Description:
I had the opportunity to capture this scene at Luoping Canola Flower Fields (é-ç…平油èè) in Yunnan, China. The endless stretches of golden rapeseed flowers create a striking contrast against the distant misty mountains, and I hoped to convey the warmth and vibrancy of this breathtaking landscape.
In the foreground, I framed the image with a cultural wagon, adorned with colorful fabrics, intricate patterns, and traditional ornaments. The driver, dressed in ethnic attire, sits at the front, guiding the buffalo-drawn cart along the path. His posture and attire reflect the deep cultural roots of the local communities, which I wanted to highlight alongside the natural beauty of the fields.
Beyond the cart, a family of tourists appears engaged in the scenery, capturing their own memories of the golden blooms. I felt their presence added a sense of scale and human connection to the landscape.
I would love to hear any thoughts or critiques on improving this composition. Does the framing work well, or is there a better way to balance the cultural and natural elements? Any feedback is greatly appreciated!
Gear: Canon 5d3, f6.3, ISO 400, 1/320
Date: 2/1/2017
5 comments posted
Alan Lichtenstein
You may have wanted to get a better balance between the cultural and natural elements, but you were very likely too close to achieve that. It might have been better just to focus on the cultural (i.e., the cultural wagon) and forego an attempt to do both, as it appears you tried to do too much, which probably caused the depth of field to be a bit unclear, as the focus was on the wagon with the background blurred. I also would have tried to take the wagon from a side view, getting in both the buffalo as well as the cart but with a side view rather than the driver's back. I'm not sure how the framing could have been improved considering where you were probably standing, other than what I've suggested. Posted: 04/01/2025 05:46:27
Dr. Isaac Vaisman
Pamela, I like the contrast between the carriage and its driver in ethnic outfit compared to the people in the canola field taking selfies (modernism), unfortunately, they are very soft, as is the environment taking away some of the impact. I tend to agree with Alan's comment. Posted: 04/03/2025 13:02:34
Vinaya Mathews
Red cart at b/g of blue sky & yellow & green field looks great. I liked the idea of composing the young people from the frame of the cart. I liked capturing them blur to give depth to the photo. Actually I would have preferred the clear view of buffalo but with this composition, it was not possible, I understand.
Posted: 04/08/2025 04:20:48
Mandy Vien
Pamela, great travel image..
I like the back of the wagon which do not take all attention from viewers. Viewer will move focus from the wagen to the scenery. If possible, I would like to have more green space to the right or left of the image such that the wagon takes up 1/3 of the image and the green fields fill the remaining 2/3. This may not be possible for travel image to keep the wagon and the tourists thru the space. Nicely done given the circumstance.
Posted: 04/11/2025 13:11:47
Dr Edward Goldenberg
Hi Pam I would have tried to take the picture from the front including the buffalo and using the fields as the background. The tourists don't add to the story Posted: 04/18/2025 11:02:50
