Getting the Shot – Peridot’s Poppies

Author Ambika Balasubramaniyan

Location: Peridot Mesa, Peridot AZ

This location in Arizona typically explodes with poppies early February if the rain and temperature conditions are conducive to a dense bloom. Feb 2015 brought reports of hillsides of poppies – another short-lived dramatic spring season in the Arizona deserts.

Location guide:Wild in Arizona™: Photographing Arizona’s Wildflowers, A Guide to When, Where, & How (Expanded 2nd Edition) by Paul Gill & Colleen Miniuk-Sperry

Objective: Capture the overall vibe of the ” Fields of Poppies” as well as highlight the delicate beauty of the Poppy.

Settings:

• Camera: Canon 5DMIII
• Lens: Canon EF 16-3.5 f2.8 II USM
• Settings: Av (Aperture Priority)1/30 sec, f16, ISO 400, 16mm
• Filter: Galen Rowell Graduated Neutral Density Filters ( 3 stop – Soft Edge)

The day I was out at Peridot Mesa was an overcast day with a thin band of opening on the western horizon. I was going…