Happy Monday! Nice weekend weather wise. Jeanne was at her Mom’s home over the weekend so I batched it. I spent most of Saturday cleaning up some of my junk and finishing up a photography project. Then in the afternoon I decided I would go out and find some harvest images to shoot in the golden hour. I don’t normally go out highway 20 looking for subject matter but decided to give it a go Saturday.
I am beginning to believe it doesn’t really matter all that much what you put in front of your lens (as far as landscapes goes) if you have the wonderful soft golden light, lighting it.  That was pretty much the case on Saturday. It is amazing how much better anything looks in the right light. In essence that is what photography is about, capturing the light. One of the lessons I took sometime ago said that light reveals and shadows define. It is so true. How the light reveals makes or can break an otherwise good image.
So I found this nice flat harvested corn field with a couple of farms in the foreground and almost directly lined up with the rapidly setting sun. So I got my tripod out and set the camera up. I had not intended on taking a timed exposure or any HDR images so I didn’t bring my cable release or remote shutter button. Therefore, I had to set the camera to self timer mode and that worked very well. I shot a bunch of HDR shots, which I may show some of them but the one above is the last image I took after the sun had completely gone down. I show it because it is intended to show why the need to take HDR images. This image (perhaps a bit over enhanced) shows essentially what my eyes could see. I could see all the detail from the highlights, shadows, and mid-tones.
See what I mean when I say that it really doesn’t matter too much what you put in front of your lens as long as the light is soft and golden. I was standing around waiting for the sun to set and I had already taken a bunch of HDR images so I decided to take a picture of the camera sitting on the tripod waiting for the final shot.
It was a little breezy and it was cold. It was about 52 degrees when I arrived at this location and by the time I left it was down to 45. I was glad I had heated seats. 🙂
So this is what the camera could capture with only one image. Exposing for the highlights all the shadows and mid-tones have gone to pure black. Well okay not pure black until I did a levels adjustment. But they were dark enough that you couldn’t see any detail in the image. I know with some photographers that HDR is a dirty word but I think it has its place and certainly if you don’t go overboard I see no problem with it. In fact I guess if you want to go overboard with it, why not. It’s your image and your vision you’re trying to share. 🙂
No matter what you do some will love it, some will like it, and some will hate it. Such is life. If the image pleases me than that is really all I can hope for because I am my own biggest critic. If others like it than I’m truly thrilled and humbled.
Thanks for stopping by. Enjoy your Monday and be careful.
Wonderful photographs.
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Thank you very much Victor. I¹m glad you liked them.
Regards, Dave Updegraff ³People Rarely Succeed At Anything Unless They Have FUN Doing It.² My Blog | Photography | Web Site | Genesis Process
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