Color, B&W, or "Give It Up"?

[Xia_Ke]

I drive by this field everyday. Itss just the most beautiful fields and I want so bad to get some good shots of it but, it just seems to need a good focal point. Just something else to draw you in. I want so bad for it to work though. Should I just give up on this or any suggestions?

[Greg McCary]

Color.........Another element would certainly help though. A tractor, farm house ect..

[Xia_Ke]

Thanks Greg I wish it was used for farming or something but, it's just a field. Why can't the owners be raising cattle or something?...LOL

[Greg McCary]

It's still a very peaceful shot.

[starriderrick]

I got a mercedes we could park out there.J.K. Ha! LOL
How about horses? that would be nice.
This speaks of serenity.

[Xia_Ke]

Thanks Greg

Thanks Rick So that was your Mercedes?!?!?!?!?! What's a guy gotta do to get a test drive?

[Frog]

I think the color and I know what you mean about the focal point.
Somebody should make inflatable barns for photographers to carry around.

[livin4lax09]

agree with the extra element. I always like color with blue skies.

[readingr]

Aaron,

Don't know what's to the left or right but a panorama coule be a potential for this location.

Other wise get closer to the bushes in the field and use them as the foreground.

With Landscapes it's very rare you can't find a foreground - just take a walk in the field.

Roger

[Xia_Ke]

Thanks again guys

Frog, you could be on to something! We better hurry up and put a patent on that...LOL

Roger, on the extreme left and extreme right, there's a house or 2 but, they do nothing for the location. This is along the side of the road and has a barbed wire fence going around it so getting closer is out of the question Unfortunately, I really can't even include the fence. The whole length of the field, that runs along the road, is down an embankment so you can't even get a good angle to include that.

[JFischer]

Is that a farmhouse I see peeking from the trees on the far left of this image? If you have a longer / telephoto lens, it might be worth using this as a subject.. Get in closer and you could draw the eye across the field and towards the farmhouse / barn which is partially obscured by the trees.

Just an idea . I know it'd remove any chance of having a more panoramic / wide view of the field, but it might provide your image with the object of focus / of interest that you're looking for.

J

[drg]

Several great suggestions have been offered.

I'd add, just keep trying different angles, and times of day and light until you start to see what you want to show and then refine that image. Of these two, the color image is working the best.

You may need more of the rolling countryside as a portion of the total photo to make this one do what you want. Skies are always fickle, but the shape of the land is what can make or break these types of bucolic images. What you may be wanting to display, is how the light plays upon this scene.

There are various companies that make inflatables of ANY type you want to order!! Pretty quick turn around. Usually cheaper to hire some carpenters and have a 'temp' structure erected that is only a facade.

Will look forward to your next 'countryscape'.

[DrZais]

You might have already done it or it might not be something you want to do but when I'm shooting something like this (large area with no specific centrepiece) I usually walk around the perimeter of the area I want to shoot and try and find a position that intrests me. Failing that I usually give up.

I wouldn't be too quick to give up on the b&w, you could always do some sort of tonal study since there isn't any subject to really attract attention, if you can find a view that highlights or rationalises the tone (if that makes any sense, which i fear it dosen't) then I'd make a photo out of that.

[Xia_Ke]

Thanks guys Unfortunately, it's all fenced off. To get really any other different angle I would have to start knocking on doors to get permission. I really like this place though, so I might have to cave in and do just that Maybe I just need to wait and catch a crazy sunset or something. I dunno... I always have my cam with me so hopefully someday something will come together for this location.

[Xia_Ke]

Woohoo, finally something of character in the field. Snapped this shot while making a quick stop on the way home from work. Any ideas on a different possible shooting options for this? I really shoot this from a different angle, so does this work? I plan to grab my tripod and hopefully try maybe for a sunset shot or something.

[Greg McCary]

I have learned a PS trick. Try going to selective color and lowering the magneta all of the way down in the green. Then do it again and boost yelow all the way up. I got the tip from a landscape book. It suppose to take the blue cast caused from the sky off of the green grass. It works well..... Oh and then saturate it +30. Do you want to see my edit?
Greg

[jkriminger]

aaron...it seems to be way too much sky..for me.. . I like to scroll crop the pic down towards the blue to view myself. I like the composition.

[Xia_Ke]

I have learned a PS trick. Try going to selective color and lowering the magneta all of the way down in the green. Then do it again and boost yelow all the way up. I got the tip from a landscape book. It suppose to take the blue cast caused from the sky off of the green grass. It works well..... Oh and then saturate it +30. Do you want to see my edit?
Greg

Thanks Greg I'm afraid that part of that is due to my having fun with the saturation sliders in Lightroom I was trying to bring out what little blue there was in the sky.

aaron...it seems to be way too much sky..for me.. . I like to scroll crop the pic down towards the blue to view myself. I like the composition.

Thanks j Part of that was due to trying to balance the field levels while getting the sun in the shot. There was actually quite a bit of character in the sky but, it got a bit washed out in this shot. Also, I kinda like a nice big open sky So you think I should concentrate more on the field and the farm equipment for the reshoot?

Thanks again for the input guys
Aaron

[starriderrick]

I have learned a PS trick. Try going to selective color and lowering the magneta all of the way down in the green. Then do it again and boost yelow all the way up. I got the tip from a landscape book. It suppose to take the blue cast caused from the sky off of the green grass. It works well..... Oh and then saturate it +30. Do you want to see my edit?
Greg

It would be good to see that.I have tried that myself. It's a very cool effect.

[Xia_Ke]

Forgot to add, would LOVE to see that edit I'm here to learn. If I post a shot in the critique forum, by all means, please everyone, feel free to post any edits of my shots. I only ask that you explain what and why you have done what you have done ;)

Aaron

[Greg McCary]

What do you think?

[Xia_Ke]

What do you think?

I'm thinking I need to borrow your eyes some time I'm also thinking a crop like that, with the sun setting in the background, is just the shot I'm looking for. This could be just the shot too for the Canonet with some Velvia 50 As always Greg, thank you very much for your help

Aaron

[Greg McCary]

Aaron I have noticed since I went digital that sometimes I get some funky green colors. It gets worse with a polorizer. I never really noticed this when I shot film. Maybe it's just the camera. The Olympus 510 hits the greens much better than the 500. To me any way. When I shot the Over the Roof pictures I was much happier the results.

[Xia_Ke]

I don't know if the greens were so much due to the camera as due to my editing. I shot metering more for the sky, so it took a bit to get back the field. Also, you know how it is once you start having fun with those Lightroom sliders...LOL Here's original for comparison...