DGrin Mini-Challenge #263 - Pastoral Landscapes ***RESULTS***

DavidRGillespie

Thanks to everyone for putting together such a strong set of images for this mini-challenge. I have truly enjoyed seeing such a diversity of great landscapes around the pastoral theme. And I have been scrolling through the set for the last few, trying to find the winner in a sea of winners. I especially liked the way Pieter (@pegelli) summarized the set of images in mini #262, and I am going to try to emulate his good example.

@JAG - A nice set. I especially like the drama of the near silhouette of the irrigation equipment against the smoky orange sky in #2. The curve of the equipment pulls the eye into the image.
@lkbart - I like the range and transition of colours in #2, buzzing bluebells. There are two nice triangles of colour in the foreground, set against a dramatic sky.
@pegelli - Your set contains three great images. #2 Tuscany, with the backlighting on the curving rows of grapes in Tuscany is good, but I really liked the simplicity in #3, Machelen, with the converging lines and the tower on the horizon slightly offset from the vanishing point. This image is also interesting because of the portrait orientation, which provides an interesting perspective on the subject.
@grandmaR - #3, the aerial view, is quite striking, and is a neat way to look at a landscape. The image that you shared in your discussion with Pieter is even more striking.
@kurzvorzwoelf - You shared three images with lovely composition and great lighting in all the images. #3 the house behind the sunflowers is especially nice.
@Cavalier - I envy anyone who has an opportunity to shoot landscapes in the Palouse region of eastern Washington State. Your set of three is very strong. More about that below.
@sarasphotos - I love #2 wheat and hopfields in Bavaria. Such a diversity of crops, nicely positioned in the frame. A great foreground and the cyclist entering the scene adds a nice touch.
@sapphire73. Yours is a pretty diverse set - Kenya, Colorado and the Netherlands. #2, seen in Colorado, is a very dramatic scene with the antique farm equipment in the foreground and dramatic sky and mountains. There is a neat story there too, with fields returning to forest.
@CHANDLERJA - Image #1 is really striking. The plane of the sky and the plane of the field produce converging lines on the horizon, which focuses the eye on the sunlit patch and snow covered hills. Placing the horizon at the midline works really well in this image. I love the curve of the road moving into the image and out again. There is some mystery there.
@bfluegie - The placement of the fence in the foreground in #3 Farmyard, makes a lovely pastoral scene. This produces a great triangle of green pastures, with horses for interest, and a beautiful blue sky.

On to the decisions. So many great images, so many choices...

Third place @pegelli image #3 Machelen.

As I said above, there is a lot to love about this image. The simple lines, a simple colour palette, and mystery.

Second place @kurzvorzwoelf - #3 the house behind the sunflowers.

The foreground of bright yellow sunflowers and highlights on the foliage contrasts nicely with the more somber mid -ground. The mist rising off the field creates drama, and the house is placed in exactly the right spot in the frame to draw your eye into the picture.

First place - @Cavalier. #3, Just fields (wheat and canola), is a wonderful capture.

The image is very painterly, almost abstract. The flowing curves and large blocks of colours make a great effect. The lines in the field from tilling and harvesting tell a great story, and the track to the top of the hill in the distance makes me wish I could see what was there.

Thanks again to everyone for such creative images of pastoral landscapes. Congratulations to @Cavalier for the first place capture. I am looking forward to the next challenge.

Cavalier

Well, this first place brought me to tears. Not only because Just Fields was picked as first place in a challenge full of such beautiful photographs and subjects, but because our trip to the Palouse in May of last year was the last road/photo trip that I took with my husband who passed two months ago. We had such a great time in the Palouse with lots of scenery Wows, Ahs, laughs, good food, and meeting some great people. I'll treasure the memories of that trip and this selection for a long time. Thanks Dave for the pick.

Congratulations to everyone for such beautiful shots. Congrats to Pieter for the third place - it's not Flander Fields, but it is the fields of Flander with a wonderful perspective. And congrats to "shortly before twelve" kurzvorzwoelf for your field of sunflowers backdropped by a layer of fog (by the way, the Dog of Wisdom is truly a wise puppy).

Give me a day to come up with the subject for the next mini challenge.
Jo

grandmaR

The winning picture was one of my favorites too -
Thank you David for running such an evocative mini

lkbart

What a great winning image, with great memories behind it! Congrats on the win Jo! And also very sorry for your loss.
And congrats to Pieter and kurzvorzwoelf - also great images.
Very beautiful images in this mini & great commentary - nice mini Dave!

pegelli

Congrats to @Cavalier for a wonderful image, it was my favourite as well so the "jury" did a great job
Jo, my condolances on losing your husband, I didn't know that so thanks for sharing, the story behind it makes this beautiful scene even more meaningful.

Also congrats to @kurzvorzwoelf for second place, indeed a wonderful image with many "layers" as the viewer moves from foreground to background.

Last but not least a big thanks to @DavidRGillespie for running a great challenge, all the detailed comments and awarding my picture 3rd place among so many strong entries.

sapphire73

It was lovely to see so many fine landscapes in this mini. @DavidRGillespie, I was especially drawn to the three images that you selected for 1st, 2nd and 3rd. Thank you for the detailed comments as well.

Jo, your winning image is very beautiful, as is the story associated with it. So very sorry for your loss!

Looking forward to the next mini!

JAG

Congrats to you Jo for an excellent image. My condolences for your great loss. Congrats to the runner ups. Thank you @DavidRGillespie for a great challenge and your input critiques on everyone's images.

sarasphotos

@Cavalier Jo, congratulations for your win with that great image. Thank you so much for sharing your story with us - my deepest condolences go to for your loss.

@DavidRGillespie Thank you so much for runnung an excellent challenge - it brought out many wonderful images. I especially appreciated the time you took to comment on all of the photos.

kurzvorzwoelf

Congrats @Cavalier for a worthy winner in this mini! Also congrats @pegelli for stepping up on the pedestal with that beautiful image!

Thanks to everyone who contributed with beautiful and inspiring images!

Thanks a lot to you @DavidRGillespie for running this mini with a great theme and for reviewing all these great entries and commenting on all of them. I'm not too long in this community, but I think this is the kind of spirit that seperates DGrin from other communities and makes it worthwhile to stay!

@Cavalier: I'm unsure whether you know it already, but there is this short funny animation clip on Youtube from the Dog of Wisdom - enjoy (I hope it'll not be considered spam): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-UmfqFjpl0

Cavalier

Weirdly funny Dog of Wisdom..............Thanks for that. Ba-Ba Ba Ba.