The Farm
Jul, 2018Views
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Contest Finalist in Monthly Pro Photo Contest Vol 44
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Behind The Lens
Location
Our family farm in west central Illinois. The photo is an update of the same scene from years earlier. The earlier shot was with a Nikon D700, and I wanted to get a new shot with my D800.Time
Evening, just as the sun was disappearing behind the western tree line.Lighting
My goal was to get enough sunlight to sidelight the background while not having too much light hitting the front of the camera. The clouds helped me by blocking the majority of the light.Equipment
Nikon D800, 17-35mm lens, tripod, cable release, GND filter.Inspiration
I just love this shot. Over the years, my nephews have done great things with our family farm. They are avid outdoorsmen, who love to hunt, fish and enjoy everything the outdoors has to offer. They planted this plot of sunflowers a couple of years ago which seem to fade into the distance. I like how they lead you farther into the scene and the impact of the evening light in the composition.Editing
I took 3 or 4 shots with my lens set at 26mm. I combined those into a photo stack, so I could get the maximum depth of field and sharpness in the corners. These are all RAW files, so I made some global edits before stacking them together. Once merged into a single 16 bit file, I retuned to Adobe Camera Raw for additional adjustments. My final bit of editing was done in Photoshop to remove the front of my truck that I managed to get into the frame.In my camera bag
Nikon D800E, 17-35mm f2.8 lens, 28mm prime lens, 20mm prime lens, 50mm prime lens, 85mm prime lens and 70-200mm f2.8 lens. For most of my work, I use the 17-35mm and 20mm prime lens. I carry a few ND soft grad filters, which I use occasionally. I always shoot from a tripod using a Really Right Stuff ball head and the Really Right Stuff panning clamp when shooting a pano. I also use a remote trigger in low light. Other than that, I have a lens cloth, a small flashlight, notepad, pen, batteries, things I might need in the field.Feedback
Just keep shooting. I shot this scene several years ago with my D700 and wanted to capture it again with the D800. The D800 produces a much larger and sharper image. I return a lot to many of my favorite locations trying different techniques and equipment. I'm also looking for conditions that could make the shot more interesting. That's the great thing about landscapes; you can go back at different times of the year, or years, to try and improve the original vision. If you're trying to take your photography to the next level it's important to just keep shooting. Don't be afraid to make mistakes, because we all do. I can't tell you how many I've made and will make in the future. A lot of my earliest posts here on Viewbug have changed. The internet is your friend when it comes to photography. Study photographers whose work you like! There are MANY great photographers here on Viewbug that can provide a wealth of information. The important thing is to keep shooting and learning!
