Unexpected desert poppies

Image Critiques Landscape Critiques
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_49A7029.jpg2000×1041 1.42 MB

Critique Style Requested: Standard

The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image.

Description

We’re headed for the eclipse. West TX is looking like it will be very cloudy so we’re headed for NW Arkansas, where the forecast looks a little better. We had gone by the south edge of Phoenix and about 75 miles W of Deming, NM there was a small area of what has to be poppies – the only area of any flowers we saw. This frame covers almost the whole area. We were probably about 3000-5000 ft high.

Specific Feedback

Just a tourist snapshot – it didn’t look like maneuvering around would yield anything much more interesting so it’s a drive-by shooting. But all comments always welcome!

Technical Details

Screenshot 2024-04-04 at 8.22.56 PM

Just basic global tonal adjustments in LR – contrast is always low in this sort of thing. Slight crop top and bottom for composition. This didn’t make it into PS. It’s looking like it could use more contrast as I start to post but no time to play with it now.

1 Like
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Diane, thanks for sharing the poppy update here. With all the rain we’ve had in the So Cal area I suspect we’ll have a strong bloom down here too… :sunglasses:
More importantly, the best of luck to you on your eclipse travel pursuit… :+1: :+1:

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Pretty nice for a tourist snapshot!

Just west across the state line in Graham and Greenlee Counties, friends have been posting photos of nice carpets of poppies. (I grew up in that area.) 2010 was an extraordinary year for poppies there (this same time of year), and apparently this is another.

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The cool vs warm combination is really nice. The poppies look like sunlight in a way. Nice composition.

5

Wow, this is nice! I love how the poppies almost look like highlights from the low setting/rising sun on the hills. I also like the abstractness this image has when viewed with a bit of distance and I think this would look great printed large on a wall somewhere.

6

Thanks, @Paul_Breitkreuz, @John_Williams, @Igor_Doncov and @Tom_Nevesely! I’m just now coming up for air after the trip and still have some final processing to do on the eclipse pictures. In the meantime, too many flowers suddenly in bloom here. I hope some people got some good desert superbloom – looked like it might have been good conditions this year.