Northamptonshire Sunset, England
These lovely ladies were more interested in me than the beautiful sunset colours behind them!!
These lovely ladies were more interested in me than the beautiful sunset colours behind them!!
Read less
Read less
Dec, 2017Views
1919
Likes
Awards
Zenith Award
People's Choice in Fun and humourous animal shots Photo Challenge
Staff Favorite
Peer Award
Top Choice
Absolute Masterpiece
Superb Composition
Outstanding Creativity
Magnificent Capture
All Star
Superior Skill
Virtuoso
Top Ranks
Top 10 rankTop 10 rank week 1
Top 10 rankTop 10 rank week 1
Top 10 rank
Categories
danielmartin
May 12, 2018
Yeah! I found out that they are very curious these nice beasts!!! Beautiful balance of light mon ami!! Bravo!
Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Discover more photos See all
Behind The Lens
Location
These lovely ladies (and the gent hiding behind the lady at the front) are the regular occupants of a field in our village in Northamptonshire, England. It's only a 2 minute walk from the house, and I thought I would walk to this field to capture the post sunset colours. I'd spotted the mists form in the distant fields and thought there would be a good shot here. However, the colours of post sunset didn't get any more dramatic than they are in this shot, but I had become the focus of attention of the cows and bull in the field. They were all very friendly and quite happy being photographed. As soon as I noticed that many of the cows were looking at me, the shot had to be taken. It turned out to be my favourite of the evening!!Time
The time of day was just 10 minutes after the sun had disappeared below the horizon, and there was a chill wind blowing up the valley from the south. The intention was to capture a quick shot of the sunset colours, but these lovely animals provided a much more interesting subject as a foreground to the drama beyond.Lighting
The lighting was simply from the brightest part of the post sunset sky, but that warm glow was just right for outlining the cattle, and to provide the odd rim light or two - most notably around the ears of the front cow. I exposed for the face of this front cow, and relied upon the RAW file to enable the shadows to be recovered, and any highlights tamed. As it happened, the mid tone selected was correct, as the shot required very little editing post capture.Equipment
This shot was taken on a Nikon D800, with a 24-70mm f2.8 lens, at 31mm and at f8 for 1/10th of a second, ISO 100. The camera was tripod mounted, as I was supposed to be taking a picture of the sunset. However, the cows and bull were very patient, and hardly moved at all during the 1/10th second exposure. Because I had been standing in position for quite a while, the cows were not at all alarmed by the sound of the camera, or me rummaging around in my camera bag.Inspiration
Due to the wonderful views from this vantage point, I walk past this field frequently, and it nearly always has cattle in it. Also, the cows always seem to have a wonderful variety of colouring in their coats, and always look very healthy and well cared-for. Indeed, I have spent a few moments talking to the farmer, complementing him on his highly photogenic herd. He seemed quite happy with my taking photos of them. The combination of the warmth of the sunset, coupled with the cows' interest in me, was a lucky combination. I have since taken many pictures of these cows, but this is my favourite.Editing
Other than a very slight lifting of the shadows, the exposure was more or less spot on. The Nikon D800 is excellent in terms of the dynamic range handling of the sensor, and this scene did not present any serious challenges for it. I am an Adobe ACR and Photoshop user, although not very advanced.In my camera bag
I have been a Nikon photographer for many years, and am completely comfortable using their equipment. I have a D800 and a D850, and I use these interchangeably. They are both superb cameras. I have a collection of lenses, accumulated over the years, but my primary weapons of choice are the 14-24mm f2.8, the 24-70mm f2.8 and the 70-200mm f2.8. For landscapes, it is nearly always the 24-70mm that is on the camera, but increasingly I am using the 70-200mm for closer, tighter compositions. My tripos is my favourite accessory - a Benro Mach 3, TMA38CL carbon fibre model, and I love it. It's a basic, classic tripod that is absolutely perfect for my needs. My youngest son is a leather-worker and he made me a leather camera bag to hold the equipment I use most often, and I carry my camera in a Lowepro Toploader around my neck. After this, the next most important item of equipment for photography in the UK, is my sturdy pair of Wellington boots!!Feedback
The UK is perhaps best known for its wet weather and grey skies. This is the inevitable consequence of its temperate climate. It is this temperate climate that delivers the rich variety of weather conditions we enjoy on an almost daily basis. As a keen amateur photographer, my advice for capturing this type of image is simply to get out there! If the weather is changeable, with frontal systems moving in (keep a eye on the weather forecasts), then a sunset could be on. So, keep your gear handy so you can grab and go, and get into the countryside. Even if the light is poor and nothing materialises in front of you, you will still have benefited from the fresh air, as well as scouted for potential compositions.
