Bill Jennings's Photoblog
Wagon Among the Wildflowers
Posted by Bill Jennings ((Bay Area Northern Calif), United States) on 15 June 2009 in Landscape & Rural and Portfolio.
Waiting for a friend to join me before driving south to Death Valley for a photo weekend: I had a few minutes before we met at the Livermore train stop. Grabbed my photobag, and used the 70-200mm zoom to capture this from the edge of I-5. The appeal for me is the rolling hills and the gentle colors of the wildflowers in the foreground and distance, with a green stretch in the middle to balance it out. The wagon and fence add depth and scale.
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Just made it home after a month of travel - posted a few photos from my journey to within 48 miles of the antartica circle: at nearly the longest day of the year: hence, there was 21 hours a day of sunlight...
Thank you for your patience while I was out of touch.
I do hope you followed Bob Kelly's blog (my roommate) while he is still traveling - he is now on Easter Island - and will be updating his blog for some time to come - please check it out!
@Loner: Thanks Loner.
Linda from Riga/Sigulda, Latvia
a wonderful photo, the distant hills seem like painted, the wagon adds a good balance
15 Jun 2009 9:06am
@Linda: Thanks Linda for the kind words and specific compositional feedback.
Scott Schilling from San Martin, United States
This is a magnificent composition Bill! For a spur of the moment photograph this turned out perfect. The wagon on the rh side adds a great touch of visual interest to the scene! Makes me long for spring and the green hills in the Bay Area again!
15 Jun 2009 11:16am
@Scott Schilling: Indeed - I love the green of spring : such a short season, but the flowers are beautiful when they are in the hills.
Judy from Brooksville, Florida, United States
California simplicity ........ while the hills were still green ......... beautiful!
15 Jun 2009 11:24am
@Judy: Thanks Judy - I love that short period of time in the spring here in the Bary Area...
B. Thomas from Arlington, Texas, United States
Very interesting. I didn't know the hills were ever this green, as I have only seen them in the summer when it was very dry. Nice shot.
15 Jun 2009 1:14pm
@B. Thomas: Yes, it's a short period of time : usually in April or May : depends on the year, the amount of rain during winter, and altitude of the hill in question. I have heard california was named the "golden state" for the color of the hills in the summer.
john4jack from Corvallis, Oregon, United States
Marvelous. Love the rolling hills as well as the flowers, wagon and fence.
15 Jun 2009 2:26pm
@john4jack: Thanks Jack. Was a tranquil spring image for me - and I liked the pastoral feel to it.
MARIANA from waterloo, Canada
Gorgeous place with fantastic green color . Excellent shot !
15 Jun 2009 2:38pm
@MARIANA: Thank you Mariana: I am glad you love the beautiful green here in the hills and dales.
Sugata from Newark, United States
Wow! Those colours in the background are really amazing. A very well-composed shot!
15 Jun 2009 3:14pm
@Sugata: Thank you Sugata - glad you like the colors and composition.
@zOOm: Thanks zOOm for your kind words on the subject.
Steve Rice from Olympia, United States
Wonderful colors and composition. This is a beauty.
15 Jun 2009 3:37pm
@Steve Rice: Thanks Steve - glad you like it.
rajeev from dubai, United Arab Emirates
Love the light in green! excellent framing!!
15 Jun 2009 3:40pm
@rajeev: Thanks Rajeev - especially for the specific composition and color comments.
observing from North West, United Kingdom
Lovely rolling landscape Bill, and the positioning of the all important wagon is perfect.
15 Jun 2009 4:04pm
@observing: Thank you observing!
Irene from France
I like the softness of the shapes and colors. Beautiful quiet picture
15 Jun 2009 6:20pm
@Irene: Thank you Irene - glad you liked it - your thoughts mirror mine : why I like it also.
Dulcie from Danville, United States
A lovely capture, Bill...the foothills in one of their many and totally differing guises!
15 Jun 2009 7:00pm
@Dulcie: Indeed - they change so quickly over the year, don't they? Quickly brown or "golden" as in the "golden state"...
Lambspun from Madison, Maine, United States
The appeal to me as you tell the story is that you were on your way to death valley and this beautiful sight is so close to it!! Gorgeous shot!
15 Jun 2009 9:55pm
@Lambspun: Thanks Lambspun- the backstory always adds to the image, doesn't it?
dj.tigersprout from New York City, United States
beautiful!! i grew up in Livermore -- fancy that! :) enjoy your time in Death Valley! i am awaiting marvelous shots!! have fun!
15 Jun 2009 10:07pm
@dj.tigersprout: We do have a great deal in common DJ, that's amazing. The time in Death Valley was pretty amazing. I'm still processing photos. Soon to come.
Dawn from Maryland, United States
Great composition and landscape shot. Love the green pop!
15 Jun 2009 10:41pm
@Dawn: Thank you Dawn - it's spring, and you can almost smell the grass !!
@jamesy: thank you jamesy - for me, it's a quiet expression of beauty.
Roman from Thunder Bay, Canada
This is a great shot Bill ! As I was looking at it, I was wondering what I would've done differently in this capture ? and... I think everything is really in the right spot, you've captured it perfectly, the rolling hills, the wagon...
You just need to come back to this spot and do it again under some dramatic lighting, either very early morning or late evening, because you've found a perfect spot...
cheers
Roman
16 Jun 2009 2:33am
@Roman: I think you're right Roman - the hills run north south, and this is from the east facing west: probably a brilliant place for a sunrise. Need to wait until next spring, the hills now are brown !
@Simply Col: agreed - its a muted expression of color, one that is calming to me.
dj.tigersprout from New York City, United States
oh you are back already? was it just for the weekend? awesome. :)
16 Jun 2009 4:41am
@dj.tigersprout: It was a few months back - I am just way behind at work, and photo processing...
@Veronique: Thank you Veronique
@Sarah: Thank you Sarah -
StarCosmosBleu from Bedford.Qc, Canada
Wow!...its a jewel of a capture...superb in all aspects...5 stars.....wonderful scene and landscape...lovely colors
18 Jun 2009 4:41am
@StarCosmosBleu: thanks a bunch! I loved the picture for it's very tranquil feeling.
mats from Texas, United States
The rolling hills are a beauty, are those shades of purple on those hills flowers? The wagon added a point to the image. Well done Bill.
18 Jun 2009 5:42am
@mats: yes, the purple on the hills are flowers -thanks for all the words of encouragement on this image.
Mobius Faith from Akron, Ohio,, United States
This is so incredibly beautiful. I love the minimalism. It looks like it could be from a scene in a Theo Angelopoulos film (one of my favorite directors).
21 Jun 2009 1:55pm
@Mobius Faith: It does have a minimalism feel to it - I couldn't put words to it, thank you.
Canon EOS 30D
1/250 second
F/11.0
ISO 200
150 mm