Stripped, Empty, and Quiet

I love those kind of minimalistic compositions with an interesting subject as this lonely wooden house lost in the middle of huge fields. Your shot with its almost infinite view to a flat and empty horizon and this dominating sky really emphasizes the feeling of a tiny house completely isolated in a vast scenery. The colors are nice too. Well done! Kind regards, Jan

If I were to take a photograph of myself as represented by the

environment, this would be it. Comments and suggestions are always

appreciated. Thanks.

I always think its more difficult to get an interesting shot in the middle of the day than it is early morning or late evening. Yet this one is really interesting and attractive. Composition is impeccable and the colours appear natural. As for your self comparison, I think only one aspect could be true, and thats the "quiet" part of your nature, far from empty and stripped though, as you have a wealth of talent that no one can take away. An interesting concept though, perhaps PN should do that as a monthly project (An image of yourself as represented by an environment)

I might have been tempted to get a more fuller portrait orientated shot with a lower perpespective, just to get a more gritty feel for the wheat stubble. The former comment intended as an alternative not a replacement, as I really do like this.

Best Regards

Alf

Love the format, composition, color and feel to this image.  The texture in the harvested fields leading to the horizon, balance by the lonely image of the weathered farmhouse is a wonderful blend of times gone by and the the cloud formation just completes a superior image. I also agree that being a midday shot really pulls off quite an accomplishment. Kudos, kudos, kudos, rek.

I'm usually against too much PS work, but here I feel a lack of some yellow to emphasize the beauty of nature and for the field to be saturated equally as much as the sky. Nevertheless, I like the idea and the capture. Best regards, Ivan.

Thanks very much for the comments and suggestions.  

Alf, I did do a variety of shots, everything from the house being so distant that it was hardly visible to up-close shots in which the house dominated the photo.  The stubble near the house was not "photogenic" (as if wheat stubble can ever be photogenic).  I settled on this particular photo that was a compromise between seeing some details of the house and also setting it in context with the wide open spaces of eastern Montana; the context was my priority.  I cropped it to 1:1, and it might be better to make it horizontal and include more of the area to the left in order to enhance the sense of wide open spaces.  I agree that a photo much closer to the stubble that shows more detail there would be a great alternative, and I would have done that if I had a 24mm T/S lens at the time to address the DOF issues that such a shot entails.  I'll try that at the next opportunity.

Ivan, in my photos saturation is often increased simply as a by-product of adjusting levels and increasing contrast.  When I do that, I'm trying to ensure that the  colors are close to what I remember seeing, and that is often very difficult to accomplish, but I try.  I very seldom enhance saturation solely for the sake of enhancing the aesthetics of the saturation.  I want the photo to be as it was, not as I wished it had been.  That's just my personal view.

Jan and Richard, thanks for your comments.  I was on my way to do another Missouri River canoe trip, and when I saw this farmhouse well off the main highway, I knew I had to stop regardless of the time of day.  I could spend years just driving the backroads of Montana like this.

Beautiful composition and fantastic colors, nice contrast of colors between the sky and the ground

Gianluigi

I think the title is well illustrated and interpreted here in this photograph by the wheat field, sky and the house. The degree of open space gives just enough breathing space without exaggeration and the adequately detailed house adds enough feeling of depth. Probably nothing to critique about this image. Regards, Stephen. - Lester

I always enjoy photos that convey solitude, and this one does that very well.  It's minimalist but very well balanced, and the colors are simple yet rich. 

The one thing I've gone back and forth on is whether the photo should be cropped a bit more from the right side, so that the house is a little closer to the edge.  My compositional instinct tells me to do that (and would be how I would have shot it), but seeing your version makes me think that perhaps having some room on either side of the house conveys more of the loneliness you intended to capture.

Either way, this is a fantastic image.

Great image; the loneliness is presented very well. Very well done. Thank you for sharing. :)

Hi Stephen- Just a short remark on Stripped & Empty.After reading your bio I can not believe Stripped & Empty lasted long. Quiet,yes I think so. Anyone who enjoys weeks at a time camping is self assured & comfortable with his own company.Gravel roads & lanes are also my favourite means of seeking photo opporturities, especially old deserted homes & barns,. Now to your excellent photo.I can see myself standing beside the distant cabin & definitely feeling a sense of inadequacy, the endless far of horizons & the huge prairie sky, overwhelming.It must have been a sobering experience for settlers to see this land & experience the magnitude of the land.. We've travelled west four times since retiring in 91, always enjoying southern Saskatchewan & its gently rolling landscape, I expect much like Montana. Each time we have looked forward to dark moonless nights & a sky full of stars. What a unique experience! to turn around & around & marvel at the sheer beauty of the evening sky.A humbling experience.One I will never forget.This is a round about way of saying why I really like your fine image.. Sorry I did not discuss the technical details, but then, I'm not very good at it.I'm more interested in emotional responses.Best Regards-Ross