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There's Gold #2


There's Gold #2
Photo Information
Copyright: John Munro (jwmunro) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1854 W: 213 N: 1728] (5964)
Genre: Places
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2008-03-23
Categories: Nature
Camera: Nikon D300, Nikon 17-55mm f/2.8, Polarizer
Exposure: f/16, 1/50 seconds
Details: Tripod: Yes
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version, Workshop
Date Submitted: 2008-04-10 12:29
Viewed: 537
Points: 42
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
Temblor Range, California

Scene
Fields of California Butterweed blanket the hill sides of SR58 near the top of Temblor Range before dropping down into the Carrizo Plane. At this spot we are east of the Carrizo Plane as well as east of the San Andreas Fault. As we drove up the east side of the mountain range out of the Central Valley more and more wildflowers were evident. Some of the best fields of flowers were right at the top. I must assume the reason for this is that the hill tops capture more of the rain and stay cooler longer than lower on the slope. Check out the WS image for a view 180 degrees from this view.

Background
Leaving the Mojave Desert early in the morning my wife and I crossed the Central Valley and headed into the Coast Range on SR58. We found this field of wildflowers about 1000 hrs. so the light is pretty strong and contrasty but using the polarizer and good exposure control I was able to successfully manage the light. Off on the hillside the flowers may look a touch soft because of the wind. The climates in California are by nature gentle but because of the ocean to the west and the extreme temperature differences inland there is always a breeze. As Peter noted with his California Poppy image sometimes that breeze is a gale.
crhieatt, Nic-n-Jen_Inc, Floydian, crckt, zeca, feather, Wandering_Dan, Photo65Net, Didi, gneufeld, carper, scobert, stego, plimrn, jusninasirun, gunbud has marked this note useful
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Critiques [Translate]

John,

For my money this one lacks the impact of your previous two. Moving the wooden posts below the horizon greatly reduces their graphic impact, especially under these lighting conditions, which look harsh.

The workshop view is, in my opinion, the better shot of these two, with it's simple, effective composition and overwhelming display.

Regards
Colin

p.s. Framing - this is getting quite close to "licqourice allsort" !! :/

It's a personal preference, I know, but to my eye this isn't enhancing the picture. I guess, you are colour picking the middle band from the within the photo - "......thereby making a perceptual link between picture and frame," goes the theory; which sounds good, I agree, but I'm making a connection between California Butterweed and licourice alsorts - and that can't be right! ;)

Regards
Colin

  • Great 
  • Hunkar Gold Star Critiquer [C: 293 W: 0 N: 7] (2061)
  • [2008-04-10 13:11]

A nice pure image of nature..

Hi John,
You've captured California's colors beautifully. The fence leading us along the hillside's beauty. (just wish the fence had more beauty itself) ;-)
Nicely done.
TFS,

  • Great 
  • crckt Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1402 W: 68 N: 1315] (6815)
  • [2008-04-10 18:47]

Hi John,
This is just AMAZING! I will keep in mind these POVs from you when I go shoot again. I see these shots and try to learn what framing is all about.
GREAT shot!
Regards,
Shaeri

No wonder you are moving to California, where these gorgeous sights are closer to home. Good choice of vertical format to accentuate the use of the fence as lead-in line. A very simple but effective composition. The simple ones are often the most difficult to achieve. Well done.
Kath

Hi John,
With a bit further PoV the flowers have turned to yellow velvet. Beautiful hillside.
And of course that fence is an excellent detail leading eyes further back. (No more good for anything else, couldn't hold anything or anyone.)
Kari

John, this too is a fine shot, the colors and detail are really fine and any wind motion just makes it look all the more painted.

Greg

Hi, John -

I like this one. This is the sort of scene I see all the time (well, except for the flowers) but am rarely in a position to get a picture of. I do like the positioning of the fence as well as the colorful hillside. Perhaps for that reason the WS doesn't appeal to me as much.

I think Kath is right - we need to create a theme here!

Best,
Dan

John,
The blue / yellow contrast is eyecatcher, and this one works perfectly.
I like a lot the ground texture with all these flowers.
Regards,
JB.

Hi John,
Great composition, strong lines with that fence. The whole area is spreaded with yellow flowers, what a view, wonderful. Maybe it could use some more contrast, but i am not sure about that. This looks already pretty good, wish i stood beside you in making this shot...wonderful.
I've send you an email through your web site...
Regards, Henk

  • Great 
  • zeca Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3022 W: 162 N: 4313] (18158)
  • [2008-04-11 13:27]

Beautiful yellow fields, John! And the frame is interesting, with all the emphasis to the old fence.
Regards,
Zeca

  • Great 
  • Didi Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 6370 W: 3330 N: 7846] (29045)
  • [2008-04-12 3:54]

Hi John
Spring is in late in France, very bice golden picture with an interesting lateral perspective it's a good frame.
Cheers..

John,
I see that you can't wait to move back to California. All your love to this State is being expressed in your photograph as well as your note. I see that you have a deep knowledge of the countryside and I certainly will benefit :-) My 6 years here and most of the time locked up in the hospital didn't help a lot to get out there and discover the salvage beauty.
I like the composition here a lot. The diagonal of the hill coming down from the top left to mid right, the fence leading into the image and the yellow blossoms tending to the left side. I agree with you that the light was well managed.
Peter

Hi John,
Nice idea here with the fencel line creating a strong diagonal impace. Good colors and the vertical perspective works well. TFS. Gerald

  • Great 
  • carper Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 9643 W: 451 N: 15522] (54380)
  • [2008-04-13 9:35]

very nice John,
a well taken shot, using the pales very good for the perspective here, good quality and very nice to look at, good photojob, good one John, have a nice day.
gr. jaap

Hi John,
I like all of your postings of the California wildflowers, but this one is my favorite. It may not be quite as "polished" as your others, but this photo makes me want to walk right into this field and follow the fence to the other side of this hill. The rickety old barbed wire fence was made to order for your composition. It is an excellent compositional element and gives us a great sense of the real West. Marvelous!
Stan

  • Great 
  • stego Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3761 W: 632 N: 5042] (15352)
  • [2008-04-20 15:40]

Hi John,
I specially fond of these minimalist compos, but I rarely achieve good results with them, so I find this one particularly inspiring. I guess that the patch of colours of the flowers, grass and sky would be enough to make any photo of the place attractive, but there is much more in it. You achieve avoiding monotony and a flat appearance with the way you compose the image.
Regards, José.

Bonjours,
belle photo de cette colline aux boutons d' ors, belle prise avec ces fils de fer barbellés qui ont l' air de séparrer les deux champs comma si il essayait d' empècher les boutons d' or de passer dans l' autre.

Amitiés Thomas
Je reviens

  • Great 
  • plimrn Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3755 W: 232 N: 5047] (15955)
  • [2008-04-22 14:51]

I wondered about the name of those flowers, Larry has been raving about the golden hills on our last two trips. I tried some shots but didn't get the impact of your golden hills against the blue sky. That ramshackle fenceline adds a strong focal point to the compo.
HLJ, Pat

Nice work with this vertical format John. I like the wooden fence making a trail against the golden hill with slope horizon. The blue sky is just stunning. Best regards. Jusni

  • Great 
  • Flavia Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1762 W: 99 N: 1911] (8002)
  • [2008-06-21 23:16]

Hi John,

Great picture with simple elements. Excellent use of the fence to create deeph and divide the colors.
Regards,

Flavia

  • Great 
  • gunbud Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 4477 W: 4 N: 3997] (18137)
  • [2008-07-01 21:03]

Hi John,
Lovely vertical presentation of this steep hillside ablaze with brilliant yellow wild flowers that contrast so nicely with the lush spring green.
Excellent clarity with sharp details with the old fence bring nice depth to this fine image.
Regards, Tom

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