Prairie Night

Sugar Coated

Sometimes we just need things sugar coated.

Prairies in Black and White

Golden

Southern Manitoba

October 2013

11x14" 

1/1

Golden

Prairie Palms

Manitoba Prairies

Prairie Diamonds

How beautiful, these prairie diamonds! Soon to disappear, like riches can and do, these glistening gems of frosted wheat were to be enjoyed in the present, not hoarded nor wasted, but enjoyed...and shared.

Positioning myself and lens so the sun was shining just right on on the subject with the right amount of glisten and silhouette, I began to shoot. My shutter speed was 1/640 with an aperture of f/9. As is my habit, I used ISO 100. This was no problem with such bright conditions.

I softened the image by adding a gentle texture layer over top in Photoshop.

Off-Kilter

Sometimes when I feel off-kilter my images will show it. Though there is a strong structure in this shot, the ground feels like it is shifting, moving.

The moon's presence reminds me that though things seem chaotic, busy, crazy even, there is Someone much bigger who hasn't lost control, who is not off-kilter no matter what.

When I can see that by training my eye to look for it, then I can begin to see beauty in scenes like this while in the midst of chaos and uncertainty.

I took this image in a moving vehicle, which is why the foreground shows blur and movement. Making sure to focus on the poles and wires while essentially panning my camera by way of movement in my vehicle, I was able to keep the rest of the scene in acceptable focus.

I shot at a faster speed of 1/500 and used a greater depth of field at f/11.

Once on my computer, it is obvious that I played with layers in processing, adding texture and a little chaos to the feeling of this shot. This also deepened the colours and brought out the moon.

Prairie Winter

The Curtain Came Down

Here is another example showing how black and white photography is great for showcasing definition and contrast, such as in a scene like this. The storm clouds were less threatening in colour than in the black and white shown here. The reality (and intensity) of the clouds' anger was best displayed void of colour.

Bumping up the contrast a little more was all that was needed to effectively show you how the storm descended on the fields. The curtain came down and brought with it the night.

I shot at f/6.3 with a shutter speed of 1/200. I kept my ISO at 100, my preferred setting for almost all conditions. My focal length was 70 mm.

Wind's Sigh

To catch the spirit of the prairies one must include wheat and wind.

Finding a new perspective when shooting can make a big difference in the outcome. Getting low to the ground and shooting the subject of the wheat upward gives a sense of shelter and security.

Shelter and security are both strong characteristics found in homesteading on the prairies; we see the wind but are not fearful.

Aflame

The tree and leftover crop seem to be on fire on this autumn evening. The heavy bank of clouds lifted enough for the sun to paint the field with gold before it set for the night.

Keeping my ISO at 100, as I normally try to do if at all possible, I shot at a speed of 1/1250 and an f stop of f/2.8. The reason for the speed was I was in a moving vehicle at time of capture. Had that not been the case, I would have tried for a greater depth of field with an f stop of around f/11 or thereabouts. Having said that, the point of focus was the tree and it didn't really matter if the rest of the image was not as clear.

Storm Rolled In

The storm clouds literally rolled in as we drove along on the highway. Soon we found ourselves in heavy rain and high winds. The lightening brightened up the skies momentarily but mostly it was pretty dark and visibility was not good. Traffic slowed considerably; some stopped alongside the road. It didn't take long, maybe twenty minutes, until we reached the end of the storm's strength and the sun shone brightly again.

With the low light of the stormy sky ahead, I chose to use a large aperture to allow for as much light as possible at a shutter speed of 1/60. I couldn't slow my shutter speed seeing as I was in a moving vehicle while shooting.

To gain a little more brightness I bumped up my ISO to 200. I tend to shy away from increasing my ISO above the 100 standard because I am not a fan of the grainy result. In processing I reduced the noise as best I could without losing too much clarity.

Showing Heat

Yesterday it was a blazing hot thirty four degrees celsius on the prairies! By 9:00 in the evening the temperature was still high as we drove over the dusty roads. We pulled over as the sun briefly found its way behind a tree. The sun's flare and evening's haze were brilliant alongside this weathered home and tree's lattice.

Sometimes it is difficult to show temperature in an image but it wasn't yesterday. The haze and flare both lent themselves beautifully to speak of the heat. Making sure that the sun wasn't 'full on' was important. The tree's leaves gave just enough of a filter without shielding too much of the light.

Fields and Water and a Big Prairie Sky

I am thankful for our big prairie sky that blankets our golden fields and shimmering lakes. How beautiful!

Today I will share an important tip when taking these kinds of images: be sure your horizon is straight! Always, always, unless you're going for a particularly artsy shot, make sure your horizon is level. There is nothing more distracting than seeing a beautiful landscape photo with the horizon askew. When I started out in photography I paid no attention to this and the result was telling. Shots are improved immediately when we pay attention to the horizon.

Roll of Field

Sans Snow

We've had little snow in comparison to what we might usually have by mid-December. With temperatures above seasonal norms it looks as though we might lose what we have before Christmas. I have always wondered what Christmas might be like sans snow but just to be more clear I was wondering what it would be like sans snow - on a beach! Alas, I am not going to spend Christmas on a beach; I will be here beneath our beautiful prairie sky.

Christmas on the prairies has its charm, to be sure. One of the biggest draws is that my family and many of my friends are here. Celebrating together is worth a lot to me. Celebrating together with my toes in some warm sand while the ocean waves roar before me...well...that might be worth a lot too. At the very least, it would cost a lot!

Autumn's Dance

The prairie winds are blowing through the fields today, clearing the way for winter I imagine. Each season has its own charm to be sure. Autumn dances between summertime temperatures and winter's chill but the colours of autumn are hers alone.

In this image, colour is not what speaks about the season. Rather the wind, the dry grasses and wheat along with the few bullrushes reveal summer's leave and winter's coming.

Me? I'm going to stay in autumn for now. Winter will have her day.

To Discover

The world is hers to discover. There is much to learn, even here, especially here, where now visits.

Amber Fields

Driving through the prairies, the flat land eventually gave way to rolling hills. Rising up to greet the sky, the amber fields shone and sparkled beneath summer's sky. The fence rode the hilltops, going on as far as my eyes could see.  The fields and sky echoed the notion of an endless summer day.