WINDMILLS
I love photographing windmills, especially those old, ranching and farming-type windmills. I either take a straight-on shot or look for some interesting compositions. I also vary my time of day, but they look great at any time of day, simply because you don't see many anymore. They're unique, and that's what makes for interesting subjects to photograph.
I found this great farming composition, windmill included, north of Dallas, far away from modern and shimmering skyscrapers. It was late evening and I liked the colors in the sky against the muted hues in the foreground. There was just enough light to see what the scene was, yet dark enough to give the scene mood and mystery. Scenes like this beg questions, like, "What was an average day like back then?"
I found this composition on a desolate two-lane road from Raton, New Mexico to the Texas Panhandle. You've heard "Location. Location. Location." In photography, it's "Composition. Composition. Composition."
And here's one more where the composition before me was all it took. All I had to do was fine-tune it with my position, angle, and lens choice. Chimney Rock in Southwestern Nebraska.
I saw this windmill in Colorado, but I chose to photograph the context in which it was in: part of a historic farm at the foothills of The Rockies. I loved the 14,000-foot peak in the distance and the artistic arrangement of clouds in the sky.
I discovered this windmill museum in Lubbock, Texas. I just had to get up early to get those pre-sunrise hues. I got there before they opened, and continued shooting an hour or two after they opened. I couldn't get enough.
I had never seen an open-faced windmill. It was certainly unique.
I couldn't help but title this next one, "Windmill Family."
I'll end with this surreal windmill-- a double-headed windmill. This one worked better as a black & white image.
So, take some day trips away from the city. Look at your state or county map and take those "blue roads"--those small two-lane country roads that lead to secluded treasures.
