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Thread: Cosmos Heaven

  1. #1
    BPN Member Morkel Erasmus's Avatar
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    Default Cosmos Heaven

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    Seems so quiet in the Landscape forum of late? :2

    Anyhow, I've been meaning to get out to photograph the local "cosmos bloom" since the middle of February but being a new father has kept me busy when work hasn't...yet I finally found time to slip away to a spot I had picked out on Tuesday afternoon.

    There isn't much going on in terms of landscaping where I live on the South African Highveld, so the cosmos season brings welcome relief in that sense. Pity it's almost over, I need to get out again soon! It's quite hard to get a shot without any man-made elements like pylons, cooling towers and roads around here, especially since there are many mines, power plants and refineries in the area. That's what makes this spot so special...when shooting from a SE-SW direction you can get in just an endless meadow of cosmos with a tree here and there.

    Luckily the sky played along nicely! This is a blend of 2 images for dynamic range. I know many will bemoan the "central" horizon...rest assured I have many varying compositions vertically and horizontally of this scene...and I wanted to create a "dreamscape" of flowers seemingly without end, touching the sky in the distance. I included the half-open patch up front to provide something of an anchor to start from, as opposed to filling the frame entirely with flowers from the bottom up (which I also have shots of).

    Your honest feedback is highly appreciated.

    Techs:
    Canon 7D with 10-22mm USM @ 10mm
    f16 @ ISO-100
    Had to extend all parts of the tripod to the full to be able to rise slightly above the tall flower stems.
    The sun was all but gone behind a cloud bank to the right of the immediate view here.
    Morkel Erasmus

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    Morkel, I would love to be contributing more to Landscapes but I just don't have the time at the moment to process any to my satisfaction. But I just love this, so colourful and free. I'd love to see some of the other incarnations but can live with the central horizon (just ). Both the flowers and the sky are very powerful so perhaps keeping a central line stops one from overpowering the other … not so sure. Anyway, a big print of this would go very well in a little girl's room.

  3. #3
    Lifetime Member Rachel Hollander's Avatar
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    Morkel - this is beautiful. I too would like to see the variations but Hilary is right that it would be a tough choice between the endless field or the dramatic sky as dominant. I love the colors.

    TFS,
    Rachel

  4. #4
    Robert Amoruso
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    Morkel,

    I would go with a version the removes the open section of flowers in the FG. I will await that versions posting for more detailed comments

  5. #5
    BPN Member Morkel Erasmus's Avatar
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    thanks for your thoughts Hilary and Rachel...

    Robert - very well, since you're "baying" for it so nicely

    How does this work?
    Morkel Erasmus

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    Hi Morkel, The repost works for me. It takes the horizon line out of the middle and reduces an uninteresting area. The lit clouds are giving the image some impact due to the shade on the flowers.
    Well handled based on the conditions...

  7. #7
    Landscapes Moderator Andrew McLachlan's Avatar
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    Hi Morkel, the repost works for me too. A lovely field of blooms - quite beautiful. Very nicely done!

  8. #8
    Robert Amoruso
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    What shutter speed did you sue Morkel. Now that I am on my computer looking at this the FG looks rather soft to me.

    I do like the repost and may like even more with a bit more off the bottom.

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    BPN Member dankearl's Avatar
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    This is for real?
    Beautiful meadow.

  10. #10
    BPN Member Morkel Erasmus's Avatar
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    thanks for the comments, gents

    Robert - not sure what my SS was for the foreground blend (might have been 1/5), there was a slight breeze so it's possible some flowers have motion blur. I was shooting from a sturdy tripod though.
    Morkel Erasmus

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  11. #11
    Brendan Dozier
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    Cool looking landscape composition, Morkel. Wonderful colors, and what a contrast between the the flowers and sky!

  12. #12
    BPN Member Morkel Erasmus's Avatar
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    thanks Brendan
    Morkel Erasmus

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  13. #13
    Roman Kurywczak
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    Hey Morkel,
    Been away so late to the party! I'm with Robert on more off the bottom.....other than that.....this one is really nice for my tastes!!!

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