A Touch of Summer – Golden MorningPosted by drfl on January 6th, 2011
Yesterday I saw the new license plate for Nebraska. It contains both the state bird – the Meadowlark and the state flower – the Goldenrod. I wasn’t impressed with the plate, both from a design standpoint, but also from a subject standpoint. There isn’t anything wrong with the meadowlark, as a matter of fact, Nebraska shares this state bird with Kansas, Montana, North Dakota, Oregon and Wyoming. The Goldenrod, however, is the state flower of two states, Kentucky being the only other one (It is also the state WILDflower of South Carolina). From a visual perspective, a solitary Goldenrod is unimpressive, which is how it is displayed on the plate. When one ventures into a field of Goldenrods, however, that’s a different experience altogether.
The color yellow commands attention. That is why so many signs and plaques are created in this color. Even a hint of yellow can grab someone’s gaze. On the plate the flower is dull (Click here to see it!). In nature, the flower is vibrant and warm.
So, I wandered into a field of Goldenrods this summer and captured a few photographs. For some reason I never processed them until now. Since we haven’t had any snow this winter (I think we sent it all east) I haven’t had much wintry imagery to make so I’m presenting a warm capture!
Technical Details:
Canon 5D Mark II, 17-40 f/4l @ 29mm, f/11, 1/250 sec., 3-stop Hard Grad
Boyer Chute National Wildlife Refuge, Nebraska
