Valensole Plain 2012

Lavender Fields, Valensole Plain by Phyllis D. Peterson, 2012

I'm up to day three of my photographic journey through the Provence area of France.  It wouldn't be a trip through that area of France without the obligatory photograph of the lavender fields of the Valensole Plain. (I just love writing those words. I think it conveys the specialness of the place.) But don't be fooled. These lavender fields bloom for only 2-3 weeks. Our visit was specially timed to be at the lavender field when they were in bloom. This is an important cash crop for the French. As we found out when we visited the town of Sault, they sell the lavender blossoms and scent in their markets and worldwide.

As photographers we are all aware of the popular scene of neat, clean purple rows stretching into the horizon. How do you capture the scene without being boring? First of all, not all the rows were neat and clean. You had to find rows that were mostly purple. It was difficult because we were at the beginning of the two week period of bloom, so there were distracting green and white plants mixed in. We were lucky in that there were field of bright green fields to break up the color, and bordered by fields of wheat.  The trick is to shoot down the rows to show the perspective of converging lines in the distance. And, because it is a landscape shot needing focus in the distance you have to plan to set your aperture small (larger number) like f/16 or f/22. If you use Aperture Priority, the shutter speed will adjust and you just need to tweak it with the Exposure Compensation. Focus into the scene about 1/3 of the way in and you will get good focus, front to back.

We went to the market at Sault and took pictures of the lavender that was for sale. Of course, I brought home some lavender fragrance bags for my drawers at home. The fragrance brings me back to that place and time.

Lyon, Summer 2012

Lyon is a city in south-central France that is situation between the Rhone River and the Saone River. Because of this situation, their buildings are very close to one another and they have many passages between the buildings to save space. These passages became important during the World War II as the French Underground came to life in their city.  It has a wonderful history dating back to the Romans. A city that became famous for their textiles and specifically their silk. They have their own unique culinary style.  I'd be happy to return anytime.

I had read what Rick Steves had written about Lyon but I was not prepared for how beautiful the city really is. The weather was not great but cloudy skies are what you want for photography. We all assembled in front of this view and waited for dusk to settle in and the lights to come on. We were not disappointed.

More to come. This week was traveling and a family funeral so I will cut the blog short.