Tough Assignment: Photo of Boring Field

[Farmclicker]

It is kind of a long story, but the USDA-FSA funded a project on my farm of converting some forest into fields. Part of the requirement is to prove that I actually completed the project as I said I would and to do this, they need a photo.

I have tried several times but I just do not like what I am getting, but to be fair it is rather boring...a 10 acre field of grass. I have waited until now when my area is in its beautiful autumn coat, and the grass is as tall as it will be this year and a dark shade of green. I also added a mock "picnic" to help the photo be less boring, but I am not sure if I pulled it off or not.

Any help on this photo would be appreciated...in the end it is worth about $10,000 dollars.

[/URL] Farm Service Agency Photo by Plowpoints, on Flickr[/IMG]

 

[Designer]

When I had a CRP farm, I was paid to reforest land that had been under cultivation. But hey, that's our government.

I think the "picnic" setup is not only irrelevant, but it is also irreverent, superfluous, and poorly staged.

Imagining someone from the FSA looking at this and wondering if there are more of these bare spots that are supposed to be in cover. Hiding a bare spot with a picnic blanket is probably not going to go over very well with them.

I would ditch the picnic idea and just take a picture (or several) of the best grass in the field. Use a wide lens, and the same light that you had in this shot.

 

[TonysTouch]

^ I agree 100%.

 

[KenC]

Is there any way to get up higher and show the entire field? I would guess that's what they want, especially if there are any landmarks that would show it's actually your field.

 

[sm4him]

Is there any way to get up higher and show the entire field? I would guess that's what they want, especially if there are any landmarks that would show it's actually your field.

Geotagging would take care of that.
I agree with Designer; lose the staged picnic and just get a picture that shows as much of the field totally covered in grass as possible.
I applaud your desire to make the photo interesting and beautiful, as well as fulfilling the requirement, but I think it's a misguided effort. I doubt the FSA gives one whit about the "beauty" of the photo--even if it was magazine-cover worthy, they would probably miss that aspect entirely, because: They. Don't. Care.
They only care that the photo shows you did what the funding was meant to do. So, show lots of field where once there was a forest, and you're good as gold. Well, good as $10,000 of paper money anyway.

 

[Judobreaker]

Yeah, showing most of the field or the entire field is probably a good idea.

This photo is actually not that bad once you get rid of the picknick by the way... I kinda like it.

 

[Derrel]

I would shoot from a ladder. I didn't mind the picnic scene either.

 

[Desi]

Judobreaker's take on your image is nice. I'm with Derrel, I don't mind the presence of the picnic in the scene.

To me, you have a picnic way at the bottom, in shade, with a bluish cast. The picnic scene is incomplete and draws your eye downward. There is an entirely different scene at the top of the image, the field and forest, which has a different light and white balance. It is hard to take both scenes in one image.

I like the idea. I'd try to set up your picnic scene deeper into the shot, and in the same lighting as the field. That way it can be part of the image, rather than a competing element.

 

[sm4him]

I would shoot from a ladder. I didn't mind the picnic scene either.

Judobreaker's take on your image is nice. I'm with Derrel, I don't mind the presence of the picnic in the scene.

To me, you have a picnic way at the bottom, in shade, with a bluish cast. The picnic scene is incomplete and draws your eye downward. There is an entirely different scene at the top of the image, the field and forest, which has a different light and white balance. It is hard to take both scenes in one image.

I like the idea. I'd try to set up your picnic scene deeper into the shot, and in the same lighting as the field. That way it can be part of the image, rather than a competing element.

I have no problem with the picnic scene either, IF this were just about making a decent looking photo. But, I think Designer had a valid point, that the FSA may very well look at it, and just wonder what the picnic blanket is covering up that the OP doesn't want them to see. Given the specific objective of this photo, I'd ditch the picnic scene.

 

[Desi]

I would shoot from a ladder. I didn't mind the picnic scene either.

Judobreaker's take on your image is nice. I'm with Derrel, I don't mind the presence of the picnic in the scene.

To me, you have a picnic way at the bottom, in shade, with a bluish cast. The picnic scene is incomplete and draws your eye downward. There is an entirely different scene at the top of the image, the field and forest, which has a different light and white balance. It is hard to take both scenes in one image.

I like the idea. I'd try to set up your picnic scene deeper into the shot, and in the same lighting as the field. That way it can be part of the image, rather than a competing element.

I have no problem with the picnic scene either, IF this were just about making a decent looking photo. But, I think Designer had a valid point, that the FSA may very well look at it, and just wonder what the picnic blanket is covering up that the OP doesn't want them to see. Given the specific objective of this photo, I'd ditch the picnic scene.

Agreed.

 

[Farmclicker]

Thanks for all of you for taking the time to respond and critique my photo. I really do appreciate it.

I understand what you are saying too and I agree. I guess I just broke the cardinal rule of photography; take a photo of what the client wants, not what is artsy or posed.

I may try and get some quick photos of the field while we still have a wee bit of fall foliage left. Considering this is Maine, and we are famous for our glorious autumn coat, this year was extremely bad for the "leaf peepers". We have had a couple of wind storms, knocking the leaves off the maples and ash, leaving trees that are bare, while the oaks and birches are still green. Basically it is a very dismal fall foliage year. :-(

I did take a few wide angle photos of the field from higher vantage points, but they just seemed lackluster to me. A really great vantage point is up on the top of the hill where we can look out and see Mount Washington 150 miles away. But we have yet to chop our corn so all you would see is corn stalks 14 feet tall!

Thanks for understanding that I was merely trying to get a more interesting photo of my field and that I do not have an out-of-control picnic fetish!

 

[spacefuzz]

well dont let us stop you from taking picnic scenes for your self fulfillment, just dont need to send em to the govt