I consider colour to be something of a crutch in the image making process. In someways it is essential for the creation of a successful image yet in others it can be something of an hindrance, an unwelcome distraction from the core elements of the scene which could be used to compose a shot with maximum impact.
However much I love black and white photography, I will not deny that some scenes just need to be photographed in colour. Perhaps none more so than the stereotypical british view of a field covered in flowering poppies. Now here is the dilemma. Poppy fields are wonderful subjects and for that reason they are photographed to death. Ask yourself, do we really need any more poppy images? Thankfully for me, the answer is a definite yes but we do need to perhaps be a bit more creative in the approach to how we compose and capture our images.
I visited this field in Northumberland on a day of less than ideal weather conditions. Strong gusts of wind were making it impossible for me to take detail shots of the poppies with my 'field studio' and the light was less than flattering for a wide landscape view. So often I have had to make the decision of whether I should abandon a shoot or instead try to experiment with my compositions. One of the best things about digital cameras is that you can experiment to your hearts content and it won't cost you a penny. I can not guarantee that you will always be pleased with your shots but I can guarantee you that you will learn and improve your photography simply by trying to be more creative with your shots and learning from the mistakes that you made.
This shot was the result of taking a chance and experimenting with my composition. I decided to work with the wind as I knew that it would be virtually impossible to record sharp poppies throughout the frame. So instead I fitted my 10X ND filter with a view of exaggerating the movement of the poppies in the field to a point where the image almost becomes a minimalist design. Here I have managed to record five minutes in the life of this poppy field on a breezy day in Northumberland and condensed them into the one single shot that I have decided was my picture of the month.
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