Doing fall work was a good time on the farm. The pressure of harvest was over and the crop was “in the bin”. It was cooler outside, which took a bit of the edge off the day and made for better moods all around. There was also some satisfaction in working the harvested stubble to prepare for next spring’s planting. The satisfaction came slowly, though, and was often displaced by the monotony of working a huge field 30 feet at a time. Seeing the blue truck arrive was a good thing. It signalled that it was time for a meal break, or, in this case, that the day had been long enough and it was time to head for home.

This was a difficult picture to take for a number of reasons. At the time, I shot mainly Kodachrome 64 which is known for its tight grain pattern and vivid, deep colours. Kodachrome 64 is a slow film and often requires a slow shutter speed, making camera-shake a concern. The film also had a narrow exposure latitude which means that shadows tend to go to black very quickly and highlights wash-out. Exposure wise, I was bang-on with this one. There is still some shadow detail and the sky didn’t wash out. There isn’t too much evidence of camera shake, although if I’d shot with a tripod I know I could have improved this photo’s sharpness.

I love the colour in this photograph. The Kodachrome 64 was true to its reputation and delivered deep rich tones, particularly in the blue shadow areas of the truck. The blues strike an interesting contrast to the orange/white sunset and the tractor working the field in the distance.

Nikon FE2 w. Nikkor 35 f/2 on Kodachrome 64