Several years ago (back in 2007) we visited New Zealand and one of the wind farms they have in the Waikato region.
OBJECTIVE:
To show one of the electrical energy windmills in a different ‘light’
COMPOSITION:
With the sun reasonably high in the sky, shadows were part and parcel of the surroundings. Straight on shots of these monsters weren’t overly exciting. As we drove around the hill sides I saw this scene where the sun had been blocked by the windmill and decided that would be my shot.
Getting out of the car and walking up and down the road a bit I found a spot that put the sun behind the blades and also allowed me to zoom to where I could include some of the trees as well.
SETUP & SETTINGS:
1/500th – f9 – ISO 100. 30mm focal length. No filters on the lens. Hand held. No flash.
POST PROCESSING:
Sharpening, curves (contrast) and a little colour saturation to bring out the sun flare a bit more.
END RESULT:
The portrait orientation allowed me to capture the height of these things to some degree, but the trees have countered that effect somewhat I think. I could have maybe gotten the windmill higher in the frame but I was restricted with the location ( a dirt bank behind me, road in front) and a car full of wife and in-laws that get bored with photography after the 97th stop for a shot by me that morning.
The lens/sun flare wasn’t planned at first but I did see it in the viewfinder while taking the shot and figured it might work. It did I think, better than I thought.








