On my way home tonight

The drive home usually takes about 30 minutes, tonight I had the camera and it ended up taking almost 2 hours : ). Please let me know what you think.
The first picture was taken around 5:30pm and the second two were about an hour later, after I hopped over a broken down fence and hiked 1/2 mile into the pasture.

Camera: Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT
Exposure: 0.004 sec (1/250)
Aperture: f/8.0
Focal Length: 171 mm
ISO Speed: 400​

Camera: Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT
Exposure: 0.005 sec (1/200)
Aperture: f/10.0
Focal Length: 154 mm
ISO Speed: 400​

Hi, Wayne,

Wayne Stratton said:

The drive home usually takes about 30 minutes, tonight I had the camera and it ended up taking almost 2 hours : ). Please let me know what you think.
The first picture was taken around 5:30pm and the second two were about an hour later, after I hopped over a broken down fence and hiked 1/2 mile into the pasture.

Click to expand...

All quite lovely.

Thanks.

All are wonderful, but 2 and 3 are my favorites. What a great shoot!

I particularly like the first one.
I would caution you about taking photos on private property.

Wayne Stratton said:

The drive home usually takes about 30 minutes, tonight I had the camera and it ended up taking almost 2 hours : ). Please let me know what you think.
The first picture was taken around 5:30pm and the second two were about an hour later, after I hopped over a broken down fence and hiked 1/2 mile into the pasture.

Click to expand...

Camera: Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT
Exposure: 0.004 sec (1/250)
Aperture: f/8.0
Focal Length: 171 mm
ISO Speed: 400​

Hi Wayne,

The whole set of your driving home at sunset and being drawn in to the magic of that time is immediately enjoyable. The pictures with the steel pylon windmill might perhaps need work to define the top most portion of the structure.

This first picture, however, fine as it is. You have brought to us siennas set on fire by the hidden descending sun. The sky, as often happens, demands, (with that Tide washing detergent color), far too much attention than it deserves! This is not a B&W photograph; impossible for this magical hour! We need the actual millions of changing color in the picture, since that what's it all about, the Sienna colors of corn and harvest, wooden things and apple trees. It's our lives and bounty! It's that and family waiting for us with a welcome and what we thank god for each day of our lives.

So what is that sky doing taking up so much real estate at the top of the picture? Unless one is planning to add a giant crucifix with angels, cherubim and the dignitaries of the Venetian court attending, that blue sky belongs in a different pctorial composition.

I think the picture can benefit from freeing the landscape from much of the sky. The effect of the golden sun on the land is the story now, the blue sky can dominate tomorrow. Trust the sun and and land to make a bond before the moon takes over. You might get someone whispering in your ear to remove 2-3 cm from the foreground land, but don't give up a mm! They are just determined to keep the sky, which frankly is just an addiction.

Asher

Hi Wayne

What a successful drive home! all good, but I really like No's 1 & 3, looks like your journeys home could become long ones

Doug_Kerr said:

Hi, Wayne,



All quite lovely.

Thanks.

Click to expand...

Thank you for looking Doug, and taking the time to comment!

Rachel Foster said:

All are wonderful, but 2 and 3 are my favorites. What a great shoot!

Click to expand...

Thank you for encouraging me to put these up here Rachel and for your compliments.

Winston Mitchell said:

I particularly like the first one.
I would caution you about taking photos on private property.

Click to expand...

Thank you! I agree with you but found it funny when I read it and then saw in your signature "Get off the pavement". : )

Asher Kelman said:

Camera: Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT
Exposure: 0.004 sec (1/250)
Aperture: f/8.0
Focal Length: 171 mm
ISO Speed: 400​

Hi Wayne,

The whole set of your driving home at sunset and being drawn in to the magic of that time is immediately enjoyable. The pictures with the steel pylon windmill might perhaps need work to define the top most portion of the structure.

This first picture, however, fine as it is. You have brought to us siennas set on fire by the hidden descending sun. The sky, as often happens, demands, (with that Tide washing detergent color), far too much attention than it deserves! This is not a B&W photograph; impossible for this magical hour! We need the actual millions of changing color in the picture, since that what's it all about, the Sienna colors of corn and harvest, wooden things and apple trees. It's our lives and bounty! It's that and family waiting for us with a welcome and what we thank god for each day of our lives.

So what is that sky doing taking up so much real estate at the top of the picture? Unless one is planning to add a giant crucifix with angels, cherubim and the dignitaries of the Venetian court attending, that blue sky belongs in a different pctorial composition.

I think the picture can benefit from freeing the landscape from much of the sky. The effect of the golden sun on the land is the story now, the blue sky can dominate tomorrow. Trust the sun and and land to make a bond before the moon takes over. You might get someone whispering in your ear to remove 2-3 cm from the foreground land, but don't give up a mm! They are just determined to keep the sky, which frankly is just an addiction.

Asher

Click to expand...

Thank you Asher! After reading this though, I want to do what your saying but I am confused on whether the change should have been made when I took the picture or in editing.

janet Smith said:

Hi Wayne

What a successful drive home! all good, but I really like No's 1 & 3, looks like your journeys home could become long ones

Click to expand...

Thanks Janet! I appreciate you stopping by and commenting!!

Wayne Stratton said:

Thank you! I agree with you but found it funny when I read it and then saw in your signature "Get off the pavement". : )

Click to expand...

The ratio of dirt to paved in Idaho is enormous...almost all public. Much of the surrounding land is too (USFS, BLM, etc.)

Asher Kelman said:

Camera: Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT
Exposure: 0.004 sec (1/250)
Aperture: f/8.0
Focal Length: 171 mm
ISO Speed: 400​

Hi Wayne,

The whole set of your driving home at sunset and being drawn in to the magic of that time is immediately enjoyable. The pictures with the steel pylon windmill might perhaps need work to define the top most portion of the structure.

This first picture, however, fine as it is. You have brought to us siennas set on fire by the hidden descending sun. The sky, as often happens, demands, (with that Tide washing detergent color), far too much attention than it deserves! This is not a B&W photograph; impossible for this magical hour! We need the actual millions of changing color in the picture, since that what's it all about, the Sienna colors of corn and harvest, wooden things and apple trees. It's our lives and bounty! It's that and family waiting for us with a welcome and what we thank god for each day of our lives.

So what is that sky doing taking up so much real estate at the top of the picture? Unless one is planning to add a giant crucifix with angels, cherubim and the dignitaries of the Venetian court attending, that blue sky belongs in a different pctorial composition.

I think the picture can benefit from freeing the landscape from much of the sky. The effect of the golden sun on the land is the story now, the blue sky can dominate tomorrow. Trust the sun and and land to make a bond before the moon takes over. You might get someone whispering in your ear to remove 2-3 cm from the foreground land, but don't give up a mm! They are just determined to keep the sky, which frankly is just an addiction.

Asher

Click to expand...

Wayne, I'll bite and disagree with Asher I like the sky - the dark sets off the light on the land and the blue is a perfect contrast to the sienna. You might play with a bit of selective desat or darkening (easy on this one in LR), but I'm not sure it needs it as shown.

For what it's worth, the first speaks to me more than the others, which are fine and nice but do not seem to evoke the place as well. I can smell the dust in the first.

MIke


PS edited to say that I'm a sucker for wind pumps.

Camera: Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT
Exposure: 0.004 sec (1/250)
Aperture: f/8.0
Focal Length: 171 mm
ISO Speed: 400​

Mike Shimwell said:

Wayne, I'll bite and disagree with Asher I like the sky - the dark sets off the light on the land and the blue is a perfect contrast to the sienna.

Click to expand...

Well Mike, let's look at that effect you want. I'll buy into that being a condition that's helpful to the picture. However, I, myself offer that one does not have to have an end result which is agreeable and not a challenge to peace an quiet. I see this portion of the day, the last chance for the light to command the earth, as the strongest part of the sun's effect in art. So I prefer am aggressive presentation.

Let's look at the two likely modifications that show the value of the blue sky.

First, here's the foreground trimmed to make the blue sky even more important.





The picture appears more balanced and correct and the junction between the sky and land appears emphasized. The land is less important. The end result is a peaceful scene that few could argue with.

Now here's the crop of the sky:






Voila! Abrakedaubra!

The blue sky still contrasts with the sienna landscape, but no more is there than needed to do that specific job. We immediately "get it", a full experience and any more blue, actually just weakens the image. Why's that? The land is what's important! Now we get gradations of different qualities of dry sienna vegetation and trees that then meet the buildings and windmill at the junction with the sky, which gives its full blessing! We end up with the most dramatic picture from something that was nice and attractive! Is it too extreme? Maybe but I wanted to show it as extreme as possible because it does not have to be comfortable or ordinary.

Wayne, having said that and tried to show the magic of audacity, one can pull back and provide the dose of disturbance or unease you would like to give. But for me, at sundown it's not the sky or the structures that hold our awe, but the land, always the land set on fire by the departing sun! There's much more to do, as there is nothing yet to bring out the detail in the foreground trees, but in my mind, that's done.

Asher

I love that magic few minutes you get sometimes round sunset.Thanks for sharing those.