In Perspective, Fun: Colors of Wheat

[Tom Robbins]

The wheat fields of Northern Illinois seemed to beckon this year. There is no particular reason for this that I can determine, but the changes in the appearance of the crop as it grew was interesting to observe. Of course, these same changes probably haunted the dreams of the farmers who planted the crops.

Freshly planted wheat looks like a freshly planted lawn, pretty much. As it grows in the early stages, it begins to look like a lawn that needs to be mowed.

March 2012​

It takes some time for the heads to develop and they start out as green as the rest of the plant.

May 2012​

After several weeks the crop begins to ripen.

June 2012​

Some weeks later, the crop takes on an amber color and is ready for harvest. The mature crop was photographed on a very foggy morning.

July 2012​

Part of the harvest includes baling the stalks as hay.

July 14 2012​

So there it is. About has exiting as watching grass grow, I reckon.

 

[fahim mohammed]

Hi there Tom.

I find this to an exceptionally good photo essay. I, for one, am amazed at the short timescales involved till the harvest!! The changes in color only add to my enjoyment of this essay.

The broad perpective and then you moving in is pleasurable. The road on the left entering and running off in the distance gives an appreciation of the land area covered.


Thank you for sharing this with us.

 

[Sam Hames]

I really appreciate the sense of time here, the first and last photos really set the scene.

Maybe there's too much engineer in me, couldn't stop thinking about flows of energy (sunlight, solar insolation) and efficiency!

 

[Jarmo Juntunen]

Fahim and Sam made some valid points about the sense of time in this essay. I, too, find this a fascinating aspect of Tom's fabulous series. They also work beautifully as independent works of art. The May and July scenes, especially, are great. They are both telling a story and are technically brilliant.

 

[Tom Robbins]

Fahim, Sam, and Jarmo,

Thank you for taking the time to look, and thank you especially for your very thoughtful comments. All photos were taken with tilt/shift lenses using horizontal shift in either landscape (horizontal—results in 1:2 aspect ratio) or portrait (vertical—results in 1:1 aspect ratio). Some degree of tilt was used for depth of field control in the foggy photo as I recall. Not sure about its use with the others, offhand.

 

[Asher Kelman]

Part of the harvest includes baling the stalks as hay.

Tom Robbins: Colors of Wheat


July 14 2012​

Tom,


I am so impressed with the effort here as well as the result. No one who has passed a field at harvest time cannot be taken by the elemental beauty of the golden bounty of this God-given earth and respect for the hard working folk who give us our daily bread.

In the time of the development of trains in France, artists where able to leave the cities and enjoy such sights as these. Monet's haystacks are the most famous of these works.

I'd love to know if it would interest you to take on this challenge. Choose a scene such as this one and then photograph throughout the seasons from about 4 repeatable positions so that you will have sequences that will relate to each other directly without any adjustment in the form of each picture, just in the season and colors of the wheat.

Of course, this may be so far away that it's not practical. Still, I know you are the one to do this if it's within you reach.

Asher

So there it is. About has exiting as watching grass grow, I reckon.

 

[Tom Robbins]

Thank you Asher. The four season idea is a good one. I'll keep the concept in mind during travels this summer to see if a promising location can be located.