“Summer Sunflowers” by Robin Conover Canon EOS 5D Mark IV EF 100-400 mm at 400 mm, 3.5-5.6 L lens ISO 320, fl5.6 at 1/640 second, handheld
Driving down the narrow gravel road that leads through the Camden Wildlife Management Area, I know I took a deep breath and let out a sigh of mixed emotions when I saw the warm afternoon light and the field of basking sunflowers. Having traveled more than two hours to get to this location along Camden Landing Road in Benton County, I was both relieved and excited to see the field in full bloom.
I have traveled to this location twice before without much success. On those visits, the sunflowers were suffering from drought or were well past their prime or the light was flat. This time, I felt like a kid in a candy store!
I arrived about an hour before sunset, and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky. The intense summer sunlight presented this beautiful sight of backlit red and yellow sunflowers.
In many cultures, sunflowers represent happiness and symbolize qualities such as loyalty and adoration. I can attest that these certainly made me feel happy as I photographed them.
The peak blooming season for this area is from mid-July to early August. Of course, this can vary as it is dependent on the summer weather.
With approximately 60 acres of sunflowers, I found it a bit difficult to focus in on an interesting composition. I was reacting to the light and color first but knew I needed to simplify the subject. After driving around the field a couple of times, I chose this composition to highlight just a few sun flowers in the foreground as they stood out against the dark background. The 100–400 mm telephoto lens I chose helped compress the depth of field, keeping just a few flowers in sharp focus and blurring the others.
If you plan to visit, the area is managed by the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency and open to the public. TWRA rules and regulations apply and must be followed. From Camden, take Highway 70 east toward New Johnsonville for approximately 5.5 miles, and turn right into the Camden Wildlife Management Area entrance onto Camden Landing Road.
