Prairie Sentinel Photo

Photographer’s Note

I couldn't help but share this shot, as it is so representative of much of the prairies of southern Canada and northern USA. Many farms are abandoned yet it is often the old windmill that still stands tall to mark the spot. If only one could hear the stories attached to each of these landmarks. The big blue sky and round bales are also standard equipment on the prairies, so here you have it, a personal view of the land of my youth and the land I love to return to often.

Gerrit, Bluejeans, mvdisco, leo61, dareco, fulvio52, Cretense, feather, Cricri, Charo, gunbud, ChrisJ, jhm, angela926, pablominto, plimrn has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

buscape (3535) 2008-12-07 14:25

Hello Gerald,
very nice landscape picture.
I like your POV, the light and colors very much. I also like the simplicity and clearness of your image build-up. Well done.
Best wishes,
Helmut

mesutilgim (36551) 2008-12-07 14:29

Hi Gerald,
Very nice capture with perfect pov and nice warm colors. Good compo with the haye bales in foreground and the old windmill (a generator ?).
TFS and best regards
MESUT ILGIM

Bluejeans (31963) 2008-12-07 14:41

Ola Gerald,
Que linda foto com esta pradaria ficaram lindos estes rolos de palha em tons de amarelo em primeiro plano , gostei muito do moinho , bom contraste de cores, parabéns!!
Um abraço Gonçalo

Gerrit (35591) 2008-12-07 14:42

Hi Gerals,
excellent composition. The golden hay and the great blue sky contrast wonderful.
Regards, Gerrit

mvdisco (11440) 2008-12-07 15:42

Hi Gerald,
Nice presentation of the prairie sentinel,
great colors and sharpness,
nice landscape and amazing POV.
Well done.
Michel

Junctus (61) 2008-12-07 16:13

I love te-pics that show standard sights of certain places - like this one:"Prairie. America. A Farm"
And I love good light, composition and a thoughtful comment.
POV-Problem with the powerlines on the right, from my pov ;-)Thanks, Gerald!

jurek1951 (25880) 2008-12-07 16:30

Hi Gerald,
Amazing landscape. Wonderful lighthouse. Good colors. Original picture.Wonderful scene shot of this old windmill in a fine composition.
Georg

leo61 (43179) 2008-12-07 20:27

Hi Gerald!
A good shot from the Prairie with nice elements at good positions.Great POV and I like the sharp horizon and the contrast with the nice blue sky.
Regards,leo

dareco (17100) 2008-12-07 20:36

A beautiful (and very familiar) scene. I love these old windmills, and like you I always wonder about the history, the people that have now gone. TFS

danyy (68422) 2008-12-07 23:00

Bonjour Gerald,
tes dernières photos sont extraodinaires, mélande de ciel bleu et de couleurs chaudes au sol.
Bien cadrée, elle harmonise bien les teintes et développe et repousse bien les rouleaux de foin.
best regards.
Daniel.

aadilj (17950) 2008-12-08 0:37

Wow Gerald, you indeed have a beautiful gallery. This one is so well nuanced. So beautifullly composed. I love the way its been framed and presented

fulvio52 (8314) 2008-12-08 1:47

Hi, Gerald.
A very effective use of the available elements, perfectly positioned for maximum depth of field, and a great display light and colors. Lovely praire shot, excellent presentation. TFS! Have a good day, see ya soon,
Fulvio.

Cretense (55528) 2008-12-08 4:26

Hi Gerald!

Fantastic composition with the hayrolls in one of the strong points of the frame and the impressive windmill on another strong point (I remember a lot of this kind of windmills around my hometown, Ierapetra, Crete, when I was a kid). Beautiful, "heavy" colours and wonderful, peaceful atmosphere! Congratulations!

Hercules

Nicou (44407) 2008-12-08 6:15

Hello,

Fantastique image, , ce bottes de paille en premier plan, cette éolienne dan sun ciel pur et limpide, granide, couleurs merveilleus cadrage parfait, superbe.

Bravo et amitié

Nicou

F

Dyerco (8984) 2008-12-08 7:42

Hi Gerald
Yes I have photographed these windmills in various states of decay. When I see them I am reminded of the book "Who Has Seen the Wind" by W.O. Mitchell. I like the strong autumn colours here and the inclusion of the two hay bales. Nicely composed.
TFS
Phil

feather (49858) 2008-12-08 7:52

You have achieved perfect balance in the composition with the hay bales counteracting with the old windmill. Nice combination of autumn colours with the strong blue sky.
What happened to your previous post I commented on with the low cloud wreathing the mountain?
Kath

Cricri (43030) 2008-12-08 9:14

Hi Gerald
Un trés beau contraste des couleurs, bon cadrage et profondeur, c'est un endroit calme et plaisant qu'on aime revoir
Good evening for you
cricri

Charo (31665) 2008-12-08 11:42

Hello Gerald,
Wonderful composition where the colors ochres of the field do a good contract with the sky.
Excellent light with very good details and colors.
Best regards,
Charo

Waylim (10717) 2008-12-08 12:21

Gerald,
This is a classic image of a ranch with rolls of hays and windmill. Very charming and rustic atmoshpere. Good compositon with excellent sharpness and clarity. Color are very rich and strong. thanks
Way

baba_flies (7951) 2008-12-08 13:16

Hello Gerald! What a place to grow up! I am always surrounded by mountains or high hills, constantly, and sometimes I wonder how it is to feel the flat for longer than just driving along the Rocky Mountain Frontier, driving away from them, until you cannot see them anymore. Another thing on my wish list, Christmas comes closer ;) Perfect composition with the hay bales in your foreground and the windmill in your right corner, such nice colors, natural colors, earth-bound. Your roots. Great photo, best regards, Barbara.

gunbud (27741) 2008-12-08 18:07

Hi Gerald,
The vivid blue sky and sun parched hay and grass make a striking setting for this old windmill to stand.
Great somber mood to this fine prairre landscape that seems so lonely.
Here in the northeast it is the old dairy farm barns fallen to the ground.
Regards, Tom

PJE (19395) 2008-12-08 22:58

Hello Gerald. I too was raised on the prairies and too have been drawn to this land in the summer months. Winter? Never!!

The way you framed the round bales and windmill together makes an excellent frame. When you visit the prairies you realize how spread out the land is, and in order for residents to travel they do have to get in their cars and devote a good chunk of their day to commuting. The good thing though about traveling is the lack of congestion on the highways. Thanks for sharing

Cheers

Paul

ChrisJ (69941) 2008-12-09 2:24

Hi Gerald

A wonderful blue sky with the fg haybales adding a good focal point & centre of interesr. Excellent color, sharpness & light contrasts. Tfs!

jhm (82155) 2008-12-09 3:35

Hello Gerald,

The sharpness of the shot is great allowing us to see the details of all the background.
Your composition is fine showing the straw from an angle that gives the shot a nice sense of depth and direction.
The lighting and colors are great with excellent sharpness and detail. The windmill is the real eye catcher.
Very well done, TFS.

Best regards,
John.

jemaflor (39167) 2008-12-09 10:35

Hi Gerald,
Well composed and taken with a lovely lightn colors are superb !

angela926 (1882) 2008-12-09 17:34

Hello Gerald,
nice capture of rural north dakota, excelletn composition, superb sharpness, good depth of feild, and beautiful vivid colors.
Angela

pablominto (40364) 2008-12-14 0:12

Hello Gerald,

This is a typical rural scene, where the loneliness of the place is well conveyed!
A simple and attractive composition, rich colours and fine details...
A good documentary of the place, illustrated by the haybales and the windmill!

Greetings,
Pablo -

fserajian (4453) 2008-12-16 13:25 [Comment]

Show Comment

plimrn (19592) 2009-01-06 20:24

Hi Gerald,
We love old windmills. You have presented this one beautifully with the exquisite detail of the FG grass, & the windmill against the blue sky. I can see why you love to return here.

In general we are doing well at finding love & joy in each each moment. Larry is a big jazz fan; so people were a bit startled when they walked into a room flooded with music.

Thank you for your good thjoughts.
HLJ, Pat