After my last Queen Annes Lace post, several folks requested that I post images which showed what this meadow of flowers looked like before the fog dissipated. So here it is. A sunrise shot just as the sun crested the hill, which created a nice warm glow in the fog.
I decided to concentrate on showing the masses of flowers, rather than getting down lower and isolating a few foreground flowers. First the concentration of flowers was so dense that it was hard to isolate a few. And it had rained the night before (which generated the fog in the morning), and the flowers had so many raindrops on them that they were all bent over (making them less attractive for a portrait).
Specific Feedback Requested
any critique or comments are welcome
Technical Details
Is this a composite: No
Exposure blend of bracketed exposures for dynamic range, using TK Luminosity masks
Canon 5D MK4, Canon 16-35mm f4 lens, at 29 mm, ISO 100.
And here is what the meadow looked like 15 minutes before the sun crested the hill. Just to give a different view of what I saw that morning. I’m not looking for comments on comparing the two images per se, since they are so different in nature.
Hi Ed, I really like both images for different reasons. The first one has that wow factor with the sun and fog highlighting the Queen Annes Lace. Very nicely done.
The second one feels more calm, a peaceful pre-dawn scene.
Thanks for doing this Ed. What a glow! Now I understand why you didn’t try to isolate just a couple of flowers and get close. This is an amazing field of flowers. I do find the upper right and the upper left to be just ever so slightly out of balance with more weight on the left side but not much you could do with that. Centering the sun in the gap works really well and splashes that soft glow across the entire field of flowers. You certainly controlled the Dynamic range in these shots really well. Oh, and what a difference just a few minutes makes, comparing the meadow just 15 minutes before this shot.
Beautiful high key image. The blend works great to control the hot areas, too. I did a quick Darks 4 mask and lightened the LRC a bit. That dark area pulls my eye down there. No other thoughts. another excellent image from that spot.
Ed,we call it “fluitenkruid”. Great mood you captured in the first image.With that bit of fog and the sun just above the trees. For the second I am with @David_Bostock about the calm and peaceful . What a difference !
I liked your first post of this meadow with the sun coming up but I think I like this one even better! It seems to really convey how massive it is and stuffed with queen annes lace everywhere!
Really nice, Ed. Great exposure blend. Love the water drops on all the FG foliage. You better hunker down, looks like Henri is headed straight for you.
Wow, another beautiful take on the meadow of Queen Annes Lace, Ed. The large version is a real treat with all the dew drops readily apparent on the flowers due to that wonderful backlight. It is surprising how even just a little bit of fog can transform a scene into something magical. Your processing is superb as usual. Absolutely no suggestions from me.
thank you all for your comments, I appreciate hearing your thoughts.
Even though the masses of flowers are a busy mess, the backlit dew drops are what grabbed my eye too.
I like what you did with the rework on that Harley, it helps a lot.
As of Saturday morning, Henri is shifting west to make landfall on Long Island, which fortunately means I won’t see the full brunt of it. However on Tuesday morning I may venture out to the Rhode Island seacoast to see if I can catch some big waves the day after the storm passes.
