field where my family was busy harvesting.Time
I took this photo on October 11, 2015 at 21:59. I had been waiting a couple of weeks for ideal conditions to capture harvesting at night. On this night, a new moon, clear skies (clouds started to move in during the shoot, but I captured this shot before the stars were obscured and the clouds ended up adding a nice highlight), and farm equipment working in a wide open field finally coincided so I headed out to shoot. I shot some other photos while I waited for the Milky Way to be positioned above the combine. This combine had broken down and was not being used at the time, so I could take my time and not worry about holding up the harvest.Lighting
To illuminate the combine I used a Metz 52 AF-1 Flash fired off camera. I fired the flash from two different positions at 1/4 power (if I remember correctly) to reduce harsh shadows for a more natural look. Light pollution lit up the clouds. I also had to deal with light from the headlights and taillights of various other farm machinery. Behind the combine was a grain truck with lights on, which helped light the granaries and grain auger, but gave the photo uneven white balance and areas that were over saturated, problems that were fixed with a little post-processing.Equipment
I used a Nikon D7100 with a AF DX Fisheye-Nikkor 10.5mm f/2.8G ED lense on a tripod. Also, a Metz 52 AF-1 Flash fired off camera.Inspiration
In my grandparents' house is a painting of a combine and a grain truck working under the stars and Northern Lights. I have always wanted to recreate that image, and while the Northern Lights were not to be seen that night I still got several photos I was excited about. I like to capture the farming lifestyle in my photos, am fascinated by the night sky, and have always loved the atmosphere of harvesting at night. All you can see is what the small moving island of light created by the farm implements' lights illuminate, everything else is shrouded in darkness. As you go round and round the field, the only thing that remains in constant view is the starry sky and the front end of your machine. I tried to capture that feeling in this picture. Also, I had only recently purchased my fisheye lense and flash and so I was eager to try out some new angles and lighting techniques.Editing
In post processing I performed some extra noise reduction. Also, I reduced the saturation and adjusted the white balance of the lighting on the granaries, grain auger, and a strip of field which had been lit by a warmer light than my flash. I increased the brightness and colour of the combine to emphasize it. I also darkened the areas that should be black but were coming across as grey, such as the belt, tires, and front panel on the combine, as well as the sky. Increasing the sharpness helped bring out the stars. Finally, I reduced the amount of glare my flash caused on the window and other shiny parts of the combine.In my camera bag
My Nikon D7100 body and AF-S DX Nikkor 18-300mm f/3.5-6.3G ED VR lens are always with me. The 18-300mm is a great all-in one lens, ensuring that I can capture whatever I may chance upon, whether that be wildlife, flowers, sky, or landscapes. Always attached to it is a circular polarizing filter, the difference a quick turn of a polarizing filter can make for a photo is incredible. Depending what I am planning on shooting I choose between three other lenses. When capturing the small things of the world, I reach for my AF-S DX Micro NIKKOR 85mm f/3.5G ED VR lens. This lens has a 1:1 reproduction ratio for macro shooting. The 85mm focal length makes it easier to avoid casting a shadow on a macro subject, it also decreases the likelihood of your subject either being scared away, or making contact with your lens which could dirty or scratch it. If I am seeking bokeh in my pictures or shooting in low light I use a AF-S DX NIKKOR 35mm f/1.8G lens. My AF DX Fisheye-Nikkor 10.5mm f/2.8G ED lens comes out when I want to capture the sky. It allows me to show the full extent of sunrises, sunsets, magnificent cloud patterns, starry nights, and Northern Lights in my pictures, even with a subject in the foreground. The fisheye can make for some creative results with other subjects as well, which I look forward to exploring further. When the lighting is not just so, I use a Metz 52 AF-1 Flash, usually off camera, firing it manually (long exposures) or as a slave controlled by my camera. A tripod is essential for long exposures and interval shooting, but can also make other shooting easier, especially when equipment is heavy. I also make sure to always have an extra battery, extra memory, lens cleaning tools, and a rain jacket for my equipment.Feedback
Think ahead and be patient. For this shot I had to wait a couple weeks before the wanted conditions aligned. Be aware of how full the moon is and when it rises and sets. Typically for capturing stars you will want to be shooting when there is no moon. Know how the stars, and in particular the Milky Way, travel through the sky. Plan to be shooting when the stars are best positioned for your shots. There are apps and other software available that show how the sky will look at any time throughout the year from any place on Earth, such tools are invaluable. Dress warm. Creativity is stunted when you are uncomfortable. Shooting at night in the fall can be chilly and if there is dew, damp. Backdropping a large foreground object with the sky requires an upward angle, therefore you end up shooting from a low position. To frame this photo I had to lay on the cold damp ground and despite wearing a heavy sweater, insulated pants, and rubber boots, I still came home from this shoot chilled. Remember that harvest is a very busy time and farmers may not be willing to give you much time with equipment so be considerate and understanding. Be safe around farm equipment. If the equipment is in use, make sure that the operator is aware of your presence. As for camera settings, experiment. Settings that work for one shot may not be the best for the next one, so if you have the time and patience take a series of images at different settings for each shot. If your camera has the capability, absolutely shoot in RAW. It gives you more options when post-processing and makes it easier to set white balance which is hard to get right at night. Since it is easier to be creative with subjects you know and have a passion for, shoot what you love and don't be deterred by low light situations, use long exposures and flashes to open up a whole new world of photography. Have fun and keep trying new things.
