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Prairie Grass


Prairie Grass
Photo Information
Copyright: Bob Shannon (eqshannon) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2013 W: 189 N: 7206] (21459)
Genre: Plants
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2007-09-20
Categories: Desert
Camera: Fuji Finepix S2 pro, Sigma 70-300mm
Photo Version: Original Version
Theme(s): Latest Nature Pictures [view contributor(s)]
Date Submitted: 2007-09-21 3:41
Viewed: 589
Favorites: 3 [view]
Points: 58
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
I cried over beautiful things knowing no beautiful thing lasts.

The field of cornflower yellow is a scarf at the neck of the copper sunburned woman, the mother of the year, the taker of seeds.

The northwest wind comes and the yellow is torn full of holes, new beautiful things come in the first spit of snow on the northwest wind, and the old things go, not one lasts. -Carl Sandburg

Picture is of wild Prairie Grass on the Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge.

What is it about prairies? What is interesting us so about these grasslands that circle our lands with a wide swath? Certainly there are landscapes such as the Rockies, , the Pacific coastline and others which make much more spectacular scenes. In contrast, these grasslands appear flat and somewhat bland; Yes quite vast but not as a ancient redwood forest or a mountain pond with Aspens.

...but in America the rolling grasslands are one of our most distinctive and defining landscapes. Carl Sandburg and many others have celebrated the prairie in verse as seen above. Our national songs refer to the 'endless prairie' and 'the fruited plain.'

Jesuit Priests were the first Europeans to see these grasslands and named the place as well as they could. Prerie was their word . Back in France it meant grassland. When Pere Marquette emerged from dark northern forests into the sunny, game-rich savannas of the Mississippi Valley in 1673, it may have been something like coming home, and he noted 'les belles preries' in his journal.

The original tall grass prairie comprised an area from northern Indiana to Texas to Saskatchewan, Canada, comprising about one-third of America. Before settlement, about two-thirds of the vegetation in what is now the state of Washington was natural grasslands. The prairie held about 150 kinds of grasses. No more than 10 were dominant in their special niches.
PaulH, kessi, fartash, cataclysta, tiklod, lise, gracious, go2stones, nglen, jaycee, Patleboss, warnzy, Kathleen, jmirah, c_rapp, CeltickRanger, Heaven, cicindela, jpinkham, earthtraveler has marked this note useful
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To fragman: Thanks andeqshannon 1 09-21 04:03
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Critiques [Translate]

beautiful pic, TFS Ori

  • Great 
  • PaulH Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1058 W: 26 N: 3154] (11345)
  • [2007-09-21 4:07]

Hi Bob, lovely golden tones here...the soft background gives an almost dreamy effect. Your note reminds us how the US's history is tightly entwined with it's huge landscapes. Rocky peaks and ancient forests are great, but there's something slightly sublime about those Prairies..
tfs and have a good weekend
Paul

hello bob,
you have got a great ability to spot the beauty of nature which most of the people ignore easily, i liked the natural shades and the composition very much, the bg looks great,
tfs & regards
pankaj

  • Great 
  • kessi Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 88 W: 5 N: 75] (221)
  • [2007-09-21 4:55]

Hello Bob,
What an emotive image. I love those colours ... the background looks so inviting that one is drawn to moving deeper among the grass .... beautiful.

Touching note as well.

kessi

Hello Dear Bob
Very intersting spiece to shoot,
I agree with Pankaj ,Superb shot.

Good Luck
Fartash

Hello Bob,
This is a fine composition with an attractive subject, simple but beautiful!
Excellent sharpness and the narrow DOF works well...
Well framed and with lovely colours!
Greetings,
Pablo -

Hi Bob
Very peaceful shot. I like the buckground texture (mix of OOF grass) It is very elegant artistic presentation, Nice composition and great natural colors. Little nois effect looks very good here.
Best wishes
Krzysztof

HI Bob,

Can grass look so nice? Very well composed shot. Nice dry shades. The + shape formed here so beautiful. Thanks for finding this beautiful scene in grass. and TFS

Regards
Mahesh

I don't think beauty ever dies completely...maybe it has a soul too...the very essence of beauty lives on.

A great shot here!
Amazing colors - perfect composition - an elegant classic photo. Awesome!!!!

Hi Paul,
THIS IS A VERY BEAUTIFUL PHOTO. The depth of field and warm colors are making this excellent shot. Now one of my favorite!
Thanks for sharing...

Claude

  • Great 
  • Mana Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1761 W: 29 N: 5136] (16820)
  • [2007-09-21 9:07]

Hi Bob,
This is an artistic masterpiece. The wild prairie grass looks majestic in its formation and you have captured them in all their glory. The OOF BG looks stunning and sets up a nice tone to the shot. I wish I could capture something like this sometime - truely charming. Excellent POV and very nicely composed. Kudos.
TFS.
Sumon

* Browsed through your extensive website, awesome gallery of shots of days gone by. Will make it a point to cover a part everyday and share the nostalgis moments.

  • Great 
  • lise Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 184 W: 51 N: 560] (2819)
  • [2007-09-21 9:22]

Hi Bob,
This is such a wonderful shot!! Lovely natural colors and amazing composition.
Great informative note and nice frame.
Lise

Hello Bob,
My compliment towards this outstanding photo!
absolutely beautiful and best presentation indeed!
perfect DOF, amezing colour and so much details!
well composed and well seen
cheers
Tony

  • Great 
  • Silke Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 753 W: 108 N: 1729] (5398)
  • [2007-09-21 9:47]

so now, you want to start a transcontinental crying jag?
Sheesh!
In truth: your notes are both very moving and superbly informative.
The image: great colours and textures, superb macro
TFS
silke

Very fine posting with the poetry and the excellent information and this beautiful image of wild grass. The amber waves of grain have been an integral part of this nation since its inception. Excellent composition.

TFS!
Reid

  • Great 
  • nglen Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 2089 W: 9 N: 5861] (22206)
  • [2007-09-21 11:10]

Hi Bob. Such a simple picture that has come out so well. this would make a very nice post card. fine natural colour and detail in the corn.I like the way onyt a few ears of corn are in focus. so very well done with very nice notes to read. well done my friend TFS.
Nick..

Have a good weekend.

  • Great 
  • jaycee Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1865 W: 8 N: 4848] (15703)
  • [2007-09-21 13:10]

Hi Bob,

Absolutely beautiful! Very simple and very beautiful. I love it! Wonderful natural colors - sharp details - and a marvelous blurred background. You have such a fantastic eye.

Jane

Hello my old friend,
It is still a splendid table which you presents to us there, you have an often imitated talent but ever equalized Bob
cheer,
nothing changes, you are brilliant
friendly,
Pat

Hi Bob,

I love the colours and the depth of field is perfect, giving a nice regression of detail through to the background. Great note and the poem is beautiful.

Kind regards,

Mike

Hi Bob
Stunning. Wonderful colours, DOF, sharp and detailed where needed for impact. Beautifully done.

Kathleen

  • Great 
  • gannu Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 985 W: 4 N: 2523] (11717)
  • [2007-09-22 5:26]

Bob what a shot. Simple and yet superb. The composition colors are gret. Superb Ganesh

  • Great 
  • jmirah Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 436 W: 5 N: 901] (3574)
  • [2007-09-22 10:42]

Back later, cutting grass

Beautiful pov great details and love the framing. Very nicely taken. TFS
Christan

salut Bob

c'est une excellente composition, focus au point,
bon profondeur de champs, belles couleurs, image bie net

(je ne suis qu'un débutant en photographie de nature)
peut-être si tu aurais pis ta photo en cadran verticalement
pour inclure dans l'image la tige de bas en haut.

merci

Asbed

Hello Bob!
This is another picture from collection which is exacly in colouration I like a lot! Warm, delicate tones are amazing, and the exposure of grass really great. DOF and POV are very good, and the note more that interesting! :>
Very good work my Friend!
Best regards,
Radomir

  • Great 
  • Heaven Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 514 W: 85 N: 968] (3579)
  • [2007-09-30 11:31]

Hi Bob!

I almost missed that one... And how I would regret it! I love it for what you master so perfectly well: simplicity and authenticity, underlined by interesting and deep comments.

From the technical point of view, there's nothing to say: the composition with the blurred background is perfect, the colors are great and bribing, the lighting management is wonderful, and the whole is nicely framed.

Well seen, well done!

Thank you, Bob, for sharing it with us.

Kind regards
Markus

Top-to-bottom, side-to-side lovely, Bob. Simple and elegant. Walt Whitman would've been proud to paint such an image as this in words. You've let us see it. Great use of DOF and macro view, tasteful framing, fine color and sharpness. An excellent compositional example of where less is more.

Hi Bob,
Beautiful composition of the grass seed heads.
The DOF with the blurry BG is superb and adds so much to the image. The patterns and colors are very pleasing.
TFS
Richard

Hi Bob,
Amazing such a thing as a simple stalk of wheat can be such a beautiful photo. But it can and you've proved it. The close up with the great detials and the blended background...beautiful. TFS
Donna:o)

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