Road To Nonsense, a photo from Haute-Normandie, North

Photographer's Note

The tracks you see here are those of a tractor equipped with pesticide sprinklers or chemical fertilizers, according to the period of the year.
Today, an official report issued in France about ground and river waters quality warns that 3/4 of these VITAL ressources are polluted by chemicals and pesticides.
I don't want to start an argument here, but I just think it's a nonsense to overproduct in rich countries, if the price to pay is that expensive.

This photo was taken about 3 weeks before harvesting. Beginning of July, the top is already yellow, while the rest of the plant is still green, giving this color duality. Autocontrast, plus some softening with NeatImage.

Yorik, elroyie, milloup, jurgen, orme, Roly, Porteplume, EMA, Marche has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

elroyie (2750) 2004-07-12 17:30

Great picture, great composition and very good leading the eye with those wheels signs in the wheat field, very good colours.

Yorik (704) 2004-07-12 17:32

a great image fantastic colour!!! & useful comm.
Your title is perfect!!!

milloup (1829) 2004-07-12 17:46

Beautiful colours, nice curve. Had this been Denmark, the tracks would probably have been totally straight ;-))

jurgen (2074) 2004-07-12 18:34

The filter used is very evident, some sort of difital vaseline filter? Interestingly the tracks seem to end at the top of the picture nd not to wonder till infinite, like most pictures. I don't see the yellow colour but sort of light-green at the top of the wheat. Very nice.

jstewart (1150) 2004-07-12 19:06

I see tracks like this in the grain fields of Canada, but never have had the creativity to capture such a simple but effective image as this. My only criticism is that it is totally out of focus. Perhaps this is the effect you were trying to achieve (or perhaps there was a lot of wind), but I think that crisp focus would have been better - but I'm not totally sure!
Regarding the chemicals and pesticides, my cousin who farms in Manitoba, Canada has stopped using both, and is strictly organic. But he's the only one in the area to do so.

orme (7219) 2004-07-12 20:57

A unique composition, Jean Michel. I like the beautiful soft colours and the perspective. Well framed.

cgrindahl (6113) 2004-07-12 21:04

Wonderful curves and colors in this fine composition. The softness, of course, is very much a matter of taste, but in this instance it becomes almost an artistic treatment with blocks of color defined by the tractor tracks becoming the real subject. Good work Jean Michel.

Roly (2024) 2004-07-12 21:07

Excellent analogy, it is one of those smart pictures... Very good composition and colors but I agree with John with regard to the focus. At f/4 you don't get much DOF and I would have liked it focused on the foreground and becoming softer in the distance.

pourre (543) 2004-07-13 2:46

Belle et originale composition !
Well done !

Porteplume (4036) 2004-07-13 3:10

Ah! Une très belle observation Jean-Michel.
I like the soft green you arranged in post processing, even if I may miss a bit of focus somewhere to accentuate the depth, and you have framed the image perfectly, great work!

losteden (1520) 2004-07-13 5:15

Composition !!!!! Very, very good job. I will try do same ;))

sengir (4956) 2004-07-13 8:31

beautiful colours!

EMA (313) 2004-07-13 11:51

Powerful photo. Composition is great.

avigur_11 (22535) 2004-07-13 16:54

So beautiful, Jean Michel. I like the curves and the deep deep pillow of whaet. In my country, harvest takes place in MAy, while the fields turn their colors to gold. THat's why I like this green field so much.

cloverstar (0) 2004-07-30 7:11

This is lovely. Great composition with the curves leading to somewhere. The softness really adds to a dreamy effect. Very artistic image. Well seen.

Eugene (971) 2005-05-13 10:27

Indeed great picture with fantastic composition. The wheel sign leads the eye nicely through the picture. Only i thibk you can improve the colors. I did a workshop for you. Greetings, Eugene

[workshop] [compare] +

Marche (4307) 2005-09-27 12:04

Bonsoir Jean Michel,
Superbe composition en vert, je trouve très interessant la texture donnée aux épis. C'est du plus bel effet.
Amicalement
Martine

manada (6239) 2007-04-17 7:37

Ciao Jean
belle composition verte et évanouie avec des lignes de courbe géométrique trés belle.
Freddy