The Things I See
Sunflowers and Sunshine
Posted by Craig (Vacaville, California, United States) on 7 October 2008 in Plant & Nature and Portfolio.
There was no post processing done to this image. I don't know why I feel it necessary to point that out. Because, post processing is completely legitimate.
Melissa from Ogden, United States
You point it out because most of us can't get that kind of color without post processing. This is a stunning image!
7 Oct 2008 5:26am
Steve from Camdenton, United States
Very nice shot indeed! Wonderful sun rays streaming across the scene.
7 Oct 2008 5:48am
Magda from Vancouver, Canada
Magnificent shot! Wow! The sun rays are perfect! Gorgeous!
7 Oct 2008 5:54am
MaryP from Aberdeenshire, United Kingdom
You were there at the right time, and your camera was ready for the right moment. Superb!
7 Oct 2008 7:11am
Betty from New Jersey, United States
You point it out because it's an amazingly beautiful shot that is straight from the camera! Just gorgeous, Craig! Fantastic! And the sun's rays are gold like the flowers! Bravo!
7 Oct 2008 9:55am
Monique from Koh Samui, Thailand
Its like a fight between the real sun and the sunflowers, great capture and a lovely ray of sunbeams!
7 Oct 2008 10:50am
Lorraine from Gatineau, Canada
Because you want us to see this beauty exactly as you saw it, I dig ;) It's stunning. that sun makes the flowers live and you photographed them so well
7 Oct 2008 10:59am
Viewfinder from Bradenton, United States
I think you point it out because rarely do we manage to get it all right inside the camera, the moment, the scene, the conditions, and the serendipity (those rays)... without processing at least a bit. But you managed this and this photo is amazing! Congrats to you Craig for pulling this visually beautiful scene/moment out of your camera.
7 Oct 2008 11:51am
MaryB from Staffordshire, United Kingdom
What a fabulous out of the camera shot! the light beams from the sun across the sunflower field, is heavenly, bravo on a very beautiful image Craig.
7 Oct 2008 11:53am
Betsy Barron from Glenmoore, United States
this is gorgeous - you really put the 'sun' in sunflower!
great use of flare
7 Oct 2008 12:32pm
Jeffster from Long Island, United States
Beautiful golden light rays. Nice photo.
7 Oct 2008 12:41pm
dogilicious from Millerstown, PA, United States
They just keep getting better and better!
7 Oct 2008 12:48pm
erik tjallinks from Hurdegaryp, Netherlands
It IS legitimate, but it's wothwhile to notify that processing has been done if misunderstandings miht arise, otherwise it's kind of cheating. Many beautiful pictures clearly have been processed, you see it at once, but I once posted a picture of my backyard with a rare bird in it that you almost never see in backyards; I had copy-and pasted the bird into the picture, and nobody saw it was there because of processing. I find that cheating. Here it's the opposite: one might easily think that processing has been taken place, so it's justified to tell that's not the case. Beautiful picture! For one reason or another sunflowers seem to be more animal and less plant to us. I posted a picture of a sunflower cut off from its stem and got a comment "beheaded, poor sunflower", and i must say I also felt it a bit that way.
7 Oct 2008 1:48pm
@erik tjallinks: I find your comments thoughtful and interesting. You hit the nail on the head when you said that one might think processing has taken place, so it is justified to tell that's not the case. I believe that is why I made the announcement. But, usually when I see others make the claim, I think they are making a statement that somehow they are so good that processing was not needed. When in-fact all photographs are "processed" to some degree. If by "processing" we mean altered. It's just that the alterations are sometimes done by the chemist that formulates the inks or the engineers that designed the CCD to capture light in specific ways. The old masters burned and dogged their images in the enlarger onto emulsion layers created by chemists again. So, by my way of thinking all images are "processed." What really matters is the final image. I even believe it is legitimate to cut and paste a bird into a backyard scene. Who cares to what degree it is processed. Your image required skill to create it! Thanks for the thought provoking discussion.
MontereyJohn from Salinas, California, United States
I think you pointed it out so folks wouold know that was real lens flare. Cool image.
7 Oct 2008 2:59pm
Photographs by M.E. from Tustin, United States
Craig -
1. Do you give photography lessons?
2. Do you mind that I not only only enjoy your pictures but also the exchanges you have with your visitors?
Your work is really awesome.
7 Oct 2008 3:01pm
@Photographs by M.E.: Thanks M.E. that is really nice of you to ask. But, no. I don't give lessons. I've tried giving lessons in the past; but, my students always wind up hating me because I become something of an obsessed drill Sargent. LOL. But, if you have a question or need help, just ask. I'm always willing to throw my two cents in! :0) Thanks for all your comments M.E. BTW - I like your work too!
Zygène from morlaix, France
Une de mes préférées dans cette série, la lumière est superbe.
7 Oct 2008 4:08pm
leslie from norwich, United Kingdom
AMAZING shot - must be the image of the day - S T U N N I N G
7 Oct 2008 4:26pm
willow from Chelsea, United States
Who needs processing when you have the ability to be in exactly the right place at the right time?!! This is beautiful! I really like that you left the rusty old whatever it is in the background. It grounds the image, puts it back in the realm of reality.
7 Oct 2008 4:39pm
Jennifer Hatcher from Alpharetta, United States
Awesome shot...the rays of sunlight are just beautiful!!!
7 Oct 2008 4:40pm
Sammi from New Jersey, United States
Breath taking, Craig.
The sun is a butt to take on my camera >.>
Love it [:
7 Oct 2008 10:06pm
baobab from Cambridge, United States
lovely flare. seems like divine light.
imo post-processing to reproduce or slightly enhance what one sees is one art ("photography"); post-processing to create an entirely new effect is another ("graphic art"). I do appreciate both, but like knowing which I'm looking at. adding a flare would have counted - imo - as graphic art. as willow says - you put yourself in the right spot at the right moment :-)
>>usually when I see others make the claim, I think they are making a statement that somehow they are so good that processing was not needed.
ha! I sometimes make the statement because I've surprised myself with how a shot turned out - and because my pp skills are zero to very poor (though I am finally starting to learn the basics of photoshop). I do think that when a shot turns out spectacularly straight from the camera it's worth noting, and it says as much or more about that particular type of camera as about the skill of the person pressing the shutter. I have seen a huge difference between the D70 and D300, but I'm certainly not suddenly more talented because I'm holdling a better camera. imo skill as a photographer has more to do with composition and light than colour and contrast - which as you note, are pp no matter whether one uses chemistry or software to produce the result.
7 Oct 2008 11:26pm
@baobab: Ya, I think were talking the same language. :0) I appreciate your comments Baobab!
Doug from Long Beach, United States
It is worth noting these days. Any time I'm perfectly happy with the shot as it was taken I consider that a small victory.
8 Oct 2008 5:29am
dj.tigersprout from San Bruno, CA, United States
wow -- a wonderful shot with simply amazing sun rays! and perfectly centered too -- it just doesn't get any better! ;) CONGRATS on the spotlight (it just got posted!!) :D
8 Oct 2008 9:29pm
amy from Nanaimo, BC, Canada
Absolutely FANtastic, Craig!!
Sorry I missed this yesterday... went to my first photography club meeting here.
9 Oct 2008 2:26am
Sony DSLR-A350
3/5 seconds
F/32.0
ISO 100
90 mm