Thursday, April 27, 2006
1.3 Mw
I do not claim that this is a 'good' photo but I do like the white against the dark, snow-laden cloud. For those to whom I sent a Christmas card with sheep in snow, this was taken on the same day in November. About 5 minutes beforehand low cloud swept over the hill bringing snow and then cleared and the sun shone rather feebly. These are big turbines, as you can see by the coniferous trees to the right, and can be seen from many miles around.
Permalink / posted by and copyright of John Ellis : 7:14 PM
Comments:
A simple picture but a very effective use of the dark sky to emphasise the white turbine. The resulting contrast makes one look at the picture.
would have bet its yours John :)
what a difference compared to the sheep. and all taken few minutes between.
the turbine looks really huge and massive.
good processing: the white are great and there is also slightly orange glances of evening(?) sun on the wings visible.
Yes, I see the hint of colour on the blades too and that adds a touch of warmth to the chill. Very nice indeed.
I struggle with the scale just a touch because it's hard to make out if those are trees in the background or just bushes but I don't think it's too much of an issue. If you'd not seen one of these before, the fence in the foreground and the distance the turbine is from the fence is probably all you need to know.
It wants to be looked at in the way JohnL describes.
For such a powerful subject this shot is too static for me. I would like to see movement in the blades. I'd like to try a much longer shutter...perhaps as much as a full revoltion.
The contrast and the match of the windmill to the snow are good for the eye.
The fact that the blades appear static is great news to me as it adds to my growing prejudice about the limited use of these things. I am an anti-windmill man. Don Quixote.
Rex - you disappoint me! In fact, it is extremely rare to see these things static. My only objection against the rush to build them is that the government has taken the easy way out and should be investing in research into, and helping industry develop, current, tidal and wave power. There is a place for wind and I don't think that these would upset you. Have a look at this set:
http://www.johnelliseone.co.uk/gallery/list.php?exhibition=18&pass=public&lang=eng
Guy, I accept that it would be nice to see some movement but one revolution would be excessive for one of these. I was shooting at 294mm focal length without a tripod and had dared to use 1/125 sec: as it is, you can see a tiny bit of blur at the end of the blades. My preferred blur is in this picture:
http://www.johnelliseone.co.uk/gallery/photo.php?photo=17&exhibition=18&u=34|5|...
On a much smaller scale, our neighbour's house is entirely powered by wind (stored at 24v). We can't see either the house or the windmill from here though.
Dealing with the photographic....I like the comparison between this shot and the one that Michael posted after it. This one is graphic and is about light, not place. Whereas Michael's is narrative and is about place more than about light.
Both shots are a bit 'National Geo' which is both a compliment and not. I've seen various attempts to photograph windfarms - there was a reader expedition to a windfarm sometime last year in B&W magazine for example. Like primroses, there appears to be a great photograph in there somewhere trying to get out.
Rex - baiting noted: nothing would stop me taking it!
Interesting points Auspicious. As a first reaction I thought: there is something of place about this one (albeit not as clearcut as Michael's) because once there were only sheep and now there is more. Then I thought well, maybe he's right and this is only a fact, which has taken me logically on to the fact that a collection of facts is the basis for a narrative and thus says something about place. The reaction was probably inspired more by the fact that Michael's has plenty of light as well, so maybe they're doing the same job in terms of light and place!! To obsess a little bit more about renewable energy, any picture of a wind turbine has an important narrative to tell in this point in human history.
As to getting a 'good' photo, you are right. It is incredibly difficult to get something that goes beyond this (or, at least, it is for me). Maybe I'll try something on you in due course.
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what a difference compared to the sheep. and all taken few minutes between.
the turbine looks really huge and massive.
good processing: the white are great and there is also slightly orange glances of evening(?) sun on the wings visible.
I struggle with the scale just a touch because it's hard to make out if those are trees in the background or just bushes but I don't think it's too much of an issue. If you'd not seen one of these before, the fence in the foreground and the distance the turbine is from the fence is probably all you need to know.
It wants to be looked at in the way JohnL describes.
The fact that the blades appear static is great news to me as it adds to my growing prejudice about the limited use of these things. I am an anti-windmill man. Don Quixote.
http://www.johnelliseone.co.uk/gallery/list.php?exhibition=18&pass=public&lang=eng
Guy, I accept that it would be nice to see some movement but one revolution would be excessive for one of these. I was shooting at 294mm focal length without a tripod and had dared to use 1/125 sec: as it is, you can see a tiny bit of blur at the end of the blades. My preferred blur is in this picture:
http://www.johnelliseone.co.uk/gallery/photo.php?photo=17&exhibition=18&u=34|5|...
Dealing with the photographic....I like the comparison between this shot and the one that Michael posted after it. This one is graphic and is about light, not place. Whereas Michael's is narrative and is about place more than about light.
Both shots are a bit 'National Geo' which is both a compliment and not. I've seen various attempts to photograph windfarms - there was a reader expedition to a windfarm sometime last year in B&W magazine for example. Like primroses, there appears to be a great photograph in there somewhere trying to get out.
Interesting points Auspicious. As a first reaction I thought: there is something of place about this one (albeit not as clearcut as Michael's) because once there were only sheep and now there is more. Then I thought well, maybe he's right and this is only a fact, which has taken me logically on to the fact that a collection of facts is the basis for a narrative and thus says something about place. The reaction was probably inspired more by the fact that Michael's has plenty of light as well, so maybe they're doing the same job in terms of light and place!! To obsess a little bit more about renewable energy, any picture of a wind turbine has an important narrative to tell in this point in human history.
As to getting a 'good' photo, you are right. It is incredibly difficult to get something that goes beyond this (or, at least, it is for me). Maybe I'll try something on you in due course.