How would you capture a flat field of flowers?

[FowlersFreeTime]

On my way to a work site today, I came across a fallow field which seemed to be completely covered in yellow wild flowers about waist high, and I thought that it would be worth a picture. Alas, I was on the job and I didn't have my camera. I did hop out of my truck to take a crappy photo with my phone, but I didn't trespass into the field and just took the picture from the gate this time for future reference.

So this isn't really a critique, but more of a "how would you compose" question. I'm in Florida, so the land is flat, no elevation changes at all. There were no other outstanding features other than the uniformity of the flowers and the sky was bright but otherwise uninteresting. Would you:

• Zoom in or walk into the field and split the frame 50-50 with flowers and sky?
• Walk into the field and, using rule of thirds, fill the lower two thirds of the frame with flowers and the top third with sky?
• Get in really close and try to isolate one wildflower bloom and, using shallow DOF, blur the surrounding blooms but filling the frame with flowers?
• other?

 

[FowlersFreeTime]

• Galaxy S23+
• 7.0 mm
• ƒ/2.4
• 1/2905 sec
• ISO 25

 

[iamdlewis]

I would probably find a few different compositions, feel happy about one of them and then get home a dislike them all. The one that might have a chance would be to pick one clump of flowers and see how many others I can bokehed.

 

[Gaz]

Canola by the look of it. It’s a crop grown to make oil out of it. Keep watching as it will get to be a much brighter yellow.

Rapeseed - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

 

[FowlersFreeTime]

Canola by the look of it. It’s a crop grown to make oil out of it. Keep watching as it will get to be a much brighter yellow.

Rapeseed - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

I had no idea we could grow that in Florida! Pretty cool!
I don't think I'll be back to that site for another 2 weeks, so hopefully its still in bloom. I will definitely carry my camera next time.

 

[Slug]

• ILCE-6000
• ----
• 1/1000 sec
• ISO 200

Took this shot in Denmark a few years back.
I thought to try and get some detail in the foreground to identify the crop but still show a bit of interest in the background to give it some context to the locality.

 

[Uncle Kevriano]

We have fields and fields of that here. It's a very cheap crop to farm and provides easy income for the farmers.
As for shooting it. Stand a ladder on your car roof and climb

 

[Gaz]

I had no idea we could grow that in Florida! Pretty cool!
I don't think I'll be back to that site for another 2 weeks, so hopefully its still in bloom. I will definitely carry my camera next time.

It’s ok to take inspiration from art…

File:The yellow cloud.jpg - Wikimedia Commons

commons.m.wikimedia.org

 

[-ST-]

Hi, Chris,
This is an interesting challenge because it's hard to find a point of interest in this vast field of view.

On my way to a work site today, I came across a fallow field which seemed to be completely covered in yellow wild flowers about waist high, and I thought that it would be worth a picture. Alas, I was on the job and I didn't have my camera. I did hop out of my truck to take a crappy photo with my phone, but I didn't trespass into the field and just took the picture from the gate this time for future reference.

So this isn't really a critique, but more of a "how would you compose" question. I'm in Florida, so the land is flat, no elevation changes at all. There were no other outstanding features other than the uniformity of the flowers and the sky was bright but otherwise uninteresting. Would you:

• Zoom in or walk into the field and split the frame 50-50 with flowers and sky?

It seems we've both read the same advice about NOT putting the horizon across the middle of the frame.

• Walk into the field and, using rule of thirds, fill the lower two thirds of the frame with flowers and the top third with sky?

If you're impressed by the field of yellow flowers (and this is the reason for taking the photo), then yes.

• Get in really close and try to isolate one wildflower bloom and, using shallow DOF, blur the surrounding blooms but filling the frame with flowers?

Have you got a wide-angle lens? Wider than 24 mm?

• other?

I had a similar quandary when I visited https://www.alphashooters.com/community/threads/dale-hodges-park.6862/

I didn't include this photo in that collection. I'd never seen wetlands like this and wanted to remember it, but I couldn't figure out how to make it interesting enough to post here.

• ILCE-1
• Sony FE 24-105mm F4 G OSS (SEL24105G)
• 24.0 mm
• ƒ/5
• 1/500 sec
• ISO 100

Here are some ideas I found while thinking about a reply to your question.

Where Should You Place the Horizon in Landscape Photographs?

At Tenaya Lake last week my workshop student and I watched and photographed a spectacular, constantly-changing cloud display for over...

www.outdoorphotographer.com

 

[FowlersFreeTime]

View attachment 40558
Took this shot in Denmark a few years back.
I thought to try and get some detail in the foreground to identify the crop but still show a bit of interest in the background to give it some context to the locality.

Nice!

 

[FowlersFreeTime]

We have fields and fields of that here. It's a very cheap crop to farm and provides easy income for the farmers.
As for shooting it. Stand a ladder on your car roof and climb

Here in Florida, most flat land is taken up with sugar cane or some other grass-like foliage (think Everglades), so the field of yellow caught my eye.

 

[FowlersFreeTime]

It’s ok to take inspiration from art…

File:The yellow cloud.jpg - Wikimedia Commons

commons.m.wikimedia.org

Looks almost exactly how I described option 2, or at least how I would want option 2 to look.

 

[FowlersFreeTime]

Hi, Chris,
This is an interesting challenge because it's hard to find a point of interest in this vast field of view.

It seems we've both read the same advice about NOT putting the horizon across the middle of the frame.

If you're impressed by the field of yellow flowers (and this is the reason for taking the photo), then yes.

Have you got a wide-angle lens? Wider than 24 mm?

I had a similar quandary when I visited https://www.alphashooters.com/community/threads/dale-hodges-park.6862/

I didn't include this photo in that collection. I'd never seen wetlands like this and wanted to remember it, but I couldn't figure out how to make it interesting enough to post here.View attachment 40591

Here are some ideas I found while thinking about a reply to your question.

Where Should You Place the Horizon in Landscape Photographs?

At Tenaya Lake last week my workshop student and I watched and photographed a spectacular, constantly-changing cloud display for over...

www.outdoorphotographer.com

My wide lenses tranlate to 15-27mm and 24mm in full frame equivalent. Honestly I was thinking to use the 24mm for this shot, but you have made me consider bringing both.
I'm glad to see that you had a similar thought process to me, and I thank you for the input!

 

[liggy]

I went and shot in a tulip farm a couple of months ago. Wasn't sure what it would be like but tried to find some different perspectives.

 

[Clix Pix]

Just about every time I've tried to shoot a field of flowers or a lot of flowers somewhere, I ma never happy with the results. Instead, I find myself in search of one flower or two at the most, and shoot those instead, feeling much happier with the outcome and final image.

 

[FowlersFreeTime]

Just about every time I've tried to shoot a field of flowers or a lot of flowers somewhere, I ma never happy with the results. Instead, I find myself in search of one flower or two at the most, and shoot those instead, feeling much happier with the outcome and final image.

I feel the same way. It's the same way with landscapes, beautiful scenes when seen as a whole, but hard to capture that essence in a photo unless you take a photo of a small part.

 

[FowlersFreeTime]

I went and shot in a tulip farm a couple of months ago. Wasn't sure what it would be like but tried to find some different perspectives.

Nice, and I really like that row of yellow with the one red/pink tulip popping up to say "look at me!"

 

[Jeff A]

On my way to a work site today, I came across a fallow field which seemed to be completely covered in yellow wild flowers about waist high, and I thought that it would be worth a picture. Alas, I was on the job and I didn't have my camera. I did hop out of my truck to take a crappy photo with my phone, but I didn't trespass into the field and just took the picture from the gate this time for future reference.

So this isn't really a critique, but more of a "how would you compose" question. I'm in Florida, so the land is flat, no elevation changes at all. There were no other outstanding features other than the uniformity of the flowers and the sky was bright but otherwise uninteresting. Would you:

• Zoom in or walk into the field and split the frame 50-50 with flowers and sky?
• Walk into the field and, using rule of thirds, fill the lower two thirds of the frame with flowers and the top third with sky?
• Get in really close and try to isolate one wildflower bloom and, using shallow DOF, blur the surrounding blooms but filling the frame with flowers?
• other?

There are many options, if you are a drone pilot.

 

[FowlersFreeTime]

There are many options, if you are a drone pilot.

My Mavic Air 2 heard you and is now looking at me with accusatory eyes "Why have you forgotten me?"

 

[Matthias]

On my way to a work site today, I came across a fallow field which seemed to be completely covered in yellow wild flowers about waist high, and I thought that it would be worth a picture. Alas, I was on the job and I didn't have my camera. I did hop out of my truck to take a crappy photo with my phone, but I didn't trespass into the field and just took the picture from the gate this time for future reference.

So this isn't really a critique, but more of a "how would you compose" question. I'm in Florida, so the land is flat, no elevation changes at all. There were no other outstanding features other than the uniformity of the flowers and the sky was bright but otherwise uninteresting. Would you:

• Zoom in or walk into the field and split the frame 50-50 with flowers and sky?
• Walk into the field and, using rule of thirds, fill the lower two thirds of the frame with flowers and the top third with sky?
• Get in really close and try to isolate one wildflower bloom and, using shallow DOF, blur the surrounding blooms but filling the frame with flowers?
• other?

I would try to find something interesting and stationary, for example an old barn or a good looking tree to have as a subject. Alternatively I would look for some leading lines (e.g. a fence or drainage).

The photo would be a long exposure using a ND filter to blur the flowers a bit, I would say 2-3 seconds would be enough. When there are clouds moving I would include more sky in the frame, otherwise more flowers. The blurred flowers will make the tree/barn look like it is floating in a sea of yellow.

 

[FowlersFreeTime]

So I went back to that job site last week. Unfortunately, I wasn't driving and the others didn't want any distractions on the trip. More unfortunately though, I noticed that the green tops of the foliage were now above the yellow blossoms, ruining the "sea of yellow" effect.

Moral of the story: when you see something that catches your eye, photograph it then and there, do not assume it will be there if you come back another time.

 

[NatureBoyOhio]

I like to walk into the field and keep the skyline out of it.

• ILCE-6600
• FE 200-600mm F5.6-6.3 G OSS
• 200.0 mm
• ƒ/8
• 1/500 sec
• ISO 320

 

[Slug]

Yes focusing on a small section and using the rest as background can also work.

• ILCE-1
• FE 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 GM OSS
• 400.0 mm
• ƒ/5.6
• 1/640 sec
• ISO 160

 

[FowlersFreeTime]

@Slug & @NatureBoyOhio those are great examples! I will definitely try that next time I am presented with the opportunity.

 

[MyDogsOwner]

I resolved a similar situation by climbing on the roof of my car with my tripod and using a wide angle. EXIF Data missing since it's from my FB page. Also, I shot it with a Fujifilm X-S10.

 

[TerryL]

We have fields and fields of that here. It's a very cheap crop to farm and provides easy income for the farmers.
As for shooting it. Stand a ladder on your car roof and climb

On my way to a work site today, I came across a fallow field which seemed to be completely covered in yellow wild flowers about waist high, and I thought that it would be worth a picture. Alas, I was on the job and I didn't have my camera. I did hop out of my truck to take a crappy photo with my phone, but I didn't trespass into the field and just took the picture from the gate this time for future reference.

So this isn't really a critique, but more of a "how would you compose" question. I'm in Florida, so the land is flat, no elevation changes at all. There were no other outstanding features other than the uniformity of the flowers and the sky was bright but otherwise uninteresting. Would you:

• Zoom in or walk into the field and split the frame 50-50 with flowers and sky?
• Walk into the field and, using rule of thirds, fill the lower two thirds of the frame with flowers and the top third with sky?
• Get in really close and try to isolate one wildflower bloom and, using shallow DOF, blur the surrounding blooms but filling the frame with flowers?
• other?

You started a nice thread Chris. As far as your image, I would have moved in a little closer, if possible.