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Archive 2013 · Arizona Sunflower Season!

Slabshaft
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Arizona Sunflower Season!

Spent the last couple of sunsets exploring the hills near Sunset Crater outside Flagstaff AZ. The sunflowers are everywhere. Found some compositions I liked and had some nice light. The moonrises definitely helped

C&C is always welcome.

I was battling the breeze and getting frustrated before I decided to embrace it and go for the ND filter and really long exposure. I like the movement of the flowers and the solidness of the trees. Kind of a reminder that the flowers are so short lived. That glow around the moon is from the haze in the sky.

The following sunset was easier and had some excellent clouds. All the flowers seemed to be gawking at the dead tree and watching the moon rise, so I figured I would do the same.

This one goes outside the realistic realm, but I had this vision for the tones/colors and a very low-key redish image. I like how it ended up.

I shot this right before I got back in the Jeep to head home. I was curious how a long (15sec) exposure would look. Sometimes the camera picks up light I didn't know was there.

Aug 21, 2013 at 09:22 AM

groob
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Arizona Sunflower Season!

I like them all. Only thing I'd consider is moving the tree out of center in frame 2.

Aug 21, 2013 at 09:24 AM

Justin Grimm
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Arizona Sunflower Season!

I think #3 is actually the best, especially compositionally speaking. I wouldn’t have guessed it was "outside of realism". Maybe brightening the darker areas would help make it look more realistic, to help balance the bright flower hill out a bit.

Aug 21, 2013 at 11:10 AM

JimFox
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Arizona Sunflower Season!

Hey John,

Very cool! Man, I like how you embraced the wind in #1...

#2 is nicely done too, but as Mr Groob mentioned, the tree being so centered hurts that one a bit. But it has some fantastic looking clouds in it, did you get a different composition with that lighting?

#3... I like your vision and I like the outcome! Well done indeed.

Boy, now you have me figuring out how to get over to Arizona for a few days...

Now I am really bad with flower names, but aren't these like a daisy? They aren't sunflowers as I think of them. There are no sunflower seeds coming from these and they look rather small.

Jim

Aug 21, 2013 at 12:51 PM

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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · Arizona Sunflower Season!

Nice! I like the moon and dead tree alignment in 1 and the color in 3. I've been going to this area for the past week or so and I'm just amazed how many sunflowers there are, they are a great contrast to the cinder hills in the background. Last night I was exploring the lower area and saw a flashlight on the hill across the road and wondered who else was motivated enough to be wondering around there in the dark.. must have been you

Aug 21, 2013 at 01:00 PM

Slabshaft
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · Arizona Sunflower Season!

Thanks for the comments! I agree having the tree centered is kind of odd. I have other compositions I will look at some more. My intent was that the cloud and the moon might kind of balance it out by giving the eye other things to explore. If nobody had a problem with a 5th image, I'll offer up another composition which I think works, but has no moon.

Also, they are a type of sunflower, different than the big seeding ones that we commonly know.

rainshadow wrote:
Nice! I like the moon and dead tree alignment in 1 and the color in 3. I've been going to this area for the past week or so and I'm just amazed how many sunflowers there are, they are a great contrast to the cinder hills in the background. Last night I was exploring the lower area and saw a flashlight on the hill across the road and wondered who else was motivated enough to be wondering around there in the dark.. must have been you

I did bring a light, but didn't end up using it. I was on the hill between NF-742 and Robinson Mtn. I'm sure I passed by you at some point. Between that location and Government Prairie, I've seen quite a few photographers out. Tis the season

Aug 21, 2013 at 01:13 PM

JustinPoe
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · Arizona Sunflower Season!

JimFox wrote:
Now I am really bad with flower names, but aren't these like a daisy? They aren't sunflowers as I think of them. There are no sunflower seeds coming from these and they look rather small.

Jim

Jim,

These are technically Balsamroots, which is a genus in the Sunflower family.

Aug 21, 2013 at 01:21 PM

ChrisKayler
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · Arizona Sunflower Season!

#2 is my favorite, but I do agree that I would like the tree moved out of the center.

Aug 21, 2013 at 04:06 PM

Slabshaft
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · Arizona Sunflower Season!

Here is a 'less centered' version of #2. I do like this one better. Aside from the composition, I like the sunlight on the tree and the crater. It does feel heavy to the right, but I think the horizon of flowers helps entice the eye to the left a little. I'm wondering if it's worth adjusting the perspective to lean the tree up. It was a bit crooked to begin with though . . .

Aug 22, 2013 at 01:52 AM


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