Rain storm and canola

[tbob]

[John 2]

Just love the colours and atmosphere in this Trevor but IMHO it needs a point of focus in the far distance. Nice idea .

[tbob]

Thanks John I thought it best to get the foreground flowers in focus and just have the storm and darkened hills as a counterbalance to the bright foreground. Can you elaborate on the point of focus in the far distance? I am interested in the different interpretation of the balance between fore and backgrounds

[John 2]

To help prevent your eye wandering backwards and forwards over an image, it sometimes helps if there is something that the eye can rest on as it travels through the composition. There is a field on the horizon and if you dodge that slightly, it might fill the bill. There are no hard and fast rules and the only way is to try it and see. Hope that helps but feel free to tell me I'm talking a load of ...........

[kdoc856]

Hi, Trevor.

This works for me. I don't disagree with John's general statement of an anchoring point, in general, but I interpret this shot as being about SPACE, and the contrasts between Earth and air, and the colour that each brings into a harmony of contrasts. And I think the rain cell provides enough anchor to settle on.

My only question is where you placed the point of focus in relation to the hyperfocal distance. Should the focus have been brought forward a bit?

I love the colours, and confess I didn't know this plant was canola.

[tbob]

feel free to tell me I'm talking a load of ...........

I assume the dots are "helpful advice".

[tbob]

Kevin: I will look at this on the larger monitor when I get home tonight. However; Hyperfocal distance is a concept/calculation I am going to have to incorporate. Currently I must admit I don't have a good handle on it and use a crude approximation. I assume you are right because I wanted the front of the crop to be in sharp focus and if it isn't then if is not quite the shot I intended. This was a matter of catching the mini sunbeam as it crossed the field in front of me to light the canola. I should have been better prepared.

[kdoc856]

Time is a slippery thing. In my recent Hocking Hills shoot, the most amazing God rays popped down through the branches, during a long exposure. I pulled up the shot on the display the very second the shutter closed, and sure enough, the long exposure completely diluted out the God rays and there wasn't even a hint of them. I didn't see another God ray for the next three hours I was there. Luck counts.

[Ken Curtis]

Hi Trevor. I think ya done good.

You might want to try darkening the darkest parts of the clouds and lightening the lighter areas below the cloud and around the downpouring rain. By doing so, the rain becomes the main point of focus that your eye always returns to. I downloaded your image and used Nik's Color Efex Pro tonal contrast filter to achieve the contrast. It might or might not be to your liking. My two cents worth.

[FootLoose]

Great shot, Trev. I understand the point others are making about a focal anchor point, but for me this picture is about colour and light and I think it works perfectly just the way it is.

[HiImTom]

Love the colors and the feeling of depth to it.

[tbob]

Hi Trevor. I think ya done good.

You might want to try darkening the darkest parts of the clouds and lightening the lighter areas below the cloud and around the downpouring rain. By doing so, the rain becomes the main point of focus that your eye always returns to. I downloaded your image and used Nik's Color Efex Pro tonal contrast filter to achieve the contrast. It might or might not be to your liking. My two cents worth.

Ken I would be very happy to see your version if you want to post it on this thread. Always interesting to see a new or different vision.

[tbob]

Time is a slippery thing. In my recent Hocking Hills shoot, the most amazing God rays popped down through the branches, during a long exposure. I pulled up the shot on the display the very second the shutter closed, and sure enough, the long exposure completely diluted out the God rays and there wasn't even a hint of them. I didn't see another God ray for the next three hours I was there. Luck counts.

I hate to make you feel bad, but this was my lucky night. At 90 degrees to the first shot and at the same time, just swiveled around on the tripod.

And to even further brag. The shot of the rainstorm and canola was picked as tonights image for the viewer submission to one of our national television broadcasts. My five seconds of fame.

[John 2]

Now I like that Trevor. It's got all the atmosphere and colour of your original shot but that second field of yellow on the horizon takes your eye through the comp. The God rays just finish it off. Nice image.

[AB26]

Hi Trevor,

Tap yourself on the shoulder and walk proud – you deserve it!
Well done!

[kdoc856]

I hate to make you feel bad, but this was my lucky night. At 90 degrees to the first shot and at the same time, just swiveled around on the tripod.

And to even further brag. The shot of the rainstorm and canola was picked as tonights image for the viewer submission to one of our national television broadcasts. My five seconds of fame.

Nope, just glad for you. This has been a really excellent series that I glad you shared.

[davidedric]

I've been moving between the two shots to try and decide which appeals more, but I can't! I find it interesting that two images apparently similar are so different, and both beautifully executed. Congrats on the tv exposure.

P.S. for any UK members, you may have spotted that canola = "oil seed rape"

[Ken Curtis]

Ken I would be very happy to see your version if you want to post it on this thread. Always interesting to see a new or different vision.

Trevor, here is a slightly modified version. It was a quick-and-dirty edit processed per my comments above. You may or may not like it.

[tbob]

Thanks for the version Ken. Now I understand John's comment on the point of focus in the distance. Bringing out the field on the far hill does give depth to the image. The cloud texture is more pronounced in your version as well. Very useful points to consider.

[tbob]

you may have spotted that canola = "oil seed rape"

When I was a youth we called it rape as well. Then the industry decided to rebrand it as Canola. It was an easy rename as the crop was not hugely popular until well into the late 70's, so most people have never known it by any other name. You get strange looks when you call it rapeseed.