bjcovin

Dandelion at Sunset

Picture taken of dandelion silhouetted by the setting sun on a Fall afternoon in Iowa.

Picture taken of dandelion silhouetted by the setting sun on a Fall afternoon in Iowa.
Read less

Canon EOS 60D

settings

Aperture f/9 ISO 640 Shutter 1/500 Focal Length 135/1

upload_date

Mar, 2020

Views

Likes

Awards

Contender in the Photography Awards

Action Award

Summer Views Award

Flawless Summer Award

Achievement in Originality

Zenith Award

Top Pick Award

Staff Favorite

Halfway22 Award

Curator's Selection

Spring 21 Award

Legendary Award

Summer 2020

2020 Choice Award

Outstanding Creativity

+14

Top Choice

+11

Superb Composition

Absolute Masterpiece

Top Ranks

Top 10 rank

Top 30 rank

Top 10 rank

Top 10 rank week 1

Top 10 rank

Top 10 rank week 1

Top 10 rank

Top 20 rank week 1

Top 20 rank

Top 20 rank week 1

Top 20 rank week 2

Top 20 rank week 1

Top 10 rank

Behind The Lens

Location

This photo was taken in my back yard, at the edge of a corn field, shortly after harvest, in the Midwest. We live on a small acreage at the top of hill with great views all around us so, there are time you find beauty in your own backyard.

Time

This photo was taken at my very favorite time of the year and day. A warm, fall, Midwest evening when the light was just perfect, as the sun dipped into the horizon.

Lighting

I am always looking for nice, warm light and contrasting shadows or silhouettes. The timing of the shot was everything. There was a steady breeze that kept bouncing the seedpod and moving it out of the perfect spot. I still wish I'd gotten the alignment a little tighter but, with limited light it was the best of the shots.

Equipment

For this shot I used my old, trusty Canon 60D with a Canon 28-135 lens. No tripod, flash or timer.

Inspiration

As much as I don't care for the dandelions taking over my yard, I do appreciate their beauty and complexity. In this light, I was inspired to try to capture the fleeting moment before the seeds lofted off into the unknown. This particular plant was shielded from some of the wind and had a really nice shape and composition.

Editing

I don't remember if I did much to this photo. I do typically run my images through Photoshop and make any tweaks I think will add a little more mood or help the colors pop. I never retouch or manipulate composition so, the photo you see is basically the photo I took, aside from some color adjustments.

In my camera bag

I am not a professional photographer so, most of my equipment would probably be buried in the closet of any professionals out there. I have an old, trusty Canon 60D, the 28-135 Canon lens, the 18-55 lens that came with the camera and an old Ultrasonic 70-250 lens. Like I said nothing expensive or even great quality but, someday I really hope y

Feedback

Growing up in the Midwest, when the sun starts to set you really have a limited window of opportunity to catch the perfect mood with light and shadows. Many times I would load up my gear to get to a place that I knew had great color and shadows only to get there a coupe of minutes too late. My best advice would be, drive around with your camera or, find some locations that intrigue you. Visit them during different times of the day and see how different they look from some really odd angles. There are a million pictures of famous landmarks or historical sites people take from standing in similar places. Try dropping to your knees or standing on an elevated spot from an angle that may seem strange or odd. You might get a few strange looks but, you might also get the perfect shot. No matter how great or lame your equipment might be it's the eye, the composition and the angles that set you apart. Just put yourself out there and grab some light! Never be afraid.

See more amazing photos, follow bjcovin

bjcovin

bjcovin

Dandelion at Sunset

Picture taken of dandelion silhouetted by the setting sun on a Fall afternoon in Iowa.

Behind The Lens

See more amazing photos, follow bjcovin

Share photos. Enter contests to win great prizes. Earn coins, get amazing rewards. Join for free.

Share photos. Enter contests to win great prizes.
Earn coins, get amazing rewards. Join for free.