Farmland photography: June update (2023)
Taking on a journey through the Canadian prairies for a 5-year photography spree, I've found myself snapping up Alberta's farmlands like a hungry toddler at a cake buffet. My aim? To bring you monthly updates (whenever possible) and, at some point, get friendly with the local farmers to add an extra sprinkle of authenticity to my photography tales.
May was followed by a better outcome in farmland photography. It finally rained for two days before getting hot again. The continuous rain helped reduce the wildfire, and some residents returned to their homes (some were unfortunate).
A bit on the summer and its impact on the farmers.
Albertan Farming 2023 Outlook (June 30 Update):
Alberta's agricultural areas experienced patchy rainfall from June 13 to June 20, providing some relief to dry areas due to thunderstorm activity. Unfortunately, Southern Alberta and parts of the Central and Peace Regions remain arid, with forecasts suggesting that sporadic thunderstorms will be their only source of moisture. Since the start of the growing season on April 1, 2023, about 40% of the farmlands have seen above-average moisture. Still, rainfall timing and long stretches of hot, dry weather have resulted in moisture stress.
Precipitation deficits have been intensifying in some areas, with record lows seen in the Southern Region and parts of the Peace Region. Above-average temperatures have aggravated the situation as plant water demand increases, depleting soil moisture reserves across much of the North West. A forecasted low-pressure system may provide relief for the northern Peace Region, but more rain will be needed soon to sustain crop growth across the province.
Source: https://open.alberta.ca/publications/moisture-situation-update
June 21, 2023
After missing out on an epic sunset the previous evening, I drove to some known locations stored on my Google Maps with my usual gear. I started somewhere close to Leduc and worked my way towards Edmonton. But it was only when I reached range road 510 I started seeing beautiful lights with some farmland structures in the foreground. I stopped along the way to capture some beautiful sunset lights before heading towards a familiar winter scene I had photographed and added to my gallery.
The moon was up already (the sunset is at 10:00 PM throughout summer - reaching a peak of 11:00 PM in the peak summer). Initially, I thought of using the now companion Fujifilm GF 100-200mmF5.6 and taking a panoramic photograph. Then I decided to stick with the Fujifilm GF 45-100mmF4 and capture the scene handheld (I was lazy to fix the tripod). I focused on the leading lines and the colorful skies to catch the first one.
Not satisfied, I decided to go slightly wider (!?) at an 80mm focal length. I captured this scene to include the crescent to make a beautiful photograph. The crescent added a much-talked-about punctuation to the photography, otherwise a vast, colorful sky and nothing else. The seasonal changes and the colorful sunset made the familiar scene even better.
Later in the post-processing, I had to crop the scene to make it tight (yet, allow the moon inside the frame) and lift the foreground shadows to reveal the structures better.
June 23, 2023
Following up on the beautiful sunset on the 21st, I decided to go for photography in another familiar location which I have not shared much (despite photographing more). This time, I plan to focus on that one location and use my tripod combined with the Fujifilm GF 45-100mmF4 lens to focus stack. I spent hours in that place and returned home with over 100 images to process. Then, I shortlisted a few that I liked and well focused, staked them using Helicon Focus, and processed them using Capture One Pro to get the following look.
The dead dandelions made the foreground slightly interesting, otherwise boring (nothing but grass). I could return to this location for nighttime photography, angling into the scene from further west to north to capture the milky way.
June 30, 2023
Expecting rain, I got outside the home and drove towards the farmlands nearby. The scenes were a mix of rain clouds, sunny at some spots, and sparing colors provided by early sunset and the dandelion flowers. Elsewhere the other storm chasers of Alberta capture beautiful, almost tornadoes that I couldn’t in that location (you don’t have enough ingredients to make a tornado or a storm). The dandelion gave me hope of better storm structures later this summer and colorful pictures in the next two weeks.
I loved this scene where a potential storm cloud showed its abs on top of a few buildings in a wide field. I switched to my Fujifilm GF 20-35mmF4 and took pictures from different angles. I had to make them into zones and post-process carefully to lift shadows on the buildings just enough but not to spoil the lights in the foreground and display the clouds better.
Conclusion
The ever-changing weather provided a variety of dynamic scenes, requiring quick adaptations in terms of lenses and focus. I have learned to embrace the unpredictability of nature, using it to enhance my compositions, add depth to scenes, and challenge my technical abilities. Whether capturing the golden hour hues or the imposing storm clouds, these experiences have shaped my approach, reminding me that patience, flexibility, and persistence are the essence of landscape photography. These trips have delivered beautiful photographs and promised the potential for more captivating shots in the future.