Flint Hills Prairie

Gallery: LandscapePosted June 19, 2011409 views19 comments

I was lucky to have great conditions at the Tall Grass Prairie Preserve with an approaching storm to provide interesting clouds and soft diffuse light for this image. This clump of Butterfly Milkweed was very photogenic and perfectly complemented by verdant green Spring prairie grass in the soft cloudy light.

Nikon D700
Nikor 24 tilt/shift
RAW processed in LR3 and CS5

Comments

19 comments

Comment posted by Stuart Williams on June 19, 2011 at 2:49 PM

steve, this works for me. i like the flowers and the sense of depth here. i'm not sure about the relatively bright section just above the horizon?

Registered on December 7, 2007, 247 Posts, 4792 Comments

Comment posted by Tony Kuyper on June 19, 2011 at 3:02 PM

Spectacular, Steve. Very strong image.

Registered on November 1, 2003, 364 Posts, 22328 Comments

Comment posted by Alister Benn on June 19, 2011 at 3:03 PM

This is really cool... The blast of color seems quite incongruous, but works well. Perhaps a little bit disjointed with no real connection between the FG and the sky, but very eye-catching none-the-less..

Registered on June 9, 2011, 23 Posts, 258 Comments

Comment posted by R.Bill Moser on June 19, 2011 at 3:40 PM

I love it. the flowers in the foreground are just great. love the color contrast and that dramatic sky.

Registered on January 29, 2010, 285 Posts, 4281 Comments

Comment posted by Angela Classen on June 19, 2011 at 3:42 PM

Beautiful! Butterfly milkweed was always one of my favorite prairie bloomers because of its vibrant color. It contrasts very nicely with the stormy sky and brilliant green grasses.

Registered on June 13, 2007, 434 Posts, 2742 Comments

Comment posted by Mark Seaver on June 19, 2011 at 4:52 PM

The Butterfly Milkweed is a great addition and leads my eyes to that storm moving in. Is the milkweed in Kansas different? Here on the East coast, it's orange with occasional hints of red.

Registered on January 23, 2011, 1103 Posts, 17270 Comments

Comment posted by Daniel Ewert on June 19, 2011 at 4:58 PM

I like that burst of color in the foreground and the drama in the sky. I would prefer a few shafts of direct light in this one to break up the somber grey, but it is still a compelling image. Nice work.

Registered on June 2, 2009, 103 Posts, 1500 Comments

Comment posted by Preston Birdwell on June 19, 2011 at 5:26 PM

Interesting things can happen when you get a geologist away from rocks! This is very nice, Steve. I love the flowers against the cool sky. The approaching cell looks a little ominous.

Nicely done!

--P

Registered on November 1, 2003, 471 Posts, 5188 Comments

Comment posted by Chris Chamberlain on June 19, 2011 at 5:58 PM

Yeah, that's nice! The delicate beauty of the flower overshadowed by the fury and power of the incoming storm. A nice visual contrast and an emotional one as well!

Chris

Registered on March 13, 2007, 500 Posts, 8365 Comments

Comment posted by Sarah Marino on June 19, 2011 at 6:29 PM

Hi Stephen - Those red blooms are spectacular. I like the contrasts between the bright grasses and flowers and the ominous sky. I think this tells the story of the spring prairie really well. Beautiful work.

Registered on November 10, 2008, 23 Posts, 393 Comments

Comment posted by Mark Metternich on June 19, 2011 at 7:32 PM

Great use of simplicity and location.

Registered on June 19, 2009, 276 Posts, 6240 Comments

Comment posted by Gary Crabbe on June 19, 2011 at 9:03 PM

Wow, what a sky. Love the color of the plants on the prairie leading my eye into the photo.

Registered on November 1, 2003, 182 Posts, 1840 Comments

Comment posted by Julian Barkway on June 20, 2011 at 3:03 AM

A lovely splash of colour in a sea of green...

Not sure about the sky, though. It looks as if you were using a graduated filter which wasn't pulled down far enough...

Registered on January 18, 2007, 344 Posts, 1961 Comments

Comment posted by Jared Atencio on June 20, 2011 at 11:51 AM

The large version is really nice Stephen! It's simple, but combines a lot of elements that really make this image work for me, namely the color and incredible detail in this. Love the drama in the sky and the processing looks perfect here.

Registered on June 23, 2009, 21 Posts, 422 Comments

Comment posted by Adam Gibbs on June 20, 2011 at 12:46 PM

Super stuff Steve, the Milkweed really steals the show.

Registered on November 1, 2003, 168 Posts, 870 Comments

Comment posted by Jerry Greer on June 20, 2011 at 2:46 PM

Beautiful image Stephen!

Registered on November 1, 2003, 404 Posts, 1977 Comments

Comment posted by Lon Overacker on June 20, 2011 at 4:10 PM

Steve,

Great to see an image from you. I'm really liking the visual and contrast moods between the almost cheery-red plant and the gloomy, dramatic sky. I think the secondary plant, as small as it is, really works in helping to bring these two elements of the image together. Great job with this both in comp and in processing. thanks for posting.

Lon

Registered on November 24, 2006, 521 Posts, 19147 Comments

Comment posted by Phil Pogledich on June 20, 2011 at 5:20 PM

Wonderful shot! Simple shots like this so often seem to have the most impact . . . and this is a shining example. I do agree with some of the thoughts about the brighter area of sky though (or perhaps it's the darker area I should be pointing out). Feels a bit off, but I wasn't there . . .

Registered on August 24, 2009, 123 Posts, 3099 Comments

Comment posted by John Tobias on June 25, 2011 at 8:29 AM

Great photo, I must say it does bring back memories of growing up in Kansas, and isn't that what a good image can do, reach out and make a conection. Thanks for sharing.

Registered on September 12, 2009, 2120 Posts, 6455 Comments