martijnvdnat
FollowOut in the Fields
Out in the Fields
Read less
Read less
Views
2659
Likes
Awards
Contest Finalist in Sun Flares Photo Contest
Contest Finalist in Rural Sceneries Photo Contest
Featured
Superb Composition
Absolute Masterpiece
Top Choice
Peer Award
Outstanding Creativity
All Star
Magnificent Capture
Exceptional Contrast
Great Find
Superior Skill
Top Class Lighting
VIP Favorite
Jaw Dropping
Love it
Top Ranks
Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken out in a field near the small town of Benthuizen, the Netherlands. After a searching for the ‘right’ location another search started for the ‘right’ weather/conditions. Previsualizing an image with certain conditions really helps. In my case I set out to take a landscape photo of a ripe wheat field and the tracks in them with some small clouds nicely spread out over the clear blue sky. I set out to capture such a pictureTime
These kind of images work best at the golden hours of the day, around sunrise or sunset. This specific location was chosen so that the lines in the field would lead somewhat in the direction of the setting sun. Because it is a familliar spot I know exactly how long it took me to get there and where to park the car. So I could be there easily an hour before sunset. I had visited this spot three times in one week just to get the right conditions. And a lot of other fields were already being harvested so I had to be quick.Lighting
I wanted to have the light just gently touch the tops of the wheat field so the sun should be as low as possible. I waited a little longer so the sun was already a little covered by the horizon in order for he sunstar-effect to be maximized.Equipment
I used my trusty old Nikon d90 fixed on a tripod, (manfrotto 290) with a Sigma 10-20 4-5,6 wide angle lens at 11 mm. To control the sky and get a more or less balanced exposure I also used a Hitech 0.9 Hard Grad ND filter. used aperture f22 to get a sunstar, shutter of 0,8 seconds at ISO 200. To maximize the sharpness I used mirror lockup mode. In this mode the camera waits a little while after the mirror has flipped away before exposing the sensor. In this way the vibrations of the flipping of the mirror have been canceled out and you get the best possible sharpness. Of course I used a remote release trigger to press the shutter button too.Inspiration
Ever since a year ago when I was at the same location I wanted to try and shoot this location with your typical dutch clouds under a great not so typical Dutch sunset.Editing
I used apple aperture for the raw processing and some minor adjustments to the vibrance and colors. Then made a roundtrip through Photoshop, fixing the lense errors, tweaking the light touching the wheat ever so gently. I used a mask based upon luminance to select the right tones so that the shadows of the tracks were not affected.In my camera bag
I carry around everything that I have which is not that much... But I might need it at some point during a trip. Nikon D90 Nikkor 50 mm 1.8D Nikkor 18-200 VRII 3.5-5.6 Sigma 10-20 mm 4-5,6 DC HSM Manfrotto 290 Tripod with an Manfrotto 494RC2 Ballhead Hitech ProIRND 10 stopper Stealth Gear Circular Polariser Hitech ND hard & soft grad filters 0.3, 0.6 & 0.9 Nikon SB-700Feedback
Previsualize what kind of image what you want to have, search for the right location (using google earth or the stuck on earth app), visit the location a couple of times at different times of day, wait for the right weather and conditions and go again if the results were not satisfying. Keep at it, keep trying and learn from your actions. and last but not least; enjoy yourself and have fun! Martijn