It is all about the light

Checking in

When I used to be part of a critique group, my Central Valley series didn’t receive much enthusiasm. The feedback was sparse: either silence or nitpicking over small details. No one seemed to grasp the overall vision I was aiming for.

Now that I’ve left the group, I’m still grappling with the series. It’s been difficult to make everything feel cohesive. I know I need to keep shooting, but I’ve let too many distractions get in the way. My work schedule, for example, always seems to fall on the very days when clouds, so crucial to the mood I want, finally appear. And they have the past week.

The role of climbing

In the name of learning to climb, I have been neglecting my photography.  I do grab the camera when I go rock climbing outside, but it’s hard to coordinate those two apparently opposing activities: the rock is hard, and the camera is fragile. Most of my climbing, however, for the lack of time and abundance of heat outside, is in the gym.

The vision

I have a collection of photographs portraying California’s Sacramento Valley, which is the northern portion of the Central Valley. This collection is all in black and white.

In my previous posts, I’ve aimed to provide some tips and guidelines on composition. I noted that photographing the Central Valley landscape is challenging due to its limited redeeming beauty and anchor points. In this post I show an image of dramatic rays of light piercing through dark, heavy clouds, illuminating a solitary tree in a vast field. The contrast between the bright and dark areas creates a mysterious and serene atmosphere whereas the diagonal line from the tree on the left to the cloud on the top right creates a sense of movement.

The photoshoot

On March 3, 2024, I drove in the town of Winters rural area. The morning was cloudy, and the light was spotty. Against the flat landscape, the clouds were threatening to rain on the FEATURED PHOTOGRAPH (f/18, 1/640s, ISO 640).

Images considered for the collection

Previous posts about the collection

• The gate is locked – the beauty and bleakness of California’s Central Valley- a new project;
• The beauty and bleakness of California’s Central Valley- part two;
• The beauty and bleakness of California’s Central Valley- part three;
• The beauty and bleakness of California’s Central Valley- part four;
• The beauty and bleakness of California’s Central Valley- part five;
• The beauty and bleakness of California’s Central Valley- part six;
• The beauty and bleakness of California’s Central Valley- part seven;
• The beauty and bleakness of California’s Central Valley – part eight;
• Winter photography in Butte County: Another image from the Gray Lodge Wildlife Area;
• Winter photography in Colusa County: Sacramento Wildlife Refuge and migratory birds;

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Wall Art Botanical Images

Wall Art Photography projects

Wall Art landscapes and miscellaneous

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