Waiting for collection

[Donald]

Okay, so every landscaper wants to do the 'big-round-bales-in-a-field' shot. A bit like everyone wanting to do a star trails.

Well, here's one more to the catalogue.

There was a gale blowing, hence the Exif figues (see below). But what that did was made for a wonderfully dramatic sky in the background, whilst over my shoulder there was clear blue sky and sunlight. I thought it made for an interesting image.

What do you think?


40D, 70-200mm f/4L IS @ 200mm. ISO400. 1/3000@f8.

[Geoff F]

Diagonal lines, but the bales are sufficiently random that it doesn't appear overly obvious.

I tried a few bales shots this year, but just couldn't get a pleasing composition like you have here.

[Shadowman]

Nice composition.

[wilgk]

Very nice, quite a different look through exposure/processing which makes it stand out.
I find myself wanting to roll one away that is too close to his neighbour, on the left. I'm not sure if that is the farmer in me wondering how the tractor will get around or the OCD part of me that wants more symmetry.

[Mike Buckley]

Wonderful photo!

[Donald]

Thank you to those above who have commented.

I've passed by this field many times over many years and have often looked at it as possible location. The farmer always seems to be a bit late in taking in the bales. When I drove up towards it this morning I immediately saw that the light and the sky were wonderful. All I could get wrong was the composition. Luckily I managed to get the car parked beside an open gate and walked through quite a bit of mud to get what I thought was the right composition. I'm glad people think it worked out okay.

ps - Have just been out at a theatre performance taking place in a wood (in the dark). We were led around to various sets in the wood, beautifully set up and lit. It was spectacular. All about the environment and what we need to be doing to care for it.

[FootLoose]

Great shot, Donald. It looks like god dropped his sewing box.

[ajsmith]

I like photos of hay bales and I like the randomness (is that a word) of the placement of them in your photo.

[IzzieK]

Beautiful shot indeed. I like the composition and the huge cloud structure that accompanies it.

[thegman]

Excellent interpretration of a stereotypical field view. Oh how I'd like to start one of the bales at the top rolling down.

[Stagecoach]

One of the things I really miss from the UK is just how neat and tidy the countryside is, and always has been.

Such a basic procedure as producing these hay bales is done in a way that things are left so tidily as to be a pleasure to look at, and produce a good photograph from.

[mugge]

Such a great photo and especially because it is monocrome and not iso 100. I must try this in our Australian summer

[John 2]

Two things strike me about this. Rather than random, there is a sort of "V" shape in the formation of bales that plays well to the composition and whereas some (like me ) would have been tempted by a standard or WA lens for this shot, the compression introduced by using a long focal length has added to this. A well seen and very nice image.

[deetheturk]

Great capture Donald, well seen!

David

[bnnrcn]

Very nice image

[ShaneS]

Lovely scene...well captured and almost glowing due to your PP Donald. I love the story of how you got this image, I just hope you were wearing your photography pants as you slogged through the mud

I think that John's comment is very educational and points out some very valid shooting tips that many of us have read about but never tried ourselves:

Two things strike me about this. Rather than random, there is a sort of "V" shape in the formation of bales that plays well to the composition and whereas some (like me ) would have been tempted by a standard or WA lens for this shot, the compression introduced by using a long focal length has added to this. A well seen and very nice image.

Thanks to both of you!

[Donald]

Thank you, again, to those who have added comments.

Two things strike me about this. Rather than random, there is a sort of "V" shape in the formation of bales that plays well to the composition and whereas some (like me ) would have been tempted by a standard or WA lens for this shot, the compression introduced by using a long focal length has added to this.

John - You have provided a very accurate analysis that I, myself, was not conscious of. I did a lot of sideways walking across the bottom of the field to get what felt like the right composition. I knew looking at this scene that the balance was good. It 'felt' right. What you've done is explained what that feeling was about. Thank you.

I love the story of how you got this image, I just hope you were wearing your photography pants and you slogged through the mud

I was indeed, Shane.

I don't know how it is for other people, but when I get 'in' to an scene and am looking for that perfect composition, I lose all sense of what's going on around me and, so long as I'm not on the edge of a cliff, don't really look at where my feet are going. I'm focused on that scene. So, walking across the field meant landing up in some wet and boggy bits of it.

[ShaneS]

I do that all the time Donald...sometimes I look quite the sight when I return home from shooting!

Well worth it if the result is a shot like this Donald

[Slipper]

Very nice composition and PP. I seldom manage a mono and the treatment here is unusual I think, is there a filter used Donald, or a high pass filter to sharpen maybe??

[Donald]

... is there a filter used Donald, or a high pass filter to sharpen maybe??

No, it's all done with Nik's Silver Efex Pro 2. For example, in the field, there are lots of 'control points' that reduce contrast and structure. Then, to counter this, there is a control point (which are collected together as a group) on every bale of hay, on which the contrast and structure is increased. Then there's lots of working of the sky with, particularly, the 'amplify whites' and 'amplify blacks' sliders. And then finally, using the GIMP, there's a Gaussian Blur on the sky to reduce noise and some dodging (for which I put on transparent layer in 'Overlay' mode) with a brush at 5% opacity, gently paint on some white to lighten up some areas.