Silos In A November Cornfield
Silos in a cornfield is a common rural scene. They just seem to evoke the allure of farming and growing something. They bring out the yearning for the quiet, simple life of farming and getting back to nature. This is despite the reality that a farming life is often neither quiet nor simple. Yet, the dream endures.
The mood is enhanced if it is late autumn. The yellowed cornstalks remind us of both the end of summer and of the cold winter to come. Thankfully, there is the hope of spring to renew our spirits. If you are lucky, as I was, to have a lovely cloudy sky you get a scene that screams to be photographed.
The Shot
I had passed by this scene numerous times during road trips to visit my daughter in Chicago. It always caught my eye but it always seemed that the sky was either cloudless or completely overcast. I prefer not to do sky replacements unless there is no alternative. Finally, one fine November day, the sun was out and there were beautiful streaky clouds in the sky. My patience had paid off.
I exited the interstate and set up my tripod on the county road bordering the cornfield. The thought of finally getting the shot was exciting. To emphasize the beautiful sky and the wide-open farmland I decided to make a panorama. I also made the decision to not center the group of silos in the composition. Centering the group of silos would work but I went with putting them off-center to create some negative space to highlight the openness of the scene.
My favorite lens for panoramas is the tilt-shift. It’s a very sharp lens and creates no distortion when making panoramas. It was an easy choice. While I freely admit a bias toward B&W, in this case I thought it was especially warranted as it really brings out the clouds and also the contrasts in the silos and yellowed cornstalks.
This was not really a photo trip and we were on something of a deadline. As a result, I could not spend a lot of time “working” the scene. That’s unfortunate as I wish I could have spent more time there. Hopefully, I can on the next road trip to Chicago. Unfortunately, since my daughter as moved away from Chicago, it may be some time before that opportunity returns.
Leave A Comment And Share
Do you have photos where patience and persistence were key in getting them? I would love to hear your comments and feedback. Please leave a comment in the comment box below.
