Prairies Archives - Page 2 of 6 - Sean Phillips Photography

Sunrise Starburst

The winter landscape on the prairies can be so beautful that sometimes I find it hard to decide what image to make next. This was one of those examples where I was torn between wanting to make images of the grain bins that I knew would be glowing a beautiful red as the sun rose, or to try to create the starburst effect you see here just as the sun peeked over the horizon. In the end I managed to do both, but I really only got to try one composition for the starburst shot, and then I ran back over to the bins to make a few more images there. Fortunately this old fence was close enough to the bins that I was able to use it to give the starburst shot some foreground interest.

Grain Bin Panorama

I went out for a sunrise photoshoot with my Dad the other day while he was visiting for the holidays. It was really nice to be able to head out at a very civilized time (8:00 AM) and still be there in plenty of time to fully enjoy the Magic Hour. This is very different from the other seasons where the sunrise is much earlier in the day, and is one of the few advantages that winter photography has over the summer.

I’ve shot these grain bins before but because of their position relative to the sunrise I knew they would be a good photogenic subject to share with my Dad.

Crossing into Indigo

I love the time right after sunset on the prairies when the deep blue night sky slowly descends. It squishes the glowing magenta light of the magic hour into the horizon below it. I pass this railway crossing all the time, and I always think about stopping to have a better look at it. But I rarely do. I’m glad I did this time because the light was stunning.

The End of the Harvest

I saw these granaries in a farm field with a conveyor parked in front just as the sun was setting. The last remnants of daylight were starting to fade on the distant horizon. The nearby farmers had only recently finishing up with the harvest and it seemed like a fitting metaphor that the equipment was still parked there as the light faded into night. Everything will soon be put away for the winter, ready to be used again when the time comes that they are needed.

Bales in Black and White

I posted several pictures of some hay bales the other day. The main reason I was attracted to that particular field, and to those particular images, was because of the vivid colors of the field and the sky. But after processing them something made me think that they might look really good in black and white. So I converted them all and I’m really excited about the new images that I was able to create!

I don’t do a lot of black and white photography, but every once in awhile certain images lend themselves to it. I don’t necessarily think that all of these images look better in Black and White than they do in color, but I really like them. This is a simple reminder or me that there are almost always several ways to make every image look great, and that experimentation can be lots of fun!