Challenge: Free Study 2010-07 (Advanced Editing VII)
Collection: 2010 Challenges
Camera: Nikon D300
Lens: Nikon AF Zoom-Nikkor 80-200mm f/2.8D ED
Date: Jul 16, 2010
Aperture: f4.5
ISO: 200
Shutter: 1/1000
Galleries: Rural, Floral
Date Uploaded: Jul 20, 2010
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Buttonwood Farms was established in 1975. The Button family set up a dairy farm using timber grown on their land as well as an old saw mill that was also on their property. For two decades, the dairy farm grew and became productive. Then as their family expanded, they decided that they wanted to change directions from producing not just the raw materials (feed, seed, and milk) to producing the finished product. This is where Buttonwood Farms Ice Cream began.
In 1997, the family built a small ice cream shack and worked at honing the craft of making ice cream from scratch. Over the years that followed, business in the rural location was solid, but could be better. In 2003, the Buttons took the suggestion of a good friend and planted a small field of sunflowers. The sunflowers would be pretty and help the cars slow down to look at on the hot summer days of July, and maybe they would stop and enjoy some homemade ice cream. The idea work, and soon the ice cream shack was replaced with a larger building and a bigger parking lot and many more costumers. Being typical New Englanders, planting flowers to the slow the cars and increase the ice cream business was good, but what to do with the flowers once they were done blooming. They could have fed the seeds to the cows, used some for seed for next year, or found some other way to use or sell the seeds. But they came up with the big idea instead, the one that makes it all different. Not only could they grow the flowers for folks to stop and look at and enjoy, but they could sell the flowers for a great cause... the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
Every year since 2004, they have harvested the sunflowers as bouquets. The bouquets are sold and the profits are all donated to the Connecticut Make-A-Wish Foundation. For those that aren't aware, the Make-A-Wish enriches the lives of children with life-threatening medical conditions through its wish-granting work.
So, next time you are in Eastern Connecticut, make a detour to Griswold and say hello, stop for an ice cream, and thank them for all they do every day.
About the shot:
Every year I make several runs out to Griswold to see how the fields are coming. This year, the weather was hot in June and July, and the sunflowers were growing up fast. I ran out mid month on a warm and sunny Friday to make a quick stop. The flowers were all just beginning to explode. I stopped, set up using my 80-200mm at shallow DOF to really isolate some of these big beauties. I like how the layers of flowers, both in and out of focus, those in front, and those behind give the shot depth are richness.
Editing: Lightroom adjustments, including crop, saturation, clarity, and some minor curves and contrast adjustment. A very subtle Topaz Adjust layer to pop the in focus sunflower, and a bit of dodge and burn.
I have entered this one at the recommendation of my son James. He was with me when I shot this, and as he said upon looking at the various choices, "Dad, this is what it felt like". Nuff said.
Don't forget to Make-A-Wish....
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