Spring landscape

[LarsHansen]

The season where the Rape fields are bright yellow and the forests still have some fresh spring green is not long. A day with reasonable weather and drifting clouds ended up with this. I also got a shot without the shadows from the clouds in the foreground and middleground, but I find they add an extra dimension. I might crop a part of the sky to focus more on the fields and forest.

Nikon D40 + 35/1.8G

[Jeremy Roussak]

It's pretty. I agree with you about the contribution made by the shadows; and I wouldn't crop it.

Jeremy

[LarsHansen]

Thanks for your comments Jeremy.

[sdwilsonsct]

Hi Lars,
Nice composition. No cropping needed, and the cloud shadows contribute to the interest.
A few things I would do differently: (but, hey, it's your image....)
I am always impressed by the vibrancy of these flowers. They look a little green here. Perhaps you can bring out the yellow.
The cloud bottoms look crooked to me, I would straighten them.
The clouds are overexposed in places, something to watch out for in the field. Perhaps they can still be retrieved.
Scott

[LarsHansen]

Thanks Scott,

yes, true, it's my shot .. but second opinions and critique here at LL is valuable and it often turns out there is something I've missed or overseen  . Sometimes you can stare yourself blind on a scene you (think) you know well. The scene in this shot is a place I visit regularly.

I am always impressed by the vibrancy of these flowers. They look a little green here. Perhaps you can bring out the yellow.

I agree - the Rape fields can be almost radiant yellow. In some of the surrounding areas where I live, Rape fields cover very large areas - it changes the landscape dramatically in spring.
I think the greenish tone might be due to the shadows and the fact that the Rape plants are not as concentrated in number in the dip on the field - maybe that's giving the green surroundings and foliage more visible impact.          

The cloud bottoms look crooked to me, I would straighten them.

Maybe my english is worse than my photog skills - what do you mean by straighten the clouds? Crooked - how? Do you mean they look unnatural?

The clouds are overexposed in places, something to watch out for in the field. Perhaps they can still be retrieved.

Yes - I know one shouldn't blame the gear, but the photog behind the camera, when something is not optimal. But the 6mp D40 is probably not well suited for landscape shooting due to a limited dynamic range compared to current sensor technology. I probably sacrificed some of the clouds during PP to get more light in the foreground. Maybe that contributes to the crooked look(?). I'll try to manipulate the sky in Capture One to see if I can do it better.

I've attached the same scene without shadows from the clouds - the Rape has more vibrancy on these shots I think.

Lars

[sdwilsonsct]

what do you mean by straighten the clouds? Crooked - how? Do you mean they look unnatural?

Hi Lars,
Depending on the weather, clouds are sometimes flat on the bottom. These appear to slope a bit from top right to bottom left. On further thought, however, these clouds are pretty diffuse and they may be fine as they are.
It can be hard to find horizontal in images. Looking at your picture, I think if we tilt it to make the cloud bottoms horizontal, the trees would be far from vertical.

Overexposure: a quick check of the histogram in the field will tell you if the problem exists.
Scott

[LarsHansen]

OK Scottt - now I get it with the crooked clouds. I didn't use a level so there might be a chance it's out of level. I used the trees as a sort of bearing but as you point out yourself they might start tilting if I try to level based on the clouds. The small forest is on a slope, but the trees grow straight up..

I use the histogram and exposure warning in the camera - I think it's a PP issue.

Thanks again.