Winter weather has to be one of the biggest environmental changes associated with my move from Colorado back to the Land of Lincoln. Much of Illinois’ winter season is dominated by featureless overcast skies than can seem a little uninspiring. As with all photographic situations, though, I think the key is just to figure out how to use that to one’s advantage.
Certain subjects look good against the plain white backdrop of these featureless skies. There’s a graphic quality that results from the high contrast between sky and subject. Old farm buildings and equipment certainly fall into that category for me.
With that in mind, Amanda and I took a drive around some of the rural areas along the old I&M Canal yesterday to see what I could conjure up. I was mostly intending to shoot with the 8×10 but this scene required more focal length than I could manage for the big camera. So I used my D800 and 80-200mm zoom to get this shot.
I once penned an article for The Trackside Photographer about using the light one has to tell the story. I think I need to start remembering that a little bit with my new Illinois home. Perhaps those trademark, featureless Illinois winter skies are part of the story of here?