For the next part of my Major Project I wanted to focus on the Agricultural landscape which makes up part of the surround countryside around Yoxall (the rest is made up by the National Forest project but I'll cover that more in due course). What I was looking for were images that illustrated the diversity in the Agricultural landscape that can be found in what is a very small area around the village. As with the previous parts of my Major Project this isn't the finished product by any means because whats great about this subject is that during the next few months as things spring back to life and start to grow the landscapes can change in a matter of weeks producing new opportunities. Below is what at this point I consider to be my best images for this section.
Tech. Details
F-stops- f/14
Expo- 500sec
ISO- 400
Expo Bias- 0 steps
Focal Length- 22mm
What I like about this shot is the way the lines draw the eye into the background towards the distant single tree plus the way the horizon is shaped it too has a similar effect on the scene. Its a very simple photo but one that works well in illustrating a Autumnal view as the fields have been replanted ready for the spring and for the yearly cycle to start again. I used a red filter in Photoshop to finish off this shot because I like the blue of the sky to appear darker giving it what I think is a much more dramatic feel because it makes the clouds really jump out and seem more solid, if the photo is left in its original state the tonal range just isn't quiet right and it doesn't match the reality of the subject.
Tech. Details
F-stops- f/13
Expo- 500sec
ISO- 250
Expo Bias- 0 steps
Focal Length- 22mm
The second photo in this section I again captured towards the back end of last year but with this example I took inspiration from my Critical Review and the way Ansel Adams made his own landscapes appear grander and more dramatic. What he did to achieve this was simple drop the horizon lower in the field of view altering the scale and feel of the subject. Again as in the first image I've made the sky appear dramatic and it possibly works better in this case because the clouds seem more threatening in that there could be a storm on the way.
Tech Details
F-stops- f/8
Expo- 160sec
ISO- 640
Expo Bias- 0 steps
Focal Length- 52mm
For me this is the best photo in this section because it captures a moment that is repeated daily at this time of year all over the country but at the same time is quiet personal because I was able to get pretty close without disturbing the cows while they fed on one of only two dairy farms left in the village. I just like the way they get stuck in shoving each other out the way and then burying themselves up to there ears in some case in there food. Its actually amusing to watch because they know when it's feeding time and will stand together waiting, even calling out sometimes if the farmer happens to be late. With this shot I didn't have to make any changes in Photoshop because the original version was about spot on, the only thing I did do was slightly crop some of the background out to full focus the view on the activity of the cows.
Tech. Details
F-stops- f/5.3
Expo- 100sec
ISO- 640
Expo Bias- 0 steps
Focal Length- 55mm
One thing Winter does bring is the storing away of farm machinery until the spring as a lot of the livestock has been brought into barns or just closer to the farms. I think there's something a little sad this kind of view, you much rather see a farm up and running and busy rather then pact up and quiet as you see here. Maybe it's because I've seen to many farms left in this manner after either the farmer's retired with none of their family wanting to take on the running or its simple gone out of business all together.
Tech. Details
F-stops- f/10
Expo- 250sec
ISO- 500
Expo Bias- 0 steps
Focal Length- 35mm
It isn't all doom and gloom though I might make it sound like that some times because some are coming up with alternative ways of make a living from the land. Take the photo above of a Alpaca farm on the edge of the village (see website Trent Bridge Alpacas for more info) someone who's trying something a little different and making a success of it. What I wanted to do here was use the low light to capture just their shadows originally because I thought it'd look a bit different even usual but it just didn't work so instead I widened the view to include the animals themselves and the surrounding landscape. The end result works much better and it still looks a bit strange because you aren't use to seeing Alpacas in the English countryside.
Taken all together I'm fairly happy with how this section is coming together, I think it reflects the land use and what's going on in the landscape but at the same time there's still room to improve. As I said at the start over the coming months I'd hope to still expand this more because it's one of two sections that I'm planning to continue working on throughout the rest of the course, the other section being on the National Forest Project which I'm going to cover in my next entry.
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