# Western Sunflowers in a Short Grass Prairie **URL:** \ **Category:** Image Critiques\ **Tags:** plant-life\ **Created:** [August 20, 2021, 9:21pm UTC](https://community.naturephotographers.network/t/western-sunflowers-in-a-short-grass-prairie/23848 "2021-08-20T21:21:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jim\_Zablotny](https://assets.naturephotographers.network/user_avatar/community.naturephotographers.network/jim_zablotny/32/3919_2.png) [@Jim\_Zablotny](https://community.naturephotographers.network/u/Jim_Zablotny)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2021, 9:21pm UTC](https://community.naturephotographers.network/t/western-sunflowers-in-a-short-grass-prairie/23848/1 "2021-08-20T21:21:02Z")
![Westernsunflowers](https://images.naturephotographers.network/original/3X/9/a/9adbead21b502e71638cc3492e98931d3afe51c6.jpeg) ### Description: I lugged about 40 pounds of photo gear out to a Ohio prairie complex hoping to get shots of some rare orchids and dragonflies. Orchids were done blooming and dragonflies were quite rare. So this compelled me to take a different approach to my usual take on flower photography. 1000’s of Western sunflowers were blooming in a dry sandy area of the prairie complex and I chose to shoot them backlit by late morning sun. ### Specific Feedback Requested: ### Pertinent technical details or techniques: D500 200-400mm f4 +1.4x teleconverter=490mm (1/60 sec at f9.0, ISO 100) Levels, desaturate yellow, crop for comp, Topaz DeNoise. Is this a composite? (focus stacks or exposure blends are _not_ considered composites) ###### If you would like your image to be eligible for a feature on the NPN Instagram (@NaturePhotoNet), add the tag ‘ig’ and leave your Instagram username below. ---
**Author:** ![Diane\_Miller](https://assets.naturephotographers.network/user_avatar/community.naturephotographers.network/diane_miller/32/27391_2.png) [@Diane\_Miller](https://community.naturephotographers.network/u/Diane_Miller)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2021, 9:40pm UTC](https://community.naturephotographers.network/t/western-sunflowers-in-a-short-grass-prairie/23848/2 "2021-08-20T21:40:18Z")
Wonderful take on a difficult subject! The right parts are sharp and the others are delightfully soft. The BG flowers are so perfectly OOF and the lens aperture has rendered such pleasing bokeh – in the original sense of its meaning as the smooth optical quality of the OOF areas. I’m trying to decide if I like the amount of visual weight in the left half or if I would crop in about 1/5 from the right… ---
**Author:** ![Keith\_Bauer](https://assets.naturephotographers.network/user_avatar/community.naturephotographers.network/keith_bauer/32/211_2.png) [@Keith\_Bauer](https://community.naturephotographers.network/u/Keith_Bauer)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2021, 9:52pm UTC](https://community.naturephotographers.network/t/western-sunflowers-in-a-short-grass-prairie/23848/3 "2021-08-20T21:52:17Z")
Nice Jim. You never know what will present itself when you go out with your camera. You made a lovely image, even though that wasn’t in the plan book for the day. ---
**Author:** ![Vanessa\_Hill](https://assets.naturephotographers.network/user_avatar/community.naturephotographers.network/vanessa_hill/32/32524_2.png) [@Vanessa\_Hill](https://community.naturephotographers.network/u/Vanessa_Hill)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2021, 1:30am UTC](https://community.naturephotographers.network/t/western-sunflowers-in-a-short-grass-prairie/23848/4 "2021-08-21T01:30:17Z")
> [@Jim\_Zablotny](#): > > If you would like your image to be eligible for a feature on the NPN Instagram (@NaturePhotoNet), add the tag ‘ig’ and leave your Instagram username below. Beautiful capture, Jim! I love the background blurred flowers and that the front in focus ones are the underside of the flowers. It looks so bright and cheery! ---
**Author:** ![David\_Bostock](https://assets.naturephotographers.network/user_avatar/community.naturephotographers.network/david_bostock/32/34921_2.png) [@David\_Bostock](https://community.naturephotographers.network/u/David_Bostock)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2021, 4:09pm UTC](https://community.naturephotographers.network/t/western-sunflowers-in-a-short-grass-prairie/23848/5 "2021-08-22T16:09:22Z")
Jim, the image is really nice. Made more so by the colorful and complimentary out of focus background. You got some reward for hefting that 40lbs! 😀